Teachers help children, young people and adults to learn by developing their understanding and creative thinking. To teach in States-maintained schools, you need to study at least to degree level. There are also other requirements, e.g. GCSEs at grades A*-C in English and maths, or equivalent, and, for primary teaching, science.
What do teachers do?
Apart from actual classroom teaching, listed below are just some of the many things that teachers do.
- The year's work has to be planned so that all important topics are covered.
- Individual lessons have to be planned and resources organised.
- Assignments and tests have to be set and marked.
- Records of each pupil's learning and progress must be kept, and regular reports have to be written.
- There may be tutorial duties with a particular group of pupils.
- There are meetings to attend, often after school or in the evenings, to plan ahead, to discuss matters with other members of staff, or to meet parents.
- To ensure that every child reaches their potential, teachers often liaise with colleagues across the wider school workforce and with other professionals.
- Through continuous professional development, teachers keep up to date with new initiatives, methods of teaching and subject developments. Some of this is done through in-service training, or out-of-school hours learning.
Teachers in secondary schools usually teach just one or two subjects, but they may also be involved in other activities, such as the delivery of personal, social, health and citizenship education. Teachers of younger age groups, or children with special needs, usually work with the same group of pupils for most of the time.
What it takes
Good teachers can inspire children and young people and help to develop their understanding and appreciation of the world. Teaching is challenging work; it takes energy, dedication and commitment, but the rewards can be huge. In the classroom, the teacher must have the imagination, confidence and communication skills to stimulate and encourage all children and young people to achieve their potential.
If you would like to find out more about teaching as a career please don't hesitate to contact our HR Department on 733000 or speak to a Careers Advisor from Careers Guernsey.
