‘I became a teacher at 40 and it is the best thing I’ve ever done’
WHEN PHILIP GAVE UP A SECURE CORPORATE JOB TO BECOME A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER, HE HAD NO IDEA HOW REWARDING HIS NEW LIFE WOULD BE
FOR many people, the thought of a career change remains just that – a fleeting thought.
But for Philip, it became an all-consuming idea he couldn’t forget. He had a well-paid corporate job with a major energy company, where he had worked for 14 years, and on the surface everything looked great.
“But it didn’t offer me any sort of satisfaction at all,” he says. “Then I had my own children and they started to learn to read, and that feeling, when your children start to learn things, is a great feeling. I thought: ‘What would it be like if I was doing this with more than two children?’ That really sparked something for me – I couldn’t stop that thought.”
Philip quit his comfortable job for the unknown, with the aim of becoming a primary school teacher – something his parents had tipped him for years earlier. “Right after I passed my teacher training [a one-year School Direct teacher training programme], my mum and dad both said: ‘ We saw you becoming a teacher when you were very young,’” he says. “It just took me a little bit longer than most!”
He and his wife – who was working full-time for the energy company he had recently left – successfully juggled childcare alongside his teacher training, allowing him to graduate at the age of 40. The switch from doing a job he knew well to starting afresh was a shock. “It was hard, but it’s the same as any new thing you take up – to begin with, you know you’re not going to be able to do it very well. But the more you learn, the more you refine your craft.”
With 32 children in his class, lessons can prove challenging. “I dealt with lots of demands in my old job – there was a huge daily pressure to be successful. But teaching pressures are different – there are lots of plates to try and spin at the same time. I had a child whose dog died the other week. Those are the unexpected things that get thrown in and you’re like: ‘OK, I need to keep an eye on you for the next few days.’”
But there are significant benefits, he says. “The feeling when kids understand things – sometimes for the first time – is incredible. Sometimes it’s a handful of kids who ‘get it’ in that moment, sometimes it’s all 32 of them!
And that’s an amazing feeling, it’s worth more than any salary.”
The ongoing pandemic is a challenge that his fellow teachers rose to, he says. “The majority of teachers at my school hand-delivered letters to every child in their class between March and June. They said things like: ‘I miss you, hope you’re getting on well at home and I’m here if you want to call or email me.’ We all took precautions and wore masks and gloves – I think I hand-delivered about 25 letters over two days, which was a 10-mile walk.”
As for teaching during lockdown, Philip says: “We set up an online platform with Google Classroom and set work for the children to complete, but there was no pressure because obviously some families were going through very difficult times.”
Understandably, there has been an outpouring of appreciation in recent months for the work that teachers do. “I think a big thing this year that’s hit home is the respect parents now have for teachers, having had children at home since March.
“I think maybe parents took for granted how much we do – it’s not just helping children read, write and learn maths, it’s the whole social element and pastoral care. I’ve had so many letters of thanks.”
Parents are not the only ones to have noticed the life-changing impact teaching can have. “My career change inspired my wife and she started her own teacher training in September,” Philip says.
“I honestly think it’s a career that rewards you on a daily basis. Sometimes one child will say something and that’s what makes you want to get up the next day and get to school as quickly as you can. That’s how I feel now – literally every day, I want to go to school as quickly as I can because I love it.”
But in the weeks leading up to the lockdown announcement, she had noticed a surge in cancellations. “Quite a few people weren’t comfortable having lessons because they were worried about the virus and because everyone’s financial priorities had shifted,” she says. “Then the two-metre distancing
rule was implemented, and I knew that wasn’t possible in a car. It wasn’t essential work, either.”
Realising her income had shrunk to virtually nothing overnight, Camilla took action and began searching for other opportunities. “Initially I looked into supermarket work and delivery driver jobs, but then I realised that I had always wanted to provide home care for people. It’s really important as it enables people to live in their own homes independently.”
One company Camilla came across in Worcester stuck out – a family-run organisation providing home care to the elderly and vulnerable. “They offered extensive training and support, so I filled in an application.”
The next day, Camilla was contacted by the team and before long, she had landed a care assistant’s role, working full-time. Covering towns across Worcestershire, her job involves visiting elderly people to help with various tasks – anything from food shopping to cooking, cleaning and personal care.
“Some need help with medication, others with things like opening the curtains, making beds or washing up,” she says. “We have an app where we put all our notes, so before each shift I’ll read up to ensure we give the right level of care. It’s important that the people we support are able to keep their independence and we don’t take over. We know what each person is capable of doing and wants (or doesn’t want) to do.” Despite her training and time spent shadowing colleagues, the role proved challenging initially. “I had never done anything like it, so I didn’t know whether I would be able to. I get quite anxious with new things and was trying to calm myself down, saying: ‘You can do this!’
“It was hard for the people we support as well, because the care workers wear masks and most of us have brown hair, which makes it hard for them to work out who we are. But after a couple of weeks, they recognise us, and you soon get the hang of things.”
She was pleased to discover that many of her skills were transferable. “Being a driving instructor means you meet new people all the time and you’re making conversation, making sure they feel comfortable, happy and confident, which is exactly what we do in this role, too.”
The opportunity was a lifeline, Camilla says. “The care work saved me financially over lockdown.”
It has also proved rewarding. “It’s hugely uplifting because the people we support are so happy they can stay in their home environments and get that extra help. It’s uplifting for their families, too, because they had been trying to do it all themselves.
“If I’m on the evening shift, making sure people are comfortable and getting ready for sleep, I think, ‘I’ve helped them achieve that.’ Together, we’ve reached their goal of going to bed, safe in their own homes.”
Having now resumed giving driving lessons, Camilla works part-time in each role – a combination she enjoys. “After being in the car for a couple of hours, you get a bit like, ‘Get me out of here!’ It’s good to have a change. Driving can get lonely, so it’s been particularly nice being able to build relationships with those I support and with other care workers – everybody is lovely. I’m grateful to have had the chance to try something new.”
What would she say to anyone considering taking a similar leap? “If it’s something you’re passionate about, try it and see – just give yourself that chance.”