Hi,

I am currently an untrained NIE trainee (GEO 2 untrained) on practicum in a primary school.

Just to advice those who wish to teach to try teaching as relief teacher to see whether you can accept the challenge of handling a classroom nowadays. You need to have compassion, understand why the kids behave that way and try to help them. If you come out of the class feeling angry, you are not suitable to be a teacher. The kids' well being, character and value should be our main focus, the academic results will come in naturally when the basic needs are settled.

I am in the last batch of July 2016 1 year PGDE programme. Honestly, it is not easy during the PGDE. We studied all 3 Subjects, English, Math and Science. I feel that the programme is very packed, challenging but fulfilling. The new 16 months PGDE trainee only need to take 2 subjects except MT, PE, Music or Art which they only study one subject.

I am a mid career switch from government and private sector. Highest drawn salary was $4.8k in 2010 in Mindef. Yearly salary was about $70k. Worked as property agent for a few years earning $20-30K while applying for MOE. Worked as a sales engineer for an IT company earning $3.3k gross for a year in 2012 but never saw my sales commision before. I tried relief teaching as long term relief teacher in a secondary school in 2013 and in a primary school in 2014 with daily salary of $100. No salary during weekends, public holidays or school holidays but the passion kept me going and my wife was supportive financially all these while. I was really blessed and lucky.

My wife is GEO4 after near 10 years of teaching in two secondary schools with $5.8k salary. She just got promoted last year. She didnt want to be promoted so she did not try to score points in school because she is not comfortable with additional responsibilities. She just want to be a normal teacher to help the kids.

I fanally got through the MOE interview at the 6th or 7th attempt with help from relief teaching experience and principal's support. Taught for 1 year contract teaching at same primary school with starting salary of $3.4K. Before entering NIE, salary increased by $200, yearly increment. Now waiting for next yearly increment in July while doing practicum in the same primary school. I requested to be posted back to the same school and I was lucky. No PB for trainee or contract teaching but all other bonuses are the same.

Not sure when is the next promotion. Another 6 weeks before practicum ends.

We wake up at about 5.40am, eat breakfast and start work at 6.45am to 7am. I need to reach early when I have morning gate duty as I am the level discipline master. We normally off work about 5 to 6pm. Sometimes about 10% of the time we will leave at about 3-4 pm. Very rarely, we will leave at 2pm unless we have urgent matters or medical appointments. We are free to leave after 2pm but there are just so many things to do or things to prepare for next few day's lesson. We missed our son but we are lucky that my mum helped to take care of him for us while we work.

We are going to continue working as teachers until retirement when we will come back as relief teachers. I am one of those mid career who drives to NIE while studying because I need to send my pregnant wife to work before I go to NIE every morning. The car was bought with full cash during my last government job in 2010. In fact I also have another new class 2 bike, upgraded from a small bike which we have kept for many years because of the retained number plate and our riding passion. I uses this bike to save on campus parking fee on days that are not raining. We are trying very hard to resist the temptation to change our 7 years old continental seven seater to a japanese hybrid five seater. We are lucky to have a healthy 2 years old son and a daughter (soon) with a stable and satisfying career.

Money should not be the reason u want to be a teacher. It will also not be the reason for you not to be a teacher. The passion is the one that keeps you going. If you feel for the kids, then it will be a satisfying career which you will start to hate public holidays because you wish for more time to finish teaching the syllabus or catch up with the SOW.