Alternative Careers for Teachers: Top Jobs for Former Educators

Alternative Careers for Teachers

As the landscape of the education sector evolves (again), many educators find themselves contemplating a career change. If this is you, and you'd like to learn more about the type of roles others are stepping into after leaving teaching, then read on.

The decision to leave a teaching job is often fueled by various factors, including burnout, limited career progression, and the pursuit of new opportunities. For early years specialist teachers, it can often be because the school has chosen to formalise learning too soon, which doesn't align with their values and beliefs around the merits and importance of play based learning. Lack of support, both in terms of staff ratios and also finances for resources, can have a huge impact on the physical and mental health of teachers who simply want to do their best for the pupils but are unable to do so due to issues outside of their control. The ever increasing cost of living means that many teachers can no longer afford to pay for resources out of their own pockets (as so many do) which makes teaching experiences limited and difficult. Many teachers, after starting a family, come to realise that the profession is not 'family friendly' in terms of hours, and the salaries of teachers simply don't cover the cost of childcare needed to undertake the role fully. This article explores alternative careers for teachers, highlighting the motivations behind their career transitions and the valuable skills they bring to new roles. It also includes a list of positions that real-life former teachers have moved into. 

'The Rainbow Fish' Activities

Using props and activities to bring a story to life can not only help to instill a love of reading and excitement around a book, but it also helps little minds to understand and follow a storyline better.  This blog post provides some ideas and resources for learning all about Marcus Pfister's 'The Rainbow Fish' story through play, including digital downloads.

  In the year when we saw Niall from Love Island 2018 talk about his ‘rainbow fish’ and seemingly describe a completely different moral to the story, here are a few activities that should hopefully help your little ones pick out the right message and also retain the plot of the book!

57 EYFS Tuff Tray Ideas

I love our tuff tray, (probably even more than the children do), and thinking up tuff tray ideas - and although it can be a challenge to set them up sometimes - I love the wow factor a new tray play activity brings to young children and how excited and enthusiastic they are to go and explore straight away! I know that my carefully laid resources will be scattered around within minutes, but honestly, that's the beauty of it. A well played with EYFS tuff tray, where learning opportunities arise, does not come from children feeling like they can't touch, move, reorder or explore. A day without some 'mess' has usually been an unproductive one...

 I've picked out 57 tuff tray ideas (originally 19 but I keep updating!) of our current favourite EYFS tuff tray ideas here for you to enjoy and feel inspired! I also have a post showcasing our best sensory tray play ideas here.  If you want to learn more about tuff trays first - have a read of our complete guide to tuff trays here. 

You can find many of the resources mentioned over in my Amazon affiliate ideas list here (click here for USA version).

What is EYFS?

What is the EYFS? If you have children, or work alongside children, then the chances are you have seen the letters ‘EYFS’ quite a few times already – perhaps in reference to EYFS play, EYFS activities or even EYFS outcomes…but what is EYFS??

To give its most literal meaning, EYFS stands for the Early Years Foundation Stage – the period of time from birth to 5 years old. During this time, there are certain developmental milestones that children are expected to achieve. All adults who work with children in England are expected to follow these standards for learning, development and care, so that by the end of the EYFS children are meeting their ‘Early Learning Goals’ (ELGs) and are therefore ‘school ready’.

Music and Movement for Preschoolers and Babies

Did you know that movement helps us to hear music in detail and enhances our understanding not just of rhythm, but also of pitch and tune?  Experts believe that it can also be good for the brain, especially parts that deal with spatial and temporal reasoning. Learning to play an instrument may even increase your child's ability to do maths (Livingstone, 2005).

In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of music for young children, discuss music classes for babies and provide you with some musical activity ideas for babies and preschoolers.

Kegel8 Ultra Pelvic Toner and Biofeedback Trainer review

If there is one thing that unites most Mothers across the country it’s this: Pelvic floor problems.

That’s not to say that everyone who has carried a baby and / or given birth will struggle, but for the majority of post-partum females there will be a change in the pelvic floor muscle compared to pre-pregnancy which can sometimes have life-long implications. This can range from minor inconveniences such as a difference in strength/tone which can cause back ache, to more life changing issues such as prolapse, incontinence or an inability to use internal menstrual products effectively.

There is no doubt that pregnancy changes the female body forever, but the lack of routine aftercare for new mothers in the UK is in stark contrast to other countries who put women’s health more at the forefront.
 

Kegel8 aims to change this, by providing women with access to technology such as their Kegel8 Ultra 20 V2 Electronic Pelvic Toner and Kegel8 Biofeedback Pelvic Trainer. I have been testing these two devices for the last few months in order to provide an honest review on their efficacy and usability. Read on to find out my thoughts.

How to set up a purposeful Learning Environment for Babies and Toddlers

Are you wondering how to build a purposeful Learning Environment for Babies and Toddlers?

 
 

Just like us, babies and toddlers are affected by their setting and  environments, even if they cannot yet tell us how they are feeling. It is part of our role to make sure learning spaces make little ones feel welcome, secure and happy to learn.

School readiness – preparing your child for Reception Class

School readiness…its something you’ll probably hear quite a lot if you have a child who is preparing to start Reception Class in September, but what does it actually mean??

How can we, as parents, make sure that we are helping and not hindering when preparing our 4 year olds for big school?

Most of my Teaching career was spent teaching Reception, and so this is something I thought long and hard about when passing on information to Parents. What would I hope, as their Teacher, they could do already? What sort of things would I discuss in the Parents meetings for new starters? Where would my expectations be bearing in mind I don’t yet know the children or what level they are at?

Unlike parenting high school children, where you may find yourself embarking on a Tutor Hunt - Its not what you might expect….