|
Post by Johawn on Oct 5, 2010 8:23:07 GMT -5
I'm thinking of training to become one. How do y'all find it? Who do you teach, what do you teach, how fulfilling is it? Good and bad. I think it's such an admirable career and I'd love to be a part of it, but I'm not sure I have the skills and confidence to stand up there and talk for hours.
|
|
Jay Peas 42
El Dandy
Totally flips out ALL the time.
Is looking forward to a Nation of Domination Kwannza Special.
Posts: 8,329
|
Post by Jay Peas 42 on Oct 5, 2010 8:59:58 GMT -5
I am not one, but I knew a lot in college. Like, almost all my friends who were not polisci majors were teachers. Here is what I picked up.
Public Speaking is a learned skill. You just do it, and after so many tries, you get better at it.
In the United States, Education seems to be divided up into early childhood, elementary, secondary and special. Typically, most men went into secondary, most women went into elementary. If you go the former, you will need a specialization. Typically, anything involving math (Which includes business and music) or a foreign language is high in demand. In the US, having the ability to coach a sport also affects your ability to gain employment. I have no idea on how funding higher education works in the UK. You should acquire a master’s degree as soon as your employer will pay for it.
|
|
|
Post by Gerard Gerard on Oct 5, 2010 9:23:06 GMT -5
Lesson planning gets a bit tedious after a bit, and the moment you're there, stood at the board, with a load of expectant faces staring at you, it can make you jitter a little, but when you hit a stride, and pull it off, it's like winning a game, or nailing a song. Such a wonderful feeling.
I teach English, by the by.
|
|
|
Post by HMARK Center on Oct 5, 2010 9:25:10 GMT -5
I taught music in an elementary school for a few years.
I admit, it wasn't for me, and that's a big reason why I haven't tried to get back into it. Teaching a subject like music to children isn't very enjoyable, since you really aren't being asked to teach (it's more of a "get the kids to sing, yay!" thing), and your administrators tend to not really know anything about teaching music.
It made me realize that I'm much more cut out to teach at the college level; if I'm going to teach, I want to delve into the subject matter, but with children it's incredibly hard to do that.
|
|
|
Post by bradshawrules on Oct 5, 2010 9:37:30 GMT -5
very intrested in this myself as im thinking of going back to teach by doing 3 years of arts then the h-dip
|
|
Legion
Fry's dog Seymour
Amy Pond's #1 fan
Hail Hydra!
Posts: 22,900
|
Post by Legion on Oct 5, 2010 10:39:18 GMT -5
I taught Classics and Ancient History at Sixth Form level.
I loved it, but they decided Classics wasnt an important subject and cut my hours, so I had to leave as I couldnt afford to stay.
It's awesome when you know you've done something that has a helped a pupil get into uni or to do something they want to do.
I shall return to it as soon as I can, either January or next September. But never at schools, school teaching in some areas is just horrid, kids are horrid, and Sixth Form just has so much more depth and interest.
|
|
|
Post by Johawn on Oct 5, 2010 16:30:14 GMT -5
I taught Classics and Ancient History at Sixth Form level. I loved it, but they decided Classics wasnt an important subject and cut my hours, so I had to leave as I couldnt afford to stay. It's awesome when you know you've done something that has a helped a pupil get into uni or to do something they want to do. I shall return to it as soon as I can, either January or next September. But never at schools, school teaching in some areas is just horrid, kids are horrid, and Sixth Form just has so much more depth and interest. That's really interesting, because I want to go into Sixth Form teaching. I'm doing a degree in media writing, which I've been told is actually quite a good subject to have learned for teaching, because it covers advanced media studies as well as English Language. Could you tell me how you got into it and all? How you went about the training and getting a job? I'd love to hear all you can tell me. Teach me, baybeh ;D
|
|
Legion
Fry's dog Seymour
Amy Pond's #1 fan
Hail Hydra!
Posts: 22,900
|
Post by Legion on Oct 5, 2010 16:46:08 GMT -5
Basically, I got my degree, then did a Sixth Form PGCE (there are three different PGCE's - Primary (you can only teach primary age kids), Secondary (you can teach anyone) and Post 16 (you can only teach 6th form), then got a job (slightly unusual way, in that I was contacted because the college was looking for someone specifically for Classics, and its a really small subject area), but usually you'd get a job by checking the TES (times educational supplement) website, or a website called FEjobs.
Job interviews usually have 3 stages - interview with tutor team, interview with principal, 10-25 minute micro-teach lesson. You get judged on it all.
From there, you're in and just do the job.
If you want more details, feel free to PM me and I'll go into more details and stuff and if you have any specific questions or worries or whatever!
|
|
jobber2thestars
Hank Scorpio
Buy the Simon System. You'll thank yourself.
Posts: 7,097
|
Post by jobber2thestars on Oct 5, 2010 17:07:02 GMT -5
I went to school to be an English teacher, but lost all interest in teaching by my senior year. I hated the classes I had to take, and the people in my classes were just no fun. The teaching itself isn't hard, but creating lesson plans and stuff like that is really tough.
|
|
|
Post by speedtrials on Oct 5, 2010 17:19:37 GMT -5
Hi Johawn,
I am relatively young and am in my second year of full-time teaching. This is a second career for me, and I truly do love it. I work in a school where all of the Fifth Grade students come to, for one year. It is in a pretty bad neighborhood, so they try to hire a lot of men at this school.
No doubt when you are starting out, there are going to be some hiccups along the way. The key is you recognize your mistakes and improve upon them, instead of letting them beat you. I know a lot of people who aren't able to do this, and wind-up leaving the career before they really gave it a chance.
While the pay isn't wonderful there are so many little things that make it a rewarding job. The best of luck to you and your future!
|
|
|
Post by indymadman on Oct 5, 2010 19:38:52 GMT -5
I have 11 years in teaching (math, PE, Health) and now am a Vice Principal. Teaching, along with coaching, and instructional coaching.... it quite simply... awesome. Nothing better than seeing students move and and do great things. PM me if you ever have questions.
|
|
|
Post by texaswhopper on Oct 5, 2010 20:54:05 GMT -5
Nah, not yet. I never found any of them hot enough. Mostly old women my whole life.
....
|
|
|
Post by Thomas Powers of Paine on Oct 5, 2010 21:01:13 GMT -5
Lot's of work for little pay. Gut it out in grad school 5-7 years and become a professor.
And that's just stupid. Classics are important because they gave us...oh, I dunno, the foundation of Western thought and rhetorical tradition. Bureaucrats are morons.
|
|
TuneinTokyo
Hank Scorpio
The Mountain from Stone Mountain
Posts: 6,431
|
Post by TuneinTokyo on Oct 5, 2010 21:07:18 GMT -5
I've been teaching middle school music for 7 years and don't see doing anything else at this point. Beyond public speaking, classroom management will make or break any teacher. 1/3 quit after three years. I don't think I probably would work out teaching anything other than music so it helps to really love the subject you teach. The pay is decent enough to work out a living. You also don't work in the summer so that sometimes offsets the meager salary.
|
|
|
Post by britishbulldog on Oct 5, 2010 22:19:22 GMT -5
Is teaching really a meager salary for 9 months? The teachers here make 32k to start and up to about 60k once tenured. Over the 9 months they are in class that is pretty damn good money. I have a ton of respect for teachers and thing they are under appreciated, but many I know make more then I do, work a ton less.
|
|
|
Post by HMARK Center on Oct 6, 2010 0:22:59 GMT -5
I also have to say that teaching a full classroom, and being a music teacher who couldn't rely on things like handing out papers for kids to do to have a quiet room for awhile, meant that my speaking and singing voices improved markedly while doing that job.
That's hopefully paying off soon, as I've gotten back into performing, but even if it doesn't, it's a nice side benefit. :-P
|
|
|
Post by Johawn on Oct 8, 2010 14:28:36 GMT -5
Ton of great advice, thanks guys Salary-wise, I'm managing on about 6k a year in student loans, so if I'm bringing home any more than that I'll feel like a wealthy, wealthy man. The whole thing seems very daunting but I really think it IS what I want to do now. I really don't think I'd get on too well with small kids, so I think it's sixth form for me. I saw some good courses for English and Media PGCEs on a site that Legion was kind enough to show me. I think that's the job for me
|
|