Secondary Teacher

Also known as:

Teacher, Secondary School

Introduction

Secondary teachers work with students aged between 12 and 18. Younger students are generally taught in mixed ability groups whilst older students may be taught in groups of similar abilities. The work includes preparing lessons, directing and supervising all classroom activities, marking work, writing student reports, and attending meetings and parents' evenings.

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Work Activities

Secondary school teachers work with students aged between 12 and 18 (or a limited group within this range). Teachers usually specialise in one subject, although some teach two subjects in related areas.

In Scotland, teaching qualifications in secondary education can be awarded in the following subjects:
• Art and Design
• Biology with Science
• Business Education
• Chemistry with Science
• Classics
• Community Languages
• Computing
• Drama
• Economics
• English
• Gaelic
• Geography
• Greek
• History
• Home Economics
• Latin
• Mathematics
• Media Studies
• Modern Foreign Languages
• Modern Studies
• Music
• Physical Education
• Physics with Science
• Religious Education
• Technological Education.

Most teachers teach mixed ability classes. In this situation, they use teaching methods to suit a class of students with differing abilities, who are learning at different speeds. If teaching older year groups, the teacher is more likely to teach a class of students with similar abilities and interests. Depending on circumstances, teaching methods include whole class work, small group work, project work and individual research. Teachers provide support and back-up at all times and help students on an individual basis as required.

Teachers use a variety of aids to support their teaching, including textbooks, workbooks, audio-visual aids and computers as well as material that they have prepared themselves. They set assignments, projects and tests, carry out continuous assessment and mark students' work and exams.

At all times they must maintain good order in the classroom and deal speedily and effectively with discipline issues.

Away from the classroom, secondary teachers carry out a wide range of other duties, including preparing lessons, taking pupils on educational trips and outings, doing administrative work such as keeping records and writing reports, attending staff meetings and preparing for and attending parent-teacher meetings.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a secondary teacher, you must be able to communicate effectively with students with a wide range of abilities, be able to interest and involve them and encourage them to learn and develop. To do this, you must be enthusiastic, energetic, flexible and patient and be prepared to look for and try out innovative approaches.

In addition, you must be able to be firm and to enforce discipline in an acceptable way, when necessary. An understanding of adolescent psychology will assist with this, as it will with all aspects of the teaching process. You must be able to stay calm when under pressure and when dealing with any disruptive pupils. A good sense of humour is important.

You need to be well organised and approach your classroom work in a methodical and systematic way. A lot of the time you will be working on your own with your classes, but you will also be part of the wider school community, so teamworking skills are important too.

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Pay and Opportunities

Teachers in Scotland are paid on a national scale. The starting annual salary for a probationer teacher from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 is £20,937. The top of the scale for unpromoted teachers is £33,399. There is an additional allowance if you teach in a remote school or on certain islands.

A chartered teacher can earn up to £40,941 and a head teacher can earn from £41,298 - £80,607 depending on the size of the school.

In the private sector, salaries are similar or higher, though they are sometimes linked to state sector pay scales.

Teachers normally work a 35-hour week. However, most teachers work extra hours: marking work, preparing lessons and so on. In Scotland a maximum classroom contact time of 22.5 hours per week has been introduced.

There are opportunities throughout the UK in both the state and private education sectors. There may also be opportunities to teach overseas.

Vacancies are advertised on local authority vacancy sheets and websites, and in the local and national press: The Scotsman, The Herald, The Guardian, The Times Educational Supplement Scotland and The Teacher.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Relevant work experience is frequently expected, either within a school as a volunteer teaching assistant or equivalent work with children or young people.

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree course, a college or university Access course (eg, Access to Teaching) could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges. They can lead to relevant degree courses.

In order to qualify as a secondary teacher you must either do a degree course followed by a one year PGDE or a recognised combined (joint or concurrent) degree or a BEd degree. Note that the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Strathclyde and the West of Scotland run part-time PGDE courses in certain secondary teaching subjects. You can find full details of the regulations on the Scottish Government website, 'Teaching in Scotland'.

• 15% of secondary teachers work part-time.
• 7% work on a temporary basis.

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