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Post by princessmoose on Sept 11, 2006 9:52:22 GMT
Hey hey  I’m a bit stuck at the moment and confused as to what sort of teaching I want to do at uni. It is probably too early to think about it but with not having much on recently I’ve found myself unintentionally thinking about it. Then again, this time next year I need to have applied for things depending on what I decide. I have two options as far as I can see. One is after uni to do a PGCE/GTP or some form of teacher training course and be a secondary school classroom teacher. The other is to work for a music service or privately or both as a peri woodwind teacher. So far, I have always just assumed I’d go with the first option because teaching has forever been the career I’ve wanted to go into, and with helping out in various classes from year 7 – A-level at school for the past 3 years I found myself really enjoying it, but now with this peri job I have and teaching privately as well I’ve really enjoyed that too. I thought well if I worked as a classroom teacher then I could still teach privately in the evenings as I know a lot of teachers who do that, but then I wouldn’t want it to be too much work, and I just can’t really imagine myself not teaching instruments I’ve spent so long learning. Any suggestions/advice?  |
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Sept 11, 2006 10:05:08 GMT
Do the PGCE and then join a peri service. That way you will be paid a full teachers' salary. If you join a peri service as an 'instructor' (which is what they call teachers without a teaching certificate) you earn several thousand pounds a year less for doing the same job. Over a career, this is a lot of money. A PGCE year can seem like a terrible waste of time whilst you are doing it - for sure, that is how I felt about mine. It has proved both useful and lucrative since, allowing me to take a post as head of music in a 6th form college in 1991, and do occasional supply at a local school recently. I am sure there is a PGCE somewhere for peri instrumental teachers, if you fancy that route. There was a thread in TOP about this around about the time I came across it, so a search there might be a help. Steve  |
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 11, 2006 10:07:53 GMT
I thought that if I didn't do a PGCE etc, I could do courses like CT ABRSM, and some teaching diploma etc.
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Post by anacrusis on Sept 11, 2006 10:39:52 GMT
bear in mind too that classroom teachers have preparation to do, and although (in Scotland anyway, not sure about the rest of the UK) there is now protected prep. time in school hours, many teachers do end up having to do marking and prep at home. You could find that teaching privately in the evenings as well becomes a hefty burden...
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Sept 11, 2006 10:51:45 GMT
I thought that if I didn't do a PGCE etc, I could do courses like CT ABRSM, and some teaching diploma etc. These do not confer Qualified Teacher Status for state-education salary purposes. Being external qualifications, they also hold lower status than the B Mus you will already hold. I am not knocking them, or their holders, merely stating the reality. |
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 11, 2006 10:56:02 GMT
I know that, I'm not stupid. I know the difference between having QTS and not. I wasn't saying they're better, I'm trying to think rationally, and I think I'm going to prefer teaching peri stuff, whether it be in schools or privately etc, which means I am not going to want to waste a year of my life doing a stupid PGCE just so I can get a bit more money. Whilst money is God in some people's eyes, it's not in mine.
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Post by kflute on Sept 12, 2006 19:03:46 GMT
That might be how you think now, but it'll be different once you're teaching. I do the same job as people at work, and I do just as good a job as them. However, half of those get paid £7k or so more than me just for having a years training. Money isn't the be all and end all for me either, but it quickly gets very frustrating. Hence why I'm doing one more year of peri work adn then I'm off t get qualified!!!! The money I'm on now is fine for me, but in a few years I want to settle down and have kids and stuff, and the money I'm earning as an unqualified peri certainly stops me from doing that now
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Post by anacrusis on Sept 12, 2006 19:22:22 GMT
One year of your life is peanuts compared with your expected working life - and I know it is hard to think about such things when you're so young, but another thing to remember is that your pension arrangements are likely to be linked to earnings. If you earn £7k less per year over forty years, that's a lot of £k difference...you'd be best spending comparatively little time optimising your earning potential now, than struggling later. We also all find that there are phases in our lives when there are more demands on our incomes - and if you can build in a comfort zone of better earnings at this stage, it won't pinch so much later. We had nursery fees (had to do private nursery because the state ones didn't cover even a fraction of the working hours), mortgage and car to manage after we'd been dinkies living in tied accommodation for a few years, and it made money tight for a good while.
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Post by kflute on Sept 12, 2006 19:23:53 GMT
can I add though........................what's that Nat?.....No I can't add? Oh! Tough!!!
I'm glad that I didn't do a PGCE straight out of college. I'm glad that I've taught, found a passion for teaching, and now deciding to do a PGCE. I don't think I'd have used the course to my full advantage if I'd done it at 21 and not lived life a bit. I didn't see the point in it, like you don't. Hopefully I'll be doing it next year, after three years of teaching, and I'm really looking forward to it. Even though it's going to be a financial struggle to do it now, now that I have financial responsibilities such as a car and house etc, I'm glad that I've done it this way around
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 12, 2006 19:36:11 GMT
Ok...decisions decisions |
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Post by kflute on Sept 12, 2006 19:41:05 GMT
In the end it's up to you. You have just over a year before you'd have to apply for a PGCE anyway. I'd reccomend doing it the way around that I have, but different things work for different people.
Forgot to say................have you heard about the new RNCM course? It's just started for the first time this year, like this week!!!! It's a year's course, joint with Manchester Metropolitan Uni. It's a seconary PGCE in Music, with specialist Instrumental Wind training. They've done a strings one for years (but that's over two years) so this is a new venture. It'd definately be worth looking at for someone like you. You do some of your teaching practic ein schools, and some as a peri
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 12, 2006 19:42:31 GMT
Oooh right, that sounds interesting. I'll look into that, because I think peri is the way I want to go so some sort of teacher training with an element of that would be great. I'd never get in the RNCM though . |
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Post by kflute on Sept 12, 2006 19:45:56 GMT
It's not like getting into the RNCM normally, because it's not a performance course. It's a teaching course. I'm sure they'll probably be information on their website. Manchester Metropolitan Uni has a very very good reputation for Teacher Training as well. it's where I hope to do mine
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 12, 2006 19:46:21 GMT
Ok, I will go and investigate!
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 12, 2006 20:08:22 GMT
Oh man, that looks heaven! I so want to do that! Emailed the RNCM, to see what the entry requirements are. It better not be a 1st degree, with 50 DipABRSMs etc!
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