Teacher

Introduction

Teachers work with pupils and students of all ages, from children of three to adults. They may teach groups of mixed ability or similar ability. They may teach a range of subjects as in a primary school or specialise in one or more subjects in a secondary school. In addition to classroom activities, the work includes preparing lessons, marking work, writing reports and attending parents' evenings.

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Work Activities

Teachers usually work with people within a particular age group such as three to five year olds, five to eight year olds, twelve to eighteen year olds or adults. They may teach mixed ability groups, similar ability groups or sometimes both. Mixed ability groups require a variety of teaching methods enabling students to develop at different speeds.

Primary teachers usually teach a range of subjects to one class. Secondary teachers often specialise in teaching one subject such as Art and Design, or History, to a number of classes. Some secondary teachers teach two or more related subjects, such as English and Drama.

Some teachers work in specialisms such as Learning Support or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

Teaching methods include small group work, projects, learning through experience, and the use of audio-visual materials and computers, as well as more traditional teaching sessions with the whole class. The use of different methods helps to stimulate interest and learning, and enables students to develop a variety of skills. Teachers provide support and back-up at all times and help students on an individual basis as required.

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

Away from the classroom, teachers may carry out a wide range of other duties, including preparing lessons, taking pupils and students 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 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 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 or students. 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 or college community, so teamworking skills are important too.

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Pay and Opportunities

Teachers in state schools 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 in state schools 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 or Higher National Diploma (HND) courses.

• 15% of secondary teachers and 26% of primary teachers work part-time.
• 7% of secondary teachers and 15% of primary teachers work on a temporary basis.

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