any ex-teachers out there?

[kayjay]

Hi everybody - I've just joined the forum as I'm thinking hard about becoming a childminder. I teach part time and am feeling v disillusioned. I am considering childminding for several reasons: I love being with kids and helping them learn, and I feel that this aspect of my job is being squeezed out by targets + prescriptive curricula, my own children are small and a big chunk of my salary goes on childcare, and lastly I am stressed and tired from the work I have to bring home and do at night!

I am a secondary trained teacher, but I have lots of experience as a volunteer in the early childhood setting.

I would love to hear from anyone who has gone from teaching to childminding -what's it been like for you?

Thanks for reading :)

[sarah707]

A lot of childminders are ex-teachers... it's a natural progression if you want to keep working with children without the long hours of school.

Good luck with it all! :D

[jumping j]

I was in the same position about a year ago, I had returned from teaching abroad and had a position working in a school which had just had an unsatisfactory inspection. I felt all my time was taken up with marking and target setting and no time to spend with the children.
I began looking after my niece and nephew, who had some bad experiences in day nurseries, and then heard about the IHP, I completed the course and immediately found that 2 of my friends needed childcare.
I have been registered since May and have 5 children part time, a baby on the way next month, another coming in a year and a parent has just enquired if I have afternoon places, which I do because one of the children has nursery in the afternoons! I've been quite lucky that all my friends have had children within the last 4 years!
I have found the transition reletively simple, and the parents see it as a big positive that I was a teacher in a previous life!
Putting all the policies and procedures, risk assessments, child assessments etc in place was hard work to begin with but now it's all there it only needs monitoring every couple of months and the observations are a lot simpler than those I was having to do in school!
I am now half way through the Diploma in Children and young people's workforce and finding that reletively simple, I have a good course tutor and assessor that have really helped me as I can't get into college for the sessions.
I hope this has helped!;)

[keeks]

I went from teaching in Primary to teaching in Nursery to being a childminder. Altogether I have been teaching for 8 years, and done childminding since January 2011.

Although I enjoyed my teaching jobs, childminding is by far the best job I have ever had. I love working so closely with the children and their families, giving 1-1 attention, seeing how they develop over the weeks and months in all areas. I love being able to interpret the EYFS my way, being my own boss and deciding when and how I want to work.

The fact that my own children have to come home to a busy house four afternoons per week is outweighed by the fact that I'm there in the holidays etc. Also, my sons (both are in secondary) have formed really good relationships with the little ones. The babies all run towards them when they come home, they want cuddles and ask for help with all sorts of things.

Ooops, I'm babbling again! :blush:

It's the best thing I've ever done, I am sure you will LOVE IT!!! And although I am not on here very often these days due to being so busy, I learned everything I know about childminding from this forum - the people on here are amazing!

Good luck, I am sure you will find it an amazing experience.

xx

[Cariad]

I am a teacher and I'm turning to childminding for many of the above reasons. I took a career break when I had my children and now times being how they are, teaching jobs are very few and far between. I have also become a little disillusioned with the education system, with the teaching part if the job being overtaken by paperwork and red tape. I hope I get to experience the positive aspects of childminding as have been mentioned here.

[kayjay]

Thankyou for your replies and your good wishes - your comments are really helpful. I have a lot of food for thought. I am wary of leaving a secure (ish) job and possibly burning my bridges, yet I'm longing to work in a way that is right for me and my family, and in a job where I don't feel I'm having to keep up a pretence!

Is it realistic to think I can do the training and get registered, put out feelers locally and things, while I'm still working?

Thanks :)

[jumping j]

I did the induction and the first inspection while still teaching part time, they ran the course over 8 evenings so it didn't clash with work commitments and the 1st aid was done at weekends, I didn't finish teaching until I had 3 children on the books and one signed up to start!

[sharonmanc]

I have been a teach for the past 10 year, and am now in the process of training, half way there ;)

Like you i was secondary but have had a lot of experience with early years.

I am so looking forward to being my own boss and being able to educate on such a personal level.

[Cariad]

There are a few of us on here, then!

[roro1]

I am also a primary school teacher, was in KS1 and then in EYFS, last year in Nursery. I have been working part time teaching since having my son (3years ago), but was doing part time nannying for some of the time too. I gave it all up in July, had been Nannying for two of the children and once registration came through started to mind them and then now have 7 part time mindees and get to take and collect my son to nursery plus work with children on more individual basis, work well with parents, provide appropriate activities, but am my own boss, working longer hours most days 7.30 - 6.30pm but even considering that and working hard to get all paperwork etc up and running, it is still the best thing I have ever done, most for my family, myself and I the families I work with are pretty grateful too. Lots of fun and hard work, lot less stress and loads more energy. :jump for joy:

Good luck with it.:)

[Maza]

I was a primary school teacher for thirteen years but like others said, the red tape was taking up all my time and energy. Becoming a childminder was the best thing I ever did for me and my family. I feel that now I am able to put the children first (mindees and my own children) which was becoming imossible to do as a teacher with the silly amounts of paperwork. I am very satisfied professionally.

[kayjay]

Thanks for your comments, it's good to hear your positive experiences! Maza and RowanP - you mention lots of the things that attract me to childminding. What are/have been the difficulties you've faced? I am going to take half term to come to a decision but I think my heart's already made up its mind. My husband is not so sure about the idea - his concerns are that I will take a drop in income and also, as he is a teacher too, that we won't have the holidays together anymore.......
K

[Maza]

It was a big drop in salary but then you won't be paying for childcare yourself. I can see why holidays would be a concern for your hubby. Obviously you could take some holiday to coincide with hubby but there will inevitably be days/weeks when you are working and he is not. What about PPA - does he take that at home each week? When my hubby is working from home (not a teacher) I make a point of being out at playgroups, picnic lunches etc. to give him space but he doesn't have huge holidays like teachers! Is there any way you could mind teacher's kids? The only downside to the job is that over time it could take a toll on your home - I am too soft to ask parents to take shoes off before they come into my house and it really bugs me! Little potty training mishaps and vomit on my carpet, but you take the rough with the smooth! My daughter is just soooo happy being at home with me.

[kayjay]

Hi Maza thankyou for your reply. :) Husband does his PPA at school and spends evenings late there if he needs to. I am hoping that once I had some prospective mindees, I could negotiate a chunk of time off during summer break, (teachers' children would be ideal, but who knows at the moment how many families might be out there in my area wanting a childminder next year!) but obviously we wouldn't get the other breaks like half term and so on together. I'm weighing that advantage against the fact that day to day, family life feels pretty stressed and unhealthy! Its a hard one.

Don't think I'll mind accidents and wear and tear side of things though.... my 2year old's toilet training at the moment......

Take care all the best to all reading

K