[mgbridges]

Hi folks,

I'm looking for more input with a decision I need to make regarding employment. I'm current working 4hrs per week at DS's school as a Teacher Aide helping the Senior Teacher Aide with the PMP programme. Its fun and I'm enjoying getting to know the kids and seeing them develop and improve at the activities.

The school have now approached me as there is a possibility of 6-8 more hours a week doing Teacher Aide work in the classroom as one of the other Aides is looking to reduce her hours. I'm really struggling trying to decide whether to accept or not.

On the one hand working at the school is incredibly convenient, pays OK ($15/hr), I don't have to worry about childcare in the hols, I'm getting more integrated into the school community, I'm learning things that are helping with DS's development delays. On the other I'm just not sure teaching is my 'passion' and I'm not sure I really see my future in it. I'm not sure I have the patience to 'teach' or the skills to be a 'good' teacher. Equally I don't get paid in the holidays and of late just having a small amount more coming in each month has been enormously helpful. I also think I'm happier (& OH agrees) when I'm working in a more 'fulltime' role. However I really, really want to be around for DS after school as he needs so much help/support at the moment and I don't know if I'll find something else that will enable me to do that. Then again do I really want to work with children as I'm not really getting enough adult conversation/interaction these days.

I'm going round and round and circles and know the school need an answer from me very soon. All and any comments, thoughts, suggestions, advice gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,
Anneliese

[ourquest]

Taking the position is the best and probably only short term way of making sure that teaching is or isn't what you want to do. Just because you do it now doesn't necessarily mean it is your entire future.

If you are still not sure then it is also a great opportunity to negotiate extra benefits into your contract. Even if it is just that you reserve the right to leave after a short while, it will make the contract far more appealing to you. You really have nothing to lose in the negotiation. And if they do not want you on your terms then it probably wasn't the position for you.

Good luck.

[jubjub]

I would say give it a go, its going to give you a bit more money, and if you are around the school for longer hours, it may well give you a chance to get to know the staff better to and get some adult chat?

Hopefully your DS wont need quite so much support as time goes on, and you can look at changing a bit later on?

[tea drinker]

The school obviously value you if they have asked you to do more :clap

Try it and see...can you take it on a temporary basis or will it be permanent?
What are the resignation requirements i.e. how much notice do you have to give?
Could you take it for the rest of this year and see how it goes?

All the best with the decision

[Joolzr]

Why not try it out for 6 months? Teaching/training is part of all jobs and I've learnt a lot from teaching Uni students.

Okay, so one of the things I learn't was that I didn't like teaching....:exit

Julie

[Caroline and Dave]

The way I look on these things is that you can always try something thats offered to you, if you don't like it you can leave, but if you say no the chances of being asked again are less likely and then you may regret that decision later on. Its not as if you have to pack up one job to take this one on

[mgbridges]

Thanks folks, you've all come up with the answer I was leaning towards myself. Just as well really as the teacher who approached me about it asked again today if I'd thought anymore about it, I said yes but that I had to dash to swimming lesson which was true! :D

So I think I'll ask them if I can take it on temporarily/trial basis. I'm thinking until the end of this school year by which stage I'm sure I'll know one way or the other if I want to continue. If not the school aren't suddenly without a teacher aide as they'll have the summer to find a replacement, I won't gain or loose anything by being unemployed/not being paid over the summer hols and in the meantime its a bit of extra dosh. If I do enjoy it then hey, I've found a new career!

Cheers,
Anneliese

[pinkpiggy]

Looks like you're sorted then Anneliese. :nice1

[JandM]

Good luck with it, Anneliese.:nice1 You definitely won't be the first woman to have done a job that isn't your number one life-choice, but that ticks certain boxes during a phase in your child(ren)'s upbringing.

[Carol]

Good luck with it, Anneliese.:nice1 You definitely won't be the first woman to have done a job that isn't your number one life-choice, but that ticks certain boxes during a phase in your child(ren)'s upbringing.


Never a truer word spoken.....



"Carol the teacher - who actually wants to do something different now after 20 years"


I'm thinking .....maybe...... photographer, doc worker, curator or perhaps a chef.
lol
Once you have moved half way around the world - you honestly could do anything you want!
:nice1

[Hejwitch_uk]

Brilliant - Good Luck

[napiers]

Looks like decision made, but for the record as I read the thread I found myself saying 'I'm with our quest, tea drinker, jub jub and whoever else posted...' - give it a go and see what happens. After all the end of the school year is only a short time away really - it'll probably fly by as school time does. (I'm sure time flies in NZ schools just like it doesn't here!).

Good luck, and at the same time give some thought to what you might like to do if this really isn't for you. :)

[thewoodies]

hi a couple of my friends have taken jobs as teaching assistants so they can have the holidays with their kids. Also its expensive to have then looked after in the hols so if you work out what you would pay out on child care you probably are not that worse off not being paid over the hols (only guessing - thats what friends found).

Also im a secondary PE teacher and the people i trained with have now got jobs as - SEN co ordinator, ski instructor, sailing and holiday rep , one sells his dads paintings, one went to work in the city and one couldnt hack the comprehensive school he worked up so gave it up to be a brick layer in Austrailia, and i am now teaching primary not secondary kids in a private school. Not one of my close friends is actually a secondary pe teacher and im emigrating!

So your choice doesnt have to be forever.


Good luck with whatever you decide:cheers

[mgbridges]

Well it will be all systems go a week on Monday - eek! :eek:

The Teacher Aide co-ordinator (who just happens to be DS's teacher too) has looked at the schedules and it looks like I'll be working a total of 13hrs a week. I'm scared, nervous, excited, worried all at the same time.

Just a shame they want to start me on this schedule in week 8 of term as my folks arrive on Monday of week 9 so I have some negotiating to do in terms of how many hours I work that week! :roll

Wish me luck folks!
Anneliese

[Tia Maria]

Good Luck! But you don't need it, it will be a breeze! :)

Cheers

Tia

[peebles16]

Great news and best of luck, am sure you'll love it and they'll love you too :D

Karenx

[Moorf]

Only just read this post and even before I read the replies thought you should just go for it - you kept saying you "weren't sure" - well there's only one way to find out... :nice1

Keep us posted!

Moorf

[JandM]

All the best :clap though I'm sure you'll be fine - give it five minutes and you'll be feeling as if you'd always done it. (It is a bummer about the timing, but cheer up - 13 hours still leaves an awful lot of week.:))

[vixxann]

well, looks like you'll be accepting the job - so congratulations :clap

(I was also going to say to take it and give it a go for a while!

After many years in Banking then Marketing then time at home being a mum, I "fell" into becoming a Teachers Assistant when my youngest was starting school. I LOVE IT :)

In fact my dream would be to be a teacher :D (but you kind of need a degree so I'm stumped or up against years and years of studying :uhoh)

the social side of interacting with kids is fabulous but you should pick up more time with the other staff too as you'll be in school longer hours now. I relished the time in staff room we had such a good laugh!

so all the best - and if it's not for you then at least you'll know and DS will have had a bit more of your time than if you go into full time work elsewhere now.

Vicki

[Carol]

(It is a bummer about the timing, but cheer up - 13 hours still leaves an awful lot of week.:))


Yes - and its amazing how that "time apart" can be a bit of a lifesaver at times....
;)


Good luck in your post.
Better than teaching tbh !
(no paperwork!)

[dusk]

Well done :D