Secondary School Teacher
Julia Knight, 29, Teacher of Music
How did you get into the job? I always vowed that I would never become a teacher since my mum teaches so I didn't want to end up like her and I knew all the pitfalls. However, I started teaching privately during the last year of my degree and I really enjoyed it. It was great to see the progress that my pupils made and I particularly liked working with kids. I researched various PGCE courses and I found one course at Bath Spa University College that offered a PGCE in Middle Years teaching (7-14yrs) with a specialism in music. This meant that I could either teach at primary or secondary level and I wanted to keep my options open. My PGCE year was so much fun - I had placements at excellent schools and had such a laugh with my fellow trainees.
What's your job history? I desperately wanted to return home to Cornwall, so I applied for primary jobs there, but the feedback I had from 'unsuccessful' interviews was that they saw me more as a secondary school teacher. By September I still didn't have a job but through a supply agency I got work every day. Out of the blue, I was asked to take on a maternity cover post at a school in Devon.
So, my first real job was as a head of department! It was a small rural school and I was the youngest member of staff there but my colleagues really looked after me. I stayed there for a term and then moved onto a second supply job at another secondary school in Cornwall. By the third term of my NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) year, I finally got myself a permanent post as a music teacher at my old secondary school and I have been there ever since.
What are the best bits/worst bits of the job? The best bits: Everyday is a surprise! The positive relationships you build up with the kids from when they are tiny Year 7s to strapping Year 11s and Sixth-Formers; and the knowledge that you can have a massive impact on so many people's lives. Learning new things everyday, either from the kids or from your colleagues and the long holidays - you don't half need them.
The worst bits: Paperwork and report-writing - I teach about 550 pupils and that's a lot of reports to write. Then there's the long working hours - I get to school for about 7.30am and sometimes I don't leave until 5pm. Then I go home to do more work, plus housework and dinner etc. Evenings, weekends and holidays are mostly spent planning and marking.
Do you have any advice for wannabes? Get work experience in schools or become a Teaching Assistant before applying for a PGCE course. See for yourself whether teaching is for you or not. And be prepared to down-scale your social life because you'll either be too tired to do anything or you just simply won't have the time. Non-teaching friends might find it difficult to understand this.
What are the CV essentials for the job? Confidence, team-work skills, administrative skills, subject knowledge, good social skills, flexible, imaginative, pro-active... The list is endless!
Application process:
The most common route into secondary school teaching is via a full-time, part-time or modular Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education (PGCE) following a university degree, preferably in a national curriculum subject. Applications are made through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry in the autumn before you wish to begin your course. There are several other schemes including the Graduate Teacher Programme and TeachFirst - details of these can be found on the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) and The Scottish Government Education and Training websites. Training bursaries of £9,000 or £6,000 and 'Golden Hellos' of £5,000 or £2,500 are available as an incentive for those training to teach some specified shortage subjects.
Job description:
Secondary school teachers teach one or more national curriculum subjects to classes of pupils aged 11-16 or 11-18. Teachers plan lessons in line with national objectives to ensure that pupils learn. They also encourage, monitor and record the progress of their pupils. Typical tasks include: lesson planning and delivery; marking work; researching new curriculum topics and keeping up-to-date on new developments within their subject area; preparing pupils for GCSE, A-level and SATs exams and tests; supporting individual pupils through academic or personal difficulties; and organising extracurricular activities.
Skills and training:
Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) have a three-term induction or probationary period of assessment, before their Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is confirmed. This is a hectic period involving a fast learning curve, applying and building upon what has been learnt during teacher training within a supported and monitored environment.
On-the-job training is available to all teachers, both in house and at local education authority training centres. Topics for development include curriculum issues, special needs, pastoral care, and technology.
Personality / who would it suit:
You need to be confident, well-organised, and able to deal with heavy work loads and high stress levels. The job is a varied and rewarding one and never dull.
Career prospects:
According to salary data collated by the graduate careers website Prospects in January 2007: "newly qualified teachers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland start on the main salary scale, which rises incrementally from £19,161 to £28,005." After time and experience they can expect to move to the upper scale by taking on pastoral roles or increased responsibility, rising from £31,098 to £33,444. Progression is possible to Head of Year, Head of Department, and up to Head of School. Teachers may also supplement their incomes with private tuition while management roles and working in the private education system offers up further increases and benefits.
Pros and cons
- Day-to-day variation
- Positive changes you can make to peoples lives
- Learning new things
- Long holidays
- Opportunities to work abroad
- Lots of paperwork
- Report-writing
- Long, unsociable hours (50+ a week in term-time)
- Unhelpful parents
- High-stress
