Hi, I am applying for a job as a LSA supporting a special needs child in a mainstream school. I trained as a teacher for 4 years but failed my last placement. I have since decided that I am going to defer from my course and accept a primary education studies degree and work as a TA for a few years, gain some experience and confidence and then maybe go back into teaching in the future if I feel I can handle the pressure. Basically, my main reasons for wanting to give up teaching are that I love being with the children and helping them to learn new things and progress, but the workload that goes with it is just too much for me. When I was on placement I was working 90+ hours a week, stressed to the max and suffered from high blood pressure and migraines throughout and I realised this is not the life I want for myself. I am now applying for a LSA job in a school, but I am wondering if I should mention that I trained as a teacher or if that would go against me? The school are asking for experience of working in school and of SEN experience which I have in abundance from school placements and placements in an SEN school. However, I am worried that if I tell the school that I dropped out of a teaching degree they will judge me for it and ask questions why. I worry they will think that I can't work under pressure or that I am a dropout and can't work hard, which is not the case at all, I just realised that I wanted a job where I would be working with the kids to move them on, rather than a job where paperwork and marking becomes 70% of the job!
What would you recommend? I'd like them to know I trained as a teacher as I think my experience would work in my favour, but how can I justify leaving my course?
What would you recommend? I'd like them to know I trained as a teacher as I think my experience would work in my favour, but how can I justify leaving my course?