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Tell me about it
Teachers work to enable pupils to develop their abilities and aptitudes
and fulfil their own individual potential.
In England and Wales, teachers are required to teach the National
Curriculum and have to decide on the most effective teaching methods
depending on the age and ability of the pupils. In Scotland, the
curriculum is not set by law, although there are guidelines on its
structure.
Teachers usually specialise in teaching a particular age group
within three main types of school:
· Nursery and primary school nursery classes (three to five
year olds) - Teachers have overall responsibility for one class
and the emphasis is on developing children's social, communication
and numeracy skills through play and creative activities
· Primary (5 to 11 year olds in England and Wales, or 5 to
12 in Scotland) - Teachers usually teach most or all subjects to
one class, although they may teach a specialist subject to other
classes. Priority is given to developing literacy and numeracy skills
· Secondary (11 to 16 year olds in England and Wales, 12
to 16 in Scotland - this is 11 to 19 if the school has a sixth form,
12 to 18 in Scotland) - Teachers usually teach one or two subjects
to different classes. The focus is on preparing pupils for external
examinations
Teachers spend the majority of their time teaching classes, although
they are involved in a range of other activities. These include,
amongst other things, planning lessons and preparing materials,
setting and marking coursework and exams, offering constructive
feedback to pupils, assessing, recording and reporting on the progress
and attainment of pupils, maintaining order and discipline among
pupils, communicating with parents/carers, teachers, governors and
other professionals, and attending meetings and parents' events,
often out of school hours.
Entry level
Recognised training is essential for teaching posts in maintained
schools. You would need to undertake Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
and obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England and Wales,
with a similar requirement for Scotland. The minimum requirements
for ITT in England/Wales are two A level passes or equivalent and
three GCSE Grades A-C or equivalent, including English and maths.
(Some courses also require a science at GCSE Grade C or above).
In Scotland, you would need at least two Advanced Higher or three
Higher, including English or equivalent, together with S Grades
1-3 in two other subjects, including maths at grade 1/2 or equivalent.
There are several different routes and courses involved and you
should do some careful research to determine which one would be
the best for you. Most of the courses are full-time but there are
opportunities for part-time and distance learning. Most of the routes
take three or four years and involve spells of teaching practice
in schools.
The two main routes to QTS (although there others) are as follows:
(a) A first degree that includes a teaching qualification. Many
of these courses are aimed at students who wish to work in primary
schools, although there are others aimed at secondary school work.
(b) A first degree followed by a postgraduate certificate in education.
The first degree should normally be in a National Curriculum subject.
This route is more commonly taken by students who wish to work in
secondary schools.
Routes are similar in Scotland but are not described in terms of
ITT/QTS and courses are geared to the specific needs of the Scottish
education system.
There is also a work-based route to QTS, available in England only,
known as School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT).
Making the grade
Once trained, you must register with the relevant General Teaching
Council for England, Scotland or Wales. In England and Wales, you
would train to teach at least two consecutive key stages:
· Early Years and Key Stage 1 - age 3 to 7
· Key Stage 1 and 2 - age 5 to 11
· Key Stage 2 and 3 - age 7 to 14
· Key Stage 3 and 4 - age 11 to 16
· Key Stage 4 and post-16 - age 14 to 19.
You must meet standards on each component of ITT, including knowledge
of subjects and curriculum, teaching practice - the skills for planning
lessons, teaching and assessing pupils, and professional values
and practice. In England, you must also pass QTS skills tests in
literacy, numeracy and information and communications technology.
As a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT), you must then successfully complete
a one-year induction period.
In Scotland, new teachers must register with the General Teaching
Council for Scotland before they can teach in a Scottish state-funded
school. They complete a one-year probationary period in a school
before applying for full registration.
Promotion is possible in most schools.
· Primary - teachers can take on responsibility for co-ordinating
an area of work such as literacy, numeracy or special needs. They
can also move into a management role becoming a deputy head or headteacher.
There may also be limited opportunities for progress to advanced
skills teacher status (principal teacher or chartered teacher in
Scotland).
· Secondary - teachers can take on a specialist area of responsibility
(eg careers, personal, social and health education (PSHE), or citizenship),
become an advanced skills teacher (principal teacher or chartered
teacher in Scotland) or take on a management role such as head of
department or year, deputy head or headteacher.
Some experienced teachers specialise in teaching students with
special educational needs. Others move into work related to teaching,
such as teacher training, educational advisory work, educational
research and writing, schools inspection, running a playgroup or
nursery.
Personal qualities
You would need to enjoy working with children and young people and
to be patient with those who find it difficult to learn. You also
need to enjoy the subject or subjects that you are going to teach.
Training may help you to handle difficult situations in the classroom
but the enthusiasm for learning and helping others to learn must
come from you. You would need to have very good communication skills,
to be well organised, a good member of a team but confident enough
to work on your own, and consistent and fair in your treatment of
pupils.
Looking ahead
In England and Wales there is a reasonable demand for teachers,
although there are regional variations, with more vacancies in London,
eastern and southeast England. In Scotland, more than 2,000 new
teachers are likely to be needed each year for the next few years.
In secondary schools there are shortages of teachers in some subjects:
English, mathematics, science, modern languages, information and
communication technology, design and technology, and, in Wales,
Welsh. Scotland experiences similar subject shortages and in addition,
Gaelic, religious and moral education and music.
In the coming years there may be a slight decrease in demand for
teachers in some areas, as the number of school-age children is
falling.
Alternative suggestions
Other possibilities might include career/personal adviser, educational
psychologist, nursery nurse, social worker or youth worker.
Effects
Teachers are held in great esteem by some and blamed by others for
many of the ills of society. Your life would probably be affected
by the need to take work home with you, although good organisation
and use of time in the holidays should help to cut this down. The
holidays (particularly in the summer) are a great asset, though
they should not be regarded as completely free - much organisation
and forward planning goes on, both in and out of school.
Take-home pay
There are several incentive schemes at present to attract more people
into teacher training, including 'golden hellos' for teachers of
priority subjects. Check the websites below for the latest information.
Salary scales for newly qualified teachers in England and Wales
currently start at just over £19,000 (more in London) and
can rise to £28,000. Headteachers can earn anything from £40,000
to £100,000 a year, depending on the size of the school.
Sources of information
Training and Development Agency for Schools:
www.tda.gov.uk
General Teaching Council for Scotland: www.gtcs.org.uk
Department of Education Northern Ireland: www.deni.gov.uk
CRCI: F
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