Should I become a teacher?

[marinyork]

I think you'd probably make a very good teacher Cathryn, you seemed quite telegenic on tv and you seem to care about things enough. Sadly you've just missed the PGCEs as they started a while back - I know someone who's just started one, but maybe next year? I'm not sure how much demand there would be for Italian but French there should be a reasonable amount of demand. Good luck.

 

[Cathryn]

Thanks everyone for all your pearls of wisdom! Need to do a lot of thinking now. Night Train, I might send you the odd question if that's okay, depending on what I decide.

Thanks again

 

[Night Train]

Feel free to ask anything. I seem to be getting good inspections grades so I must be doing something right. Also if you think about doing under 16 education and want to know anything, then my partner (hmmmm, nice thinking of M as my partner) teaches year 3 and 4 school kids.

 

[craigwend]

I've just finished my PGCE after two years,
don't bother with any pre-courses just go straight in at this level,
even though technically I work in training (which is another option), it is the best job I've had,
for schools slightly different route,
for HE - no rules,
sounds as if you've got your subject area, and a love for it which is a huge start,
get some experience any way you can -

then be amazed at ridiculous timescales (knowing what your doing in 2010) but still not being able to get a room booked or materials on time ...

go for it, take the chance and say you tried.

 

[Danny]

Teachers I know find it a very demanding job, particularly in the first few years - but a very rewarding one too!

As I'm sure you know, you need to think carefully about whether it's really for you. To be successful at it you've really got to want to teach, and be able and willing to invest the time and energy required. Also some people are "natural" teachers (like the woman with long hair on Jamie's Ministry of Food) while others always struggle.

Many primary schools are keen to have adults come in and help with things like reading, so you could try volunteering at some local schools to get a sense of what teaching would be like.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I think the first thing you'll need to do is learn another language yourself...'teenage'. Once you have mastered 'teenage' you will be able to communicate. Once communication is in place the next step should be some spelling & English lessons.

...seriously, go for it kids need good people like you to bring out the best in them.

 

[graham56]

Go for it Cathryn, my wife is a teacher in a middle school in Blyth,and really enjoys it.OK,there might be the odd distruptive pupil but overall she tells me, the kids are fantastic.The only way to find out is to give it a try.

 

[summerdays]

Oh and Cathrine I think it's a worthwhile job if you'll enjoy it. We had a teacher in high school who was so commited but made the lesson extremely enjoyable. He taught english and media and got the highest pass rate in the school, but somehow made the class extremely fun and we learnt at the same time.

My daughters maths teacher has the gift of teaching... humour, going off at a tangent (within the subject) showing how it relates to real life etc. There are definately some great teachers who can make their subject come alive.

I personally wouldnt become a teacher, but if i did it would be at primary or infant, they should be alot les cheekier. But then most of the year 7's are cheeky little buggers and are mostly chavs.

Even the top of primary can be hard work but it probably depends on the area to some extent.

Many primary schools are keen to have adults come in and help with things like reading, so you could try volunteering at some local schools to get a sense of what teaching would be like.

I've done this in the past and its certainly an insight into the school and what the children and Teachers are like.

As to the subject - I don't know how many schools are teaching Italian (but its the one language that I found I could pick up any of), but certainly French is taught. Primary school children now have to have a leson a week (?) in a foreign language. My 2nd child really enjoyed these last year but aparently the teacher (from the local secondary school) seemed unable to keep control of the class.

I don't know how possible it is to go in an observe in a secondary school, but if its possible it might give you an idea of what it is like.

One of my friends teaches in a private school, where the kids behave slightly better. But it may be a case of trying to pick your school carefully - staying clear of inner city ones if you can.

I don't think I have the tolerance to teach - certainly not secondary school kids, but it can be rewarding seeing someone suceed especially if it was a struggle for them.

 

[rich p]

My son in law has just given up a decent job at The Guardian to train as a teacher. If it's something you really want to do as he does, Cathryn, I would recommend you go for it. You obviously should weigh up the strength of your commitment and the impact on your family life and finances but I'm sure you'd be a good teacher. Teaching kids can be hard, I'm sure, but equally it can be a lot more rewarding than many jobs. Someone who does it because they want to are probably going to be better at it than those who drift into it by default.

 

[Lardyboy]

My mother was a teacher for all her working life and ended up a headteacher. She was almost certainly "born" a teacher.

You just have to have that ability in built. You can be taught to teach but this doesn't make you a teacher. We had a few teachers in my secondary school that were absolutely terrible, they had no empathy or skill at imparting any sort of knowledge. Yet they were the so called best qualified.

I would never consider becoming a teacher, I just haven't got the ability, or patience. My sister has, and works with disabled kids in a "special" (horrible word) school.

IF you do decide to teach Cathryn I wish you all the best. It can be very fulfilling, but equally frustrating apparently.

 

[Kirstie]

I teach in HE which is a different matter to schools. One of my best friends is a primary school teacher and loves kids and teaching, but in this country found that the bureaucracy, form filling, and performance measurement detracted from the fabric and process of teaching. She taught in a primary school in Handsworth, Birmingham, and got the measure of the kids pretty quickly. It was the parents and other teaching staff which were the problem! The parents are a really important component that you will have to deal with as a teacher. She has since taught kids in Thailand and is currently in China, and loves it because it's purely about teaching and kids.

Frankly I find the prospect of constantly having to perform completely draining and avoid the classroom where I can.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

language teachers are in short supply, so you may get to be more picky about where you end up teaching.

 

[Fnaar]

My daughters maths teacher has the gift of teaching... humour, going off at a tangent

 

[marinyork]

My daughters maths teacher has the gift of teaching... humour, going off at a tangent (within the subject) showing how it relates to real life etc. There are definately some great teachers who can make their subject come alive.

There aren't really tangents in Maths, it's all linked. One of the problems at school is people keep on banging on about this daft idea of there being "pure" maths, statistics and mechanics. Whilst people definitely have their "areas" it's all rather more fuzzy than is generally thought. The other problems I see being if someone has a question off the syllabus in this subject you're much more likely to get an "I don't know" or "that's how it is" than in other subjects . Marcus de Sautoy's first episode last week wasn't bad .

As to the subject - I don't know how many schools are teaching Italian (but its the one language that I found I could pick up any of), but certainly French is taught. Primary school children now have to have a leson a week (?) in a foreign language. My 2nd child really enjoyed these last year but aparently the teacher (from the local secondary school) seemed unable to keep control of the class.

A good point. I'd have thought there'd be more demand at a college than a school. Also on the training I don't know whether languages is classed as a shortage subject thesedays and therefore receives golden hellos etc.

 

[Cathryn]

Thanks everyone - I've been at work today so unable to get on the thread beforehand. Good point about Italian...maybe I should put some work into my german! I believe languages do get golden hellos (HELLO!!) which might help.

I think I need to get into a school, don't I, and have some vague idea of what the reality is like!