Let's talk about Teachers!

I’m a retired primary teacher. In most schools that I worked in I was the arts coordinator even though my degree is in History with English. Miss my job but not the paperwork or management ( apart from my last boss who was wonderful !)

Started as a NNEB nursery nurse, through primary to a TA in secondary school. Still part time at 66. I teach literacy with small groups and support English fac. I’m also at Uni part time doing English lit....something about learning obv appeals!

Yes - another educator here! (I don't want to say anything about my career, in order to keep anonymity.)
I think I'd enjoy helping out in a school during lockdown, if asked. But like Lucca, (same age) I wonder if I'd be considered to be too old?

Retired at the end of school year 2019. Did quite a lot Of supply up until lockdown in March. Nothing since. I qualified as a secondary PE teacher but taught primary in a small independent school for last 20 years after coming to the decision that I didn’t want to be an ‘old’ PE teacher. I retired as Head of Prep.
Didn’t ever want to do anything else. Adored teaching.

Yes, I'm a retired primary teacher. My subject was 'science' and I specialised in teaching Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2, formerly known as Infants). I was a KS1 SATs moderator for several years before retiring.

LovelyLady

Yes former teacher here too.
I did wonder if we retired teachers would be summoned to be substitute staff during lockdown.
The school my grandchildren attend is not coping. The staff are not attending to the needs of their charges. Infrequent phone calls and not answering messages are the norm. So very sad as it has potential to be a lovely little faith school. It was fine, not brilliant, before it became an academy.
How would the teachers here feel about helping in a school during lockdown?

I think I too old at 70 under Covid conditions sadly.

Hetty58

Yet another retired teacher (14 - adult age group) in FE.

Officially, IT, but numeracy, literacy, key skills - and dragged into all sorts!

When I saw the title 'Let's talk about Teachers!', I instantly thought:

'Oh no, not again, another teacher-bashing thread'

so was going to reply 'No, please - let's not!'.

Hetty- you've rumbled me!
That was (sort of) intentional!

I was a Primary School teacher who started off with Music and Special Needs specialisms before deviating off to IT after the introduction of Acorn Computers which inspired me more than I ever thought a computer could. I left because of ill health and retrained in Information Systems. I still kept my hand in with young people as a Youth Worker and Mum/Step-Mum to 6 children.

I originally trained as an Accountant because my family hated the teaching profession but I found it mind blowingly tedious , went on to be a Bankruptcy Officer which was heart breaking and left that very low pressure job to run a Greasy Spoon Cafe, leaving behind a wonderful pension scheme and salary! I loved teaching but realised how draining it was after I left. I wanted to teach because my education was demoralising and I was a classic underachiever until later in life but eventually got dispirited by the amount of discipline issues versus the amount of educating I was achieving. As a year group we had a really good system in place where the children with additional needs went into a smaller group for some lessons and the other 2 teachers taught the rest of the year group. We also swapped specialisms to ensure that the children got the best of us but OFSTED slated us big time despite our fantastic results. Although the Head could see the benefits, he was forced to shut that down and I think I had enough of the decisions be made on ideologies rather than what actually worked.

Riverwalk

Most of us on GN are women of a certain age i.e. over 55, and back in the day young women were encouraged into teaching, nursing & the civil service.

I don't think teachers as such are particularly attracted to GN, just that there's a lot of them around!

A very obvious point but one I hadn't thought of. More than half my all female class who left in 1968 went straight to teacher training college or did a PGCE later. After 10'years teaching I tried to find my way into an alternative career but by then it wasn't financially viable. I was lucky to find an alternative area of education when I got into working with EAL children and students across the age range which I loved inspite of the permanent job insecurity. Luckily I made it to 60 before being made redundant.

And another one here. Teaching Deputy, Year 6. I too miss all the laughter and affection, but really miss singing my heart out in morning assemblies and no child daring to laugh at my awful voice!

I wasn't a teacher but I was a school librarian for over twenty years, until I was made redundant, using this as the opportunity to retire. I always knew that I wanted to be a librarian but the only suggestions from the careers advisor at school, in the mid 1970s was either teaching or nursing. I really loved working with the pupils and my only regret regarding the redundancy was how some of them would cope without the safe haven that I provided at lunch time.

Teaching doesn't have to stop on retirement. I'm just about to start being a mentor to a pupil in secondary school - not teaching as such but has a connection. Just before Covid I had investigated going back to volunteering in Adult Literacy, which I did many years ago. I'll follow this up when 'normality ' returns.

Yet another retired teacher (14 - adult age group) in FE.

Officially, IT, but numeracy, literacy, key skills - and dragged into all sorts!

When I saw the title 'Let's talk about Teachers!', I instantly thought:

'Oh no, not again, another teacher-bashing thread'

so was going to reply 'No, please - let's not!'.

I agree with *blue 25” people who find it elitist must be insecure. Nobody has to read any thread. I am not the most confident person, have never been a teacher or wanted to be, but find the thread interesting. I presume that teachers/retired teachers are used to writing/ typing their thoughts and like to communicate as I think has been said.

I'd just like to add that on retiring at age 60, I volunteered to work in our local museum as a steward. I ended up doing paid work running World War 2 workshops with visiting school groups. I also ran the museum education department for 3 months whilst the management looked for a new education officer.
At the same time, I worked 2 or 3 days a month for the Forestry Commission as a volunteer education ranger. Great fun shelter building, bug hunting and pond dipping with both children and adults.
Covid has put paid to much of what I enjoy doing but hopefully later in the year things will improve.

There seems to be a great many teachers in the U3A too, unless it's just my branch. The only thing that bothers me is that one lady, an elected official, tends to clap her hands and talk to us as if we are 5 years old. I am sure that she is an excellent woman but she makes me feel as if we are all sitting on the mat, waiting for storytime.

The last 12 years that I worked was as a TA in a junior school. I enjoyed it especially when I took children for cookery lessons. I think the majority of children said it was their favourite lesson?.
My youngest DD is now a TA.

I was a primary school teacher for many years, then completed a Post Grad Certificate in Special Educational Needs, after which I taught both primary and secondary pupils who had specific language difficulties. In the last few years before retiring, I was teacher in charge of a unit for slow learners within a mainstream primary school. I'm not sure if there is a specific reason why there are a lot of teachers making contributions on Gransnet - maybe we're just accustomed to being heard!!

Retired as a Counselling Tutor but had a very varied working life before getting there.

I like the wisdom, humour and variety of life experiences on GN and when I don't get to see other people it helps me feel as if I am still part of a community.

I was never clever enough at school to take a route into teaching and I was never supposed to do well.

I was thick until I was 28 when I did an English 'O' Level at night school and the teacher realised I have Dyslexia.

I don't think this is elitist as I never should have made it to being a Tutor and I have worked with quite a few teacher who have had a varied path into the role.

I started work in an accounts department - didn't like it so ask about a job as an Apprentice Hairdresser as I'd worked as a Saturday Girl for a couple of years while still at school. Did that for 7 years and part of a seniors role was training up coming apprentices.

When married to Ex I stopped work when he was posted to Germany, did any job I could depending on where we were. One job back then - when I was young :-) was as a Life Guard and we did swimming lessons, love that.

Got divorced and remarried, was a SAHM for a while.

Started working in property sales then as a trainer for an Estate Agency group. After moving to working for a developer direct had a couple of roles but ended up running a building site. Great job for a woman, then the property slump hit :-(

Not much work so I did my first degree and was offered a job as a part-time Law Tutor but we moved, OH job.

Did some other qualifications then changed direction and did my Psychotherapy training, love it.

Enjoyed the clinical work but we moved again, OH job. I had to commuted and it was getting harder to keep it all going.

Then a friend who I trained with was a Counselling Tutor, at the local college, asked if I wanted to join the team. So I ended my working life as a Tutor.

OH was an Instructor and Examiner at various times in his career and both DD deliver training from time to time in their jobs, funny how things work out :-)

I graduated from Liverpool University in 1982 with a degree in Education and Food Science. I moved up through the ranks and took early retirement after a number of years as Head of Design Technology in a high school. I abosolutely loved teaching but the constant demands, marking, targets and lack of resources made a challenging job very difficult at the best of times. I miss my colleagues and the children of all abilities who wished to learn and although I have so much admiration for teachers working in the current situation I am so glad I don’t have to put myself through that every day. Although it is not the retirement I expected, I keep busy with a variety of activities and interests and help with looking after my young grandson. Once a teacher always a teacher, I think that’s why there are so many of us on here as we love to engage with others on a daily basis.

I taught basic English as a volunteer at my local Council office when I was young but worked as a civil servant full time.

I went to university and studied Politics when I was getting divorced in the hope of a good job. I remarried and studied again to help run a family business.

I worked for 11 years in 2 different secondary schools in Manchester. I was the manager for the Open Learning Centres, which were attached to the schools. I taught IT incessantly, but also ran the Careers library, and the conventional library.

And yet another teacher here. I started my career teaching Art in a Secondary school and was given A Level practical and theory responsibility which I really enjoyed. After having children I taught in several primary schools finally staying in a school for many years. I taught Yr.6 for most of the time and loved it except for the nonsensical admin. and lack of support for behavioural problems of which there were many. Despite the tight curricular demands I managed to share my passion for my subject with lots of children and produce end of term productions that ended up as musical extravaganzas. Working with children is challenging but very rewarding and now that I am retired I spend my time running a small business selling my paintings and handmade jewellery.

I Trained to be a Nurse, but my youngest Daughter trained and works as an Early years Teacher with SEN Children, is Ofsted rated as an individual as 'Good' and has won a Government Achievement award nominated by MP Pauline Latham. She Works a lot with Children where English is not their first Language, and is often called upon to act as a Munshi to their family.
My next youngest Daughter Studied Law at Uni, and has her LLB qualification, she works part time for the CAB.

Yes, another retired teacher here. I started my career in the early 70’s when the country was desperate for new teachers. I initially trained as a primary teacher but moved into nursery and took a further qualification in my 40’s. I loved nursery teaching and remained there until I retired and became a granny.