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The Pros and Cons of being a teacher
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Becca
Pfft, this is so untrue, and even if it were, it IS true that no two days are the same because different things happen every day.
One day the kids might really want to learn and you'll have a great lesson with a particular class, another day they'll be tired/hyper/a whirl of emotions and you'll get nowhere.
Also, I think you'll struggle to find decent teachers that teach the same lesson twice in a row. You have to adapt what you teach for the ability, the culture of that class, even the time of day. For example, early in the morning when kids are going to need their brains waking up, I'll do a competitive game to start off the lesson, whereas I wouldn't try this the lesson before lunch - I will give something settling to make sure they are calm.
OP: I also wanted to direct your attention to this: http://frolickingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-i-left-teaching.html, as it might help you when considering your career change.
One day the kids might really want to learn and you'll have a great lesson with a particular class, another day they'll be tired/hyper/a whirl of emotions and you'll get nowhere.
Also, I think you'll struggle to find decent teachers that teach the same lesson twice in a row. You have to adapt what you teach for the ability, the culture of that class, even the time of day. For example, early in the morning when kids are going to need their brains waking up, I'll do a competitive game to start off the lesson, whereas I wouldn't try this the lesson before lunch - I will give something settling to make sure they are calm.
OP: I also wanted to direct your attention to this: http://frolickingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-i-left-teaching.html, as it might help you when considering your career change.
How is it untrue? I know for a fact at my school (I'm talking about secondary here) the teachers taught the same things more than once in a day. In my school, My English teacher had 3 higher set GCSE classes, and so yes, she taught 3 sets of classes the identical syllabus. Same goes for other teachers too. And yes, you do teach the same syllabus for years with it hardly changing.
I dont know about other schools but this is based on what I know at my school. If you became a business/economics teacher you would be mainly teaching sixth form so the problem of rowdy kids would maybe not be so bad, unless it just changes to rowdy teens instead, but classes would generally be easier to control.
Ro-flo
CONS
Sometimes stressful (every job is)
Exhausting.
Paperwork!
You will be involved in -
after school meetings,
committees,
assisting students,
grading homework,
assignments,
projects,
and calling parents - All these demand some sacrifice of your personal time.
Children can get out of hand/ rowdy classes.
Less opportunities to earn extra money, compared to secondary schools.
Nitts!
CONS
Sometimes stressful (every job is)
Exhausting.
Paperwork!
You will be involved in -
after school meetings,
committees,
assisting students,
grading homework,
assignments,
projects,
and calling parents - All these demand some sacrifice of your personal time.
Children can get out of hand/ rowdy classes.
Less opportunities to earn extra money, compared to secondary schools.
Nitts!
WTF !!!!
Ro-flo
Yes you do seem to be doing a lot of travelling, however you also enjoy what you do and are willing to travell that far to do it.
So are you doing a GTP? How are you finding it? I've heard the training year and the NQT years are the toughest then it settles down.
Keep me posted!
So are you doing a GTP? How are you finding it? I've heard the training year and the NQT years are the toughest then it settles down.
Keep me posted!
I am essentially doing a GTP, yes. I find it very stressful! I have never had so many highs, but equally so many lows. I moved away from home and all my loved ones to do this, so that is an added problem for me.
And yes, the first 2 years are the hardest dfinitely because you have to get into it, I make almost all my own resources so every lesson is planned from scratch - this takes a loooong time. Next year when I re-teach the same stuff I will at least have some starting points, although I will not be teaching exactly the same lessons over again as hopefully, by then I will know more what types of lessons work and what don't!
You learn SO much every day in teaching, which is one of the things I love about it, but you rally do have to put so many things into practice at once, it can be very overwhelming.
Bubbles*de*Milo
How is it untrue? I know for a fact at my school (I'm talking about secondary here) the teachers taught the same things more than once in a day. In my school, My English teacher had 3 higher set GCSE classes, and so yes, she taught 3 sets of classes the identical syllabus. Same goes for other teachers too. And yes, you do teach the same syllabus for years with it hardly changing.
I refuse to believe they taught EXACTLY the same lessons though, and if they did then that's poor practise. What happens if you have a kid with a learning disability in one of those 3 classes - you need to make provision. What about one kid who is really exceptional? How are you going to keep them busy. I have taught 'holidays' (French teacher) to a top set and a low ability set. With top set we have done the past tense - something lots of kids don't learn til GCSE. With the other group we are staying completely in the present tense - same syllabus, same text books, COMPLETELY different lessons.
Lucky for your teacher getting 3 higher sets that she can do *similar* (i doubt identical) lessons for them, but good HoDs divide up the good and bad classes equally. It's unfair for one teacher to take all the top sets.
And actually, the KS3 syllabus has recently changed. Year 7 are on a completely different one to the other KS3 years.
Same goes for KS4, a new GCSE spec came out this year!
You sound very naive. You have put too much faith in the TDA campaigns. As an advertiser, surely you know better than to believe everything that is advertised?
Most people on my teacher training course work 12-15 hour days. As my mentor put it today, "it doesn't get any easier when you're a teacher".
Most people on my teacher training course work 12-15 hour days. As my mentor put it today, "it doesn't get any easier when you're a teacher".
This is paraphrased from "Guerilla Guide to Teaching" by Sue Cowley...
Pros-
-Teaching is rewarding and worthwhile
-Teaching is both a profession and a vocation
-Teaching will stretch you in a number of ways - if you want to challenge yourself on a daily basis, teaching is a great option
-Teaching gives you a good range of transferable skills
-Good job security in the long term
-You can work anywhere in the country or the world
-Reasonably well-paid
-Teachers' pension scheme is good
-You will work with other people like you
-Teaching gets easier the longer you do it
-In secondary school, you get to work with a subject you love every day
-Every day brings a different challenge
-Combines well with bringing up children
-You can make a different to the lives of children
-Good holidays
Cons-
-Seriously bad behaviour, some strrudents will abuse you physically and verbally
-A lot of stuff that has little to do with actual teaching - ie paperwork and meetings
-Very stressful due to excessive workload or poor behaviour
-Very tiring - some teachers suffer from work related illnesses such as stress, breakdowns, and exhaustion
-Being promoted comes with a lot of extra paperwork, pressure, and plitics
-To earn a really decent salary you will have to leave the classroom and move into senior management
-The pay is not all that great
-You will neve rbe given a company car, health insurance, gym membership, bonus, etc
-Many teachers work very long hours
-There is a lot of interference from government
-Not a lot of freedom to move outside statutory curriculum areas and be creative
-The nature of the job has the potential to lead to cynicism and a negative attitude. Some teachers do have a tendency to moan.
-You have to cover for the teachers who are worn out by teaching
-You have to work during the holidays
-No flexibility in when you take your holidays and you will take them at the time when they are most expensive
Pros-
-Teaching is rewarding and worthwhile
-Teaching is both a profession and a vocation
-Teaching will stretch you in a number of ways - if you want to challenge yourself on a daily basis, teaching is a great option
-Teaching gives you a good range of transferable skills
-Good job security in the long term
-You can work anywhere in the country or the world
-Reasonably well-paid
-Teachers' pension scheme is good
-You will work with other people like you
-Teaching gets easier the longer you do it
-In secondary school, you get to work with a subject you love every day
-Every day brings a different challenge
-Combines well with bringing up children
-You can make a different to the lives of children
-Good holidays
Cons-
-Seriously bad behaviour, some strrudents will abuse you physically and verbally
-A lot of stuff that has little to do with actual teaching - ie paperwork and meetings
-Very stressful due to excessive workload or poor behaviour
-Very tiring - some teachers suffer from work related illnesses such as stress, breakdowns, and exhaustion
-Being promoted comes with a lot of extra paperwork, pressure, and plitics
-To earn a really decent salary you will have to leave the classroom and move into senior management
-The pay is not all that great
-You will neve rbe given a company car, health insurance, gym membership, bonus, etc
-Many teachers work very long hours
-There is a lot of interference from government
-Not a lot of freedom to move outside statutory curriculum areas and be creative
-The nature of the job has the potential to lead to cynicism and a negative attitude. Some teachers do have a tendency to moan.
-You have to cover for the teachers who are worn out by teaching
-You have to work during the holidays
-No flexibility in when you take your holidays and you will take them at the time when they are most expensive
Starkov
I want to teach.. but teach drama... so I wont have to spend as much time marking etc. Ill be getting paid to play games etc haha 
Drama teachers have the stress of organising shows/spaces for kids to do their exams. I can imagine marking and moderating the performances is pretty stressful.
Also, you have the challenge of getting immature year 7s and 8s to work together in groups - easier said than done
Im not sure if reading this has put me off a bit or spurred me on!!! I'm going to start my training to become a secondary Pe teacher in September. I think another pro is the atmosphere in a school, personally i love it!
la fille danse
-You will work with other people like you
I refuse to believe that one of my Science colleagues, who doesn't speak French while still teaching in France (I do) and who has a PhD in Chemistry and yet still doesn't know what the word 'immersion' means is anything like me
And while most of the people reading this will be wanting to teach in the UK anyway, it's worth pointing out that some of the things on that list are very UK and/or state-school specific.
Becca is right, too - it's bad practice to teach the same lessons identically to different classes. Although I'm not really sure why they don't teach the past tense until GCSE French in your school; Becca!
Angelil
I refuse to believe that one of my Science colleagues, who doesn't speak French while still teaching in France (I do) and who has a PhD in Chemistry and yet still doesn't know what the word 'immersion' means is anything like me
And while most of the people reading this will be wanting to teach in the UK anyway, it's worth pointing out that some of the things on that list are very UK and/or state-school specific.
Becca is right, too - it's bad practice to teach the same lessons identically to different classes. Although I'm not really sure why they don't teach the past tense until GCSE French in your school; Becca!
And while most of the people reading this will be wanting to teach in the UK anyway, it's worth pointing out that some of the things on that list are very UK and/or state-school specific.
Becca is right, too - it's bad practice to teach the same lessons identically to different classes. Although I'm not really sure why they don't teach the past tense until GCSE French in your school; Becca!
Lol, where I work we teach it in year 9 generally, but when I was at school we didn't learn it until half way through year 10, but this was due to teacher illness. Our replacement teacher arrived and was like "right everyone, let's practise the past tense!" and we all went
so we started that from scratch.Heh.
Becca
Lol, where I work we teach it in year 9 generally, but when I was at school we didn't learn it until half way through year 10, but this was due to teacher illness. Our replacement teacher arrived and was like "right everyone, let's practise the past tense!" and we all went so we started that from scratch.
Heh.
so we started that from scratch.Heh.
Wow! I learned that in the second form. I suppose that you don't teach the subjunctive any more.
Cons: **** pay.
Becca
6th form...
That was GCE O level material. Who says exams aren't easier these days.
Angelil
I refuse to believe that one of my Science colleagues, who doesn't speak French while still teaching in France (I do) and who has a PhD in Chemistry and yet still doesn't know what the word 'immersion' means is anything like me
And while most of the people reading this will be wanting to teach in the UK anyway, it's worth pointing out that some of the things on that list are very UK and/or state-school specific.
Becca is right, too - it's bad practice to teach the same lessons identically to different classes. Although I'm not really sure why they don't teach the past tense until GCSE French in your school; Becca!
And while most of the people reading this will be wanting to teach in the UK anyway, it's worth pointing out that some of the things on that list are very UK and/or state-school specific.
Becca is right, too - it's bad practice to teach the same lessons identically to different classes. Although I'm not really sure why they don't teach the past tense until GCSE French in your school; Becca!
Do you teach in a private or state French school? Are there big differences between French and English schools (specifically state)? And are the children any better behaved, or is that pretty much the same as in Britain?
I'm (hopefully) doing an assistanship next year and was just looking for a little insight into French schools; if it goes well I may decide to move to France and teach after graduating. Or just move to France. I'm fed up of Britain...
Random question - do you have to take a PGCE in the subject you do your degree in?
OP, I am considering becoming a teacher. The pay isn't that bad (don't understand why people are picking that out as a con) especially considering the holidays, the holidays are probably one of the main attractions for me. I know what you mean about wanting to feel as though you're doing something useful. My main concern is how I would deal with badly behaved children - I think I would like to be in secondary as it seems more interesting and I don't deal with small children that well but I think infants would be much 'easier'. Especially being a girl, at my school the teachers seem to get nothing but abuse, and the women and mainly the new women seem to get the worst, I've seen boys actually physically hurt them, swear at them etc. even ending in one quitting and changing her mind about teaching. The female teachers that are scary though are really really scary like so scary even the staff are scared of them and they make people cry when they keep them behind after class haha. Have you considered doing something along the lines of teaching but not actually teaching? - my mum used to teach and she hated it but now she has moved into helping children who are learning english as a second language and she also does work training teachers. and she says it's a lot more stressful, the money seems to be good as well, especially for the teacher training albeit the hours are less and more eratic.
OP, I am considering becoming a teacher. The pay isn't that bad (don't understand why people are picking that out as a con) especially considering the holidays, the holidays are probably one of the main attractions for me. I know what you mean about wanting to feel as though you're doing something useful. My main concern is how I would deal with badly behaved children - I think I would like to be in secondary as it seems more interesting and I don't deal with small children that well but I think infants would be much 'easier'. Especially being a girl, at my school the teachers seem to get nothing but abuse, and the women and mainly the new women seem to get the worst, I've seen boys actually physically hurt them, swear at them etc. even ending in one quitting and changing her mind about teaching. The female teachers that are scary though are really really scary like so scary even the staff are scared of them and they make people cry when they keep them behind after class haha. Have you considered doing something along the lines of teaching but not actually teaching? - my mum used to teach and she hated it but now she has moved into helping children who are learning english as a second language and she also does work training teachers. and she says it's a lot more stressful, the money seems to be good as well, especially for the teacher training albeit the hours are less and more eratic.
Becca
Drama teachers have the stress of organising shows/spaces for kids to do their exams. I can imagine marking and moderating the performances is pretty stressful.
Also, you have the challenge of getting immature year 7s and 8s to work together in groups - easier said than done
Also, you have the challenge of getting immature year 7s and 8s to work together in groups - easier said than done
True. Im not saying it will be easy. But certainly alot easier than say english teachers with alot of marking. Or maths teachers constantly faced with students questioning the point of alot of equations which will become obsolete for most. At my school the majority look forward to Drama lessons. I dont think it will be a problem getting people to work together aswell
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