Becoming a student in your 50s

Over the next year, our social media and content exec, Robyn, will be checking in with our Now Teachers about how they’re feeling and their experience of teacher training.

First up, we have Caroline Davis, a former science journalist with over 20 years of experience, who decided it was time to share her passion for maths with young people. 

"The idealist in me hopes to inspire a new generation to embrace maths – not to see it as difficult, boring or irrelevant. To realise its usefulness and discover the pure joy of a neat solution.”  

Teaching part-time was imperative for Caroline to officially switch careers, as it is with many of our candidates, so we helped find an ITT provider that offers this. She is now training part-time with National Maths and Physics SCITT. 

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Lovely to meet you, Caroline! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I can imagine you’re experiencing all sorts of emotions right now...

How are you feeling about starting teacher training?

Excited and utterly terrified.  

I want to do this; I have been thinking about it for years. But I didn’t know if part-time teaching was an option and that held me back from applying. Now Teach told me it was, introduced me to a Now Teacher who had trained part-time, and directed me towards training providers that offer part-time.  

They gave me the information and support I needed to take the plunge, so at the grand old age of 50, I quit my comfortable job and committed to a two-year part-time PGCE with NMAPS. 

As I left the house for my induction at my school, I took a selfie on the doorstep and posted it on Facebook. I wrote: 'Obligatory first day at school photo. I am hoping that I get good students and that the other teachers are nice and want to be my friend. Thinking of Mrs. Mottershead, Miss Heneghan, and Mrs. Wilson as I begin my own journey to becoming a maths teacher.’  

It's been almost 40 years since I met them, and I still smile when I think of them. They inspired me to study mathematics at university and to become a teacher. And now I can’t wait to get started.

I do love a selfie, and of course, first day at school photos are 100% obligatory. I don’t think you’re alone in fondly remembering teachers that inspired you, I could certainly name a few. 

Nerves aside, what are you most looking forward to? 

Maths is one of the oldest academic disciplines and is still the language of the world we inhabit. I'm excited to understand how my students think and then share my passion in a way that encourages them to embrace maths. 

I’m looking forward to learning how to command the attention of a room, getting immediate feedback from a live lesson – rather than the silence of an office job – and mostly, being part of a team who will develop and support young people to overcome their hurdles and be all they can be.