I am daydreaming about what to do when the mortgage is paid off. I am thinking that I can make do with a lot less cash than I currently need, and do something a bit more human-centric, without the need to wear a suit and make powerpoint presentations about things I no longer care about. One thing that popped into my head is the idea of doing something in schools. Am I deluding myself into thinking that this would be a simpler and more pleasant life than I have at present?

Simpler, maybe. Most schools would welcome someone in as a volunteer to shadow somebody that is looking at a move into education as most teacher training courses ask for experience in a school environment. Look at schools local to you and ask for some sort of work experience placement.

There’s no ‘easy’ jobs in schools any more.

You could always approach local schools and ask if they’ll let you volunteer for a bit and see if you like it?

There’s a lot of competition for teaching assistant jobs in mainstream schools, though – a lot of Mum’s like it as it fits in around kids schooling. You only get paid term time too.

You could also try a special needs school – they employ a lot more TA’s due to pupil needs. It’s often a lot more challenging than sitting with a kid whilst they read but emotional rewards can be big too. Again approach with a view to volunteering get a job as a mid day supervisor to gain experience etc.

[edit] If you’re lookign to ‘slow down’ then avoid the PGCE/teachign route – pressure on teachers has never been higher.

Yes, 7 years in Special Needs school (Profound end of the autistic spectrum) using the TEACCH approach with complementary therapies.

Best job I ever had, I only quit owing to injury (not work-related as such). Although the work was especially challenging (both emotionally and physically) I’ve since to have worked with such an incredible team of people, or feel such job satisfaction. Being a senior assistant meant helping with minor paperwork and lesson planning, vocational course attendance, behaviour management etc.

Life was ‘simpler’ and incredibly rewarding IME. It was very hands-on in the cleaning dept, which could be a downside depending on one’s constitution!

Started off working as a TA in a PE dept then worked in a pupil referral unit doing outdoor ed and am now back in main stream education where I look after a year group. Love the job and the hours but as mentioned competition for support roles in schools is quite high.
There are online courses about safeguarding etc and a first aid certificate will also make you more attractive to potential employers.

Am I deluding myself into thinking that this would be a simpler and more pleasant life than I have at present?

Mainstream as a teacher? Yes, a delusion. there seem to be none of the checks and balances modern corporates put around their employees well being for teachers. Mrs B is a teacher of 20 plus years (straight from BEd) and I wouldn’t touch it. There are a few about who dial in a performance and coast, but the ones who actually care about what they are doing have it consume their lives.

As a TA you’re shouldering less responsibility (and less fiscal reward) and tend to work in and around the school day, less of the after hours statistics grind, so it might tick some of your boxes.

Mrs B is also considering a post in an SEN school – from what we can gather it is incredible intense and rewarding whilst onsite but might provide a better balance with less Excel at home. It’s closer what she went into teaching for, but it requires a bit more investigation to be sure it isn’t just even harder work.. the post isn’t very well defined it terms of what they are looking for (age ranges etc.)

An old friend of mine gave up his stressful job of a regional manager for a well known cafe chain and started working as a caretaker in school part-time. He apparently loves it.

Assuming youre a male, theres still a huge demand for male TA’s.
Especially if you have a specialism, mines hands on stuff, so I get to do all the fun stuff like engineering, motor vehicle, art etc etc. Well I say do, I did when I used to get into lessons. Now im in an inclusion unit I do whatever I want. Bike maintenance being one of them.

I work in a school as a technician, I’ve briefly worked as a teacher but it’s not for me. the TAs in the schools where I have worked have been great, hard working and knowledgeable. You might find yourself working in one area a lot, so if you’re good at maths or science you’ll end up helping in those areas more. They still have to do a certain amount of paperwork and rush around as much as the teachers. Pay has never been good unless you get to become a higher level TA and most positions were filled by women in their 30s and 40s as it fits in around the rest of their lives. But, they would usually finish at 3.30pm and go, and get the holidays. Maybe look at something like being an art technician or if you have the skills a science technician, you’ll be working in the same area most of the time, get the holidays and not much stress. I’m looking forward to nearly 8 weeks off soon, I get 3 weeks at Christmas and Easter and half terms, I’m in a private school so longer days but longer holidays … I’m happy!

wysiwyg – what does a teaching assistant have to have done to be put in an inclusion unit? 😯

I used to be a standard issue TA as above in hands on, we also had SEN TA’s.

Our bit got shut down and we all got moved to a new special unit which kinda sucks as I now technically teach about 30 students Eng, Maths, Sci etc. And im doing their gcse art next year, wont get paid any more though…

But 13 paid weeks off a year. Thankyou please

Edit: on the down side I get told to **** off daily, kicked weekly and occasionally bitten

Thanks – food for thought …

Another school I work in had what was called ‘cover supervisors’, they employed them to cover for absent teachers rather than get supply teachers in as it worked out better financially, pay was about the same as the TAs, they basically had to turn up to the lessons and try to keep them on task, make sure the lesson plan was followed. Something else you could look into, I sometimes see cover supervisors advertised when I look around at jobs in schools?