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Job insights
Ever wished that you could find out what a job's really like?
In this section, people from a variety of different jobs talk about what they do, how to get started in your chosen career and whether it's worth the effort.
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Teacher
An insight into the working day of a secondary school teacher.
Qualifications/ Experience needed:
Degree and PGCE (I had a degree in Spanish: 4years and PGCE 1 Year). I also teach French to junior school as I only have French to A level.
Your Typical Day:
Arrive at school between 7:30 and 8:45 to set up lessons/photocopy worksheets and OHT's/make resources. Have staff briefing (very boring) for 10 mins every morning at 8:40 to 8:50. At 8:50 go to my tutor class and take the register. Classes start at 9:00 and there are five 1 hour classes per day although we do not teach all 5 every day. I teach around 20 out of 24 lessons a week. Break at 11:00 to 11:20 and 40 minutes lunch from 12:20 to 1:00. At 1:00 go to tutor base again and take the afternoon register. School finishes at 3:10 and 2:10 on a Friday (I love Fridays!!!!).
I usually leave school around 5pm as I have meetings to attend, professional development seminars, books to mark, exams to correct, work to be catching up on or lessons to plan for the next day as I don’t like to plan too far ahead! I also help out with the Duke of Edinburgh every Wednesday after school for an hour. I then get home have a snack and start work again. There are not enough hours in the day and I could work from 7:00am to 12:00pm and still never get everything I want to do done!
What do you love about your job?
No day is ever the same! It is definitely not a boring job as you never have the time to get bored. I love working with the children (well there are a few exceptions) and get a buzz out of hearing them speak in Spanish or French and know that I have taught them it all!
What do you hate about your job?
The workload! The really badly behaved students who ruin lessons especially when I have worked so hard to plan them, make resources etc.
How does a young person get started in a career like yours?
Go to university.
Qualities you need for this job?
You need to like working with young people, you need to be very, very, very patient and understanding. You need to be approachable but firm at the same time. You need to be confident in what you are teaching and enjoy teaching your subject as it comes across to the students if you don't. You need to be dedicated as it is a vocation not just a job. It's long hours and a lot of work but can be very rewarding! You must be very organised and nowadays you need to be computer literate.
Advice for wannabes:
You must really want to do the job as it is very demanding and trying and it is only a true love for your subject and the joy of working with young people that will get you through it!
