View Full Version : Those that know teach
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 01:05 PM
I am thinking about a career change, one of my options is to become a teacher (http://www.tda.gov.uk/). Are there any teachers out there on the .org? How did you get into it?
If I was to teach, it would have to be NON secondary school (unless it was private) as looking around me; all modern teenagers are w***ers!! :D
I think primary/infant school could be the most rewarding, but I don't want to effectively be a child minder ... so we are left with either private secondary, A-Level or Degree, but I can't see that being as rewarding and it must be tougher to teach at A-Level and degree level!
If there are any teachers out there, what was your deciding factor choosing the age group to teach?
Oh and if it makes any difference, I'd probably teach Maths, Physics, or combined science.
I am also considering TEFL (http://www.tefltraining.co.uk/tefl-courses.html?gclid=CMDP7aXopZICFQweQgodmBPxQg).
I dont know about England but in Scotland there is a huge lack of jobs. They introduced a 1 year course for those who have a degree (degree in anything I might add) they do their 1 year but cannot get a job at the end of it.
I would check out the job situation before you do anything.
Primary School kids are almost as bad as secondary just shorter
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 04:15 PM
I dont know about England but in Scotland there is a huge lack of jobs. They introduced a 1 year course for those who have a degree (degree in anything I might add) they do their 1 year but cannot get a job at the end of it.
I would check out the job situation before you do anything.
Primary School kids are almost as bad as secondary just shorter
At primary school they are at an age where you can have a big influence on the way they turn out, sure you might have to undo some poor parenting, but they must still have a bit more respect for adults than teenagers? :mad: I think by that age, their values and personality's are already fairly well formed.
As for jobs, I thought there was a lack of teachers, hence the recent initiative/adds on telly "Those that know, teach" etc.
I wouldn't move as far as Scotland anyway, but would be prepared to move to get a good school to teach in. In fact there is no way I'd teach the scum I see walking around the streets of Portsmoof, it'd be like trying to teach palaeolithic man! - but palaeolithic man with a bad attitude! :D
pencil shavings
24-03-08, 04:35 PM
ive been looking into teaching as well. Ive heard that there is a really shortage of male teachers aswell.
I would also be looking to primary school teaching.
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 04:44 PM
ive been looking into teaching as well. Ive heard that there is a really shortage of male teachers aswell.
I would also be looking to primary school teaching.
Thing is at primary school, do you not teach a class ALL subjects? Its not like secondary school and higher where you teach a subject ..
Not only do I see primary school a place where you can have most positive impact on the kids, but there will be yummy mummies a dozen all wanting to improve their kids grades!! :smt044
Thing is at primary school, do you not teach a class ALL subjects? Its not like secondary school and higher where you teach a subject ..
Not only do I see primary school a place where you can have most positive impact on the kids, but there will be yummy mummies a dozen all wanting to improve their kids grades!! :smt044
I used to teach in a a secondary school. In hindsight I should have taught primary school kids. Teens are a nightmare. I was reduced to tears a few times.
Yep, in primary school you teach all subjects rather than specialise in one and there were no yummy mummies or daddies in my school.
ASM-Forever
24-03-08, 05:04 PM
Surely private school is the best option if you can score a job at one.
You won't get stabbed, better facilities, better pay and most importanlty way longer holidays.
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 05:22 PM
I used to teach in a a secondary school. In hindsight I should have taught primary school kids. Teens are a nightmare. I was reduced to tears a few times.
Yep, in primary school you teach all subjects rather than specialise in one and there were no yummy mummies or daddies in my school.
I had already concluded I needed to teach primary or further education ... but I am not sure I want to teach all subjects at primary ... like RE for instance, as a firm atheist, I couldn't teach the kids something I didn't believe myself ..
Surely private school is the best option if you can score a job at one.
You won't get stabbed, better facilities, better pay and most importanlty way longer holidays.
Yeah, private was my thinking too, but I would think private schools take the cream of the crop/old boy network stock pickings to fill their teachers lounge. A noobie straight out of teacher training isn't gonna stand a chance are they ;)
My best bet is to try and teach in a village in an affluent area. That way I should be less likely to have to deal with the problems of inner city kids/schools/parents bring!! ;)
The job to me is to 'learn' kids, and to get satisfaction from seeing them elicit knowledge that I can impart to them! ... not to fight for your own life of to spend 99% of your time trying to sort out little sh1ts and battling against equally brain dead and boorish parents!! :thumbdown:
Surely private school is the best option if you can score a job at one.
You won't get stabbed, better facilities, better pay and most importanlty way longer holidays.
not always the case. recently there was an 8 year old girl shot by a bb gun as she stood at a bus stop. the private school bus drove past and a 10 year old boy fired at her.
Primary school you teach all subjects but you could become a specialist teacher and tour all the local primary schools. We have a music teacher who is with us every monday a brass teacher who is there on a wednesday, pe specialist on a thursday.
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 05:32 PM
Oh and I think it'd be safe to assume I'd not put up with any s*** in my class!! :D
If the kids didn't love and respect me, they sure as hell would fear me!! :D
ASM-Forever
24-03-08, 05:33 PM
not always the case. recently there was an 8 year old girl shot by a bb gun as she stood at a bus stop. the private school bus drove past and a 10 year old boy fired at her.
Its hardly a stabbing though is it? Plus outside with wind after a few yards you can hardly feel the impact from a BB gun. From point blank it only smarts a bit.
I don't think you can argue that the kids at a private school will be better behaved/more receptive to being taught, than those at a comprehensive.
The children for me are not the best thing about teaching privately. As someone who went to private school it was obvious to me that the facilities were far better than those in the state sector. We had over 20 grass pitches including hockey/cricket/football etc as well as a swimming pool, astroturf, numerous tennis courts and lots of indoor sports facilities. Whilst the standard of teaching was great, the thing that really stands out to me from my time at school are the sporting opportunites. If i went to state school i question whether i would have played cricket/hockey at county level, if at all.
yorkie_chris
24-03-08, 05:59 PM
8 year old girl shot by a bb gun as she stood at a bus stop.
A bb gun's hardly a shooting by local standards, where one of the local schools seems to have far more scoobies and EVO's parked about than the areas unemployment level would suggest.
And, she wasn't shot "by" a bb gun, she was shot with one :-P
Anyway, I'd go for A level, the "kids" there all choose to be there, there are always some eejits, but for the most part the major scumbags won't have bothered to stay on. Also if teaching physics then there's some pretty cool, interesting stuff in the course.
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 06:25 PM
Well, I have to think of something to do that might interest me as in just over a months time I'll be unemployed :shock: .. perhaps saying I wanted to leave without actually having another job in mind let alone in line wasn't the wisest thing I have ever done!?!? Seemed like a good idea at the time!!! :smt080
I could be a fireman ... or an astronaut ... well perhaps not an astronaut as I am prolly a bit old to get started ... how about a scuba diver??! 8)
I say this all tongue in cheek, but the first part is 100% true!! :shock:
Rhiwbina_Squirrel
24-03-08, 06:28 PM
I'm not a teacher but I'm an A level [equivalent] student. I study the IB in a state school.
I'll agree that some modern teachers are w**kers but not all!! Some of my teachers have been a real inspiration to me.
There's got to be a fair bit of give and take between you and whoever you might teach, especially if you teach in a secondary school or sixth form. I think you'll find teaching older students would challenge you more and they'll test your understanding of the subject rather than sitting and absorbing it like a sponge.
I'd be tempted to teach at A level or teach a degree because they've chosen to stay in education and more likely to be a nicer crowd.
yorkie_chris
24-03-08, 06:33 PM
I could be a fireman ... or an astronaut ... well perhaps not an astronaut as I am prolly a bit old to get started ... how about a scuba diver??! 8)
commercial diving, manual labour, but underwater. Doesn't look fun.
Also a well hard course to get into it. (I considered this one myself)
Blue_SV650S
24-03-08, 06:36 PM
commercial diving, manual labour, but underwater. Doesn't look fun.
Also a well hard course to get into it. (I considered this one myself)
I wouldn't want to be a pro diver, I was just chucking random things out there!! ;)
What to do .. what to do ... :scratch:
To answer some of the questions in the original post and to try to ignore some of the other issues raised…
I have been a teacher for 20 years, starting in a Sixth Form College, then an FE college and now secondary school for the last 6 years.
Firstly training. If you have a degree you can do a one year course which will award you NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) status from which you then have to do a one year probationary period. These one year courses go under names such as GTTP (Graduate Teacher Training Programme) or SCITT (School Based Initial Teacher Training). They are run by your local LEA and/or local Uni. Some of them are Uni based so you don’t get paid, some you get a job in a SCITT school then train while doing it. See what happening in your area.
Which sector? Well the primary sector is crying out for male teachers to help balance out the majority of females. Our youngsters need to see men and women in such roles. However, there is a certain amount of babysitting and nose wiping. There is also a National Curriculum which means that you have to teach all that is set out, even if you don’t like/agree with it or indeed know nothing about it! And those yummy Mummies often think their little darling is an undiagnosed genius/ dyslexic are YOU are simply not recognising that fact!
But please, please don’t rule out the state secondary system, especially if you want to be a science teacher. There are so many reasons why; we need enthusiastic and fresh science teachers who have real world experience. They are the ones who inspire the kids. And our teenagers are NOT all w*****s. Most of them are energetic, emotional, creative curious creatures who want to find out why. Sure they can be difficult and stroppy and stuff but weren’t we at that age? Yes I do accept there are some – a minority – who are very ‘challenging’, but believe me there is a huge amount of time and money spent on these kids in school. And before people start shouting about this we very often make a huge difference to these kids and turn their lives around. Often their home lives are so chaotic that the school is the only place of normality and safety they know. Good teachers can make a real difference.
As far as the Private sector goes, it’s not all roses. Often they pay and job security is far worse than the state sector. Sometimes there are better facilities but often very out of date teaching methods and knowledge of the real world. You often get people working there who couldn’t get a job in the state system
Please become a teacher. It’s the most rewarding, challenging and frustrating job ever – it makes me laugh and despair in equal measure.
PS sorry for the rant – it means a lot to me
rick0361
24-03-08, 08:34 PM
Maybe the thing to do is consider what you would be achieving by taking up teaching.
I have thought about it a number of times of late not just because it would enable me to spend more time with my son, but also it would give me a chance to stop moaning about the quality of the people that I see coming through the school system and try and do something about it from within.
I work in IT and the quality of people we get from the schools is dire and genius in roughly equal measures but there are a great many kids who are turned off IT by the thought of what it entails.
May be you should give it a shot:D
The children for me are not the best thing about teaching privately. As someone who went to private school it was obvious to me that the facilities were far better than those in the state sector. We had over 20 grass pitches including hockey/cricket/football etc as well as a swimming pool, astroturf, numerous tennis courts and lots of indoor sports facilities. Whilst the standard of teaching was great, the thing that really stands out to me from my time at school are the sporting opportunites.
More or less all the reasons my younger three either go to or went to private schools. Not just for the sporting facilities, but the teaching aids, books, and just about everything needed to get a good education were freely available and never in short supply. The younger three are extremely intelligent, and it was obvious from their short time in state school that they were being seriously held back by the no hopers. The kids they mix with at their private schools are generally much more socially acceptable too.
Eldest daughter went to a state school in Leicestershire and did very well, but she was a very quiet girl who kept herself to herself and just got on with it.
Mrs Blue Pete
24-03-08, 09:42 PM
I have taught in the Primary sector for 14 years now and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Yes, there are times when I hate the job and the paperwork and the parents and the kids and the boss and the management and the fact that everyone but everyone thinks that teachers get great holidays...but! I love it all really. No two days are ever the same. No two kids are ever the same. Looking for a challenge? It's there every day.
Best advice I can give you is to try to arrange to spend some time in your local primary school, volunteering for a couple of afternoons, if your job will allow time off/holidays. You'll need to get a CRB check done (it might have changed to a List 99 check which is quicker) through the police to show that you're not a risk to the children (you can arrange this through the school, but you'll have to allow a few weeks to get it sorted). Get involved, talk to as many teachers as you can, chat to the kids. Better to find out now if you like their age range before any life-changing decisions rather than later when it's too late!
HTH
Mrs BP
Its hardly a stabbing though is it? Plus outside with wind after a few yards you can hardly feel the impact from a BB gun. From point blank it only smarts a bit.
dont think the girl will agree, she lost the sight in her eye
I don't think you can argue that the kids at a private school will be better behaved/more receptive to being taught, than those at a comprehensive.
The children for me are not the best thing about teaching privately. As someone who went to private school it was obvious to me that the facilities were far better than those in the state sector. We had over 20 grass pitches including hockey/cricket/football etc as well as a swimming pool, astroturf, numerous tennis courts and lots of indoor sports facilities. Whilst the standard of teaching was great, the thing that really stands out to me from my time at school are the sporting opportunites. If i went to state school i question whether i would have played cricket/hockey at county level, if at all.
facilities are great if you are sporty are you doing anything with you cricket/hockey expertise now?
A bb gun's hardly a shooting by local standards, where one of the local schools seems to have far more scoobies and EVO's parked about than the areas unemployment level would suggest.
as local standards this was mild as 7 kids are my daughters school are up on 2 separate attempted murder charges but just trying to say that because mummy and daddy can afford to pay for their child to be educated privately does not necessarily make them better pupils.
And, she wasn't shot "by" a bb gun, she was shot with one :-P
sorry im must watch my grammar
Anyway, I'd go for A level, the "kids" there all choose to be there, there are always some eejits, but for the most part the major scumbags won't have bothered to stay on. Also if teaching physics then there's some pretty cool, interesting stuff in the course.
Messie, I would love to be able to feel passionately about my job like you do. But I still dont know what I want to do with my life.
ASM-Forever
24-03-08, 10:56 PM
facilities are great if you are sporty are you doing anything with you cricket/hockey expertise now?
I have not played any sports since 20 April 2007, when i had my crash. :(
I've got coaching qualifications in both to county level, however i don't really use them as i find it boring. I would far rather be playing.
Pay's not bad - ?35K for a typical teacher (less as a rookie). Mind, ?35K isn't enough so first day in the school you'd be on strike to demand a completely unjustified 10% raise:p
metalmonkey
24-03-08, 11:38 PM
I did think about teaching but do not having maths would have meant I would have to retake it or something like that, also studying more put me off, cause I was broke at the time, well still am....
Wouldn't have minded teaching, having spent years teaching outdoor education, but err eventually ended up where I am now. I havent't done any teaching now for err about 1 year and half. Though not missing at the moment have spent so long doing it informally, may be will some day again.
But its is a fun thing to do, but you need to be patient to teach!
Mrs Blue Pete
25-03-08, 08:41 AM
Pay's not bad - ?35K for a typical teacher (less as a rookie).
It's taken me 14 years of teaching plus a management position to achieve ?35k. It's not typical.
Alpinestarhero
25-03-08, 09:12 AM
Blue, I don't question you for not wanting to teach secondary education.
I think A-level teaching is the best; most of the students are there to learn, they would have chosen the subject. The kids who are disruptive havn't gon on to college, so you dont have to deal with that. Plus, its advanced enough to feel like your actualy teaching people stuff, without having to be at the cutting edge (like you would have to be at university)
Teaching young kids could be fun too, they come out with al sorts of funny things and ask questions older people wouldnt ask
Matt
Blue_SV650S
25-03-08, 09:42 AM
Thanks for the replies teachers, I might actually give it a crack!! 8)
You are right, I don’t want to be wiping noses …and teaching stuff I don’t believe in .. primary might be off the cards …
Bearing in mind my reservations toward secondary pupils, is it possible to say start of in secondary, realise its not for me and move to A-Level (or Degree) or are they different training programs? Bearing in mind I have never taught before; standing at the front of a lecture theatre to several hundred students teaching at a high level might be a bit overwhelming!! :D Probably better off starting with a smaller class (<=30?) and at GCSE level.
p.s. what is an average starting salary for secondry?
Alpinestarhero
25-03-08, 10:02 AM
Thanks for the replies teachers, I might actually give it a crack!! 8)
You are right, I don’t want to be wiping noses …and teaching stuff I don’t believe in .. primary might be off the cards …
Bearing in mind my reservations toward secondary pupils, is it possible to say start of in secondary, realise its not for me and move to A-Level (or Degree) or are they different training programs? Bearing in mind I have never taught before; standing at the front of a lecture theatre to several hundred students teaching at a high level might be a bit overwhelming!! :D Probably better off starting with a smaller class (<=30?) and at GCSE level.
p.s. what is an average starting salary for secondry?
A-level classes are genrally around 25; as long as you have a good lesson plan, and you are confident at wha your talking about, you should have no problem :D
That website posted on page one pretty much outlines the salaries you should expect. The starting salaries arnt that great.
I know a few teachers and they all seem to enjoy it, they always seem to be off work, and all have nice things, but claim they are the most stressed people in the world.
I would love to be a PE teacher, I have good sporting back grounds but my degree is not in a sporting discipline so dont know what my chances would be as its supposed to be a farily competitive area to get into. Plus I couldnt quit my job to do the PGCE training, and I couldnt run my house on the starting salary :(
Blue_SV650S
25-03-08, 11:34 AM
Ok, got the ball rolling, did some research and made a phone call. Although I do have a first class BSc, it is not in the subject I want to teach (the fact I have GCSE and A level in it doesn’t seem to matter either), therefore I might struggle to get a place on a PGC. Also they request 2 weeks classroom experience, which bearing in mind I have to work my notice here, I will struggle to get before the close of application date ..
The cheeky sods want £15 for my PGC application … which by the sounds of it might well get rejected. Bearing in mind the aforementioned, I am gonna give my local university a ring and ask them for my chances of success if I apply before I p1ss £15 away!! :D
Blue_SV650S
25-03-08, 11:49 AM
made the call to the uni - She said not having a degree in the subject I want to teach makes it a non-starter ..
I asked if there were any other ways in e.g. ‘top up’ training in the subject - She has given me the number of the course tutor (whos answer machine I have left a message on) who will be in a better position to answer that .
.. it is not looking hopeful is it!! :(
I was looking forward to kids having to call me Sir!! :takeabow: :D
Blue_SV650S
25-03-08, 12:33 PM
I think she was full of it! :D
Digging some more I can see there is a "Prepare to teach" avenue you can go down first if your degree is not in the subject you want to teach ... I haven’t given up yet and I'll give them a ring in a bit :)
Blue_SV650S
03-04-08, 07:30 PM
Well, looks like I am going to be a primary school teacher ... 8)
This will actually suit me down to the ground as I am a big kid myself ... being able to legitimately play with toys, paint and other cool stuff will be awesome :smt045
I'll teach my kids a great lesson in 'survival of the fittest' as they will need to fight me for the toys!! :D
look out youth of today lol. hope you enjoy it
ASM-Forever
03-04-08, 09:54 PM
Well, looks like I am going to be a primary school teacher ... 8)
This will actually suit me down to the ground as I am a big kid myself ... being able to legitimately play with toys, paint and other cool stuff will be awesome :smt045
I'll teach my kids a great lesson in 'survival of the fittest' as they will need to fight me for the toys!! :D
Being a fly non the wall could be priceless. Do you want one of those helpers...what are they called nowadays...classroom assistants?
Don't forget most private schools also go to school on a saturday morning.
5.5 day week.......
I've done work in a primary school. Was good fun, bt you always get one orrible little scroat.
As for private schools being safer? You sure on that? Daddy has the cash to get naughty things.... From my experience, the normal schools have more "im ard" attidude, but the public schoolers where always screwed on harder drugs and got into just as many fights and such at the weekends... These were pupils from Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Privates...
lukemillar
04-04-08, 01:28 AM
Well, looks like I am going to be a primary school teacher ... 8)
This will actually suit me down to the ground as I am a big kid myself ... being able to legitimately play with toys, paint and other cool stuff will be awesome :smt045
I'll teach my kids a great lesson in 'survival of the fittest' as they will need to fight me for the toys!! :D
Sweet - I'll kill to be in your class - advanced track riding and race craft at age 10 ;)
I'd be in WSB by my 20's :smt045
SoulKiss
04-04-08, 02:46 AM
Sweet - I'll kill to be in your class - advanced track riding and race craft at age 10 ;)
I'd be in WSB by my 20's :smt045
Luke kind of just beat me to this, but........
Why be a teacher.
It seems that what you want to do is instruct others, you seem to be aimed towards kids - not a bad thing, but how about getting into the training of adults ?
If you are IT minded (not sure what you do now) then there are TONS of IT trainer jobs - a friend of mine who was already doing that found a new job in that field in less than 3 weeks when she wanted to move back to the UK from Holland.
Or, as would seem to make even more sense to me, why not approach the CSS or Ron Haslam, or even any of the trackday companies and see if they are looking for instructors?
im a classroom assistant at the moment and it has been an eye opener as to what actually happens in schools. Thing is you cant just volunteer these days you need to get all your police checks before they let you near a school
Blue_SV650S
04-04-08, 08:24 AM
..
I don't think the instructors at trackdays get paid for it? .. I think done every day, it would get very 'samey' ... Also 'there is no place like home' ... I'd not want to spend my days moving from one hotel to another, you also can?t get away/dissociate from work properly like that ..
im a classroom assistant at the moment and it has been an eye opener as to what actually happens in schools. Thing is you cant just volunteer these days you need to get all your police checks before they let you near a school
They can do all the 'checks' they want ... I don't even like kids, let alone want to 'kiddy-fiddle' them!! :D
I don't even like kids:D
sounds like you're ideal material for a primary school teacher then:rolleyes:
not liking kids - you will do well as a teacher lol
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