Calling all primary school teachers

Options
Cazaline87
Cazaline87 Member Posts: 7
edited 21. Sep 2017, 03:05 in Benefits and Working Matters archive
Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone here is a teacher of primary alongside having RA and how you cope with it? I've been thinking of becoming a primary teacher for the past 3 years now and really want to make that move but worried about the demands physically.

I've had RA since aged 6 (now 30), so RA has done a lot of its damage to my joints already and now it's about managing the pain etc, so just after peoples experiences really.

Is it hard to juggle being a teacher with RA, and how physically demanding do you find it? I've done some volunteering as a TA before and found that really tough, mainly because my responsibilities were endless cutting out and sticking/general presentation of students work. I did also help with group work and that was less demanding!

Thanks all for any help and advice.

Caroline

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,710
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I taught, many years ago, in a grammar school and my main problems were all the walking plus carrying heavy books - home often :roll:

    A friend's daughter began primary school teaching about five years ago. She loves it but finds it very demanding both physically and emotionally.

    Have you actually qualified or are you just thinking of doing a course? Could you do more TA but this time with an eye on the actual teachers' jobs, indeed asking them about how they found it and if they thought you'd manage physically? If you'd have to start from scratch, paying for a course, that would be a big step and would, presumably, require a lot of research. Try posting on the Living With Arthritis forum. Although this one is technically correct, more people look in there and we do have one or two teachers or ex-teachers.

    Good luck!
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Kerrsa
    Kerrsa Member Posts: 233
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Options
    I'm a primary school teacher and it is very physically demanding. I don't have a full teaching schedule as am in management so with pacing myself can just about manage but find the fatigue the worst.

    It depends on what role you want in school and how bad your pain is. My pain is mild and more inconvenient than unbearable.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Back to top

Categories