Secondary Thinking about becoming a teacher

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I do think there are a lot of poor teachers out there. But knowing my wife, she won't be one of them. FWIW I hope she earns a lot of money haha.
There are a lot of poor teachers. When looking at percentiles though, no more than the amount of poor police officers, salesman, accountants, burger flippers, chefs, cleaners...
 
I'm not a teacher, so I guess you could say I live in the real world.

What does this mean exactly? Teachers pay their taxes, rent, loans and live normal lives, the same as the rest of the community. They interact with different parts of the community, serving as volunteers in various community groups outside their normal work hours. Many teachers have also worked in other areas other than in education.
 
What does this mean exactly? Teachers pay their taxes, rent, loans and live normal lives, the same as the rest of the community. They interact with different parts of the community, serving as volunteers in various community groups outside their normal work hours. Many teachers have also worked in other areas other than in education.
I reckon the 'school / real world' distinction is used by people for two main reasons:

1) hyperbole as a deliberate attempt to get a rise out of people working in education / with children, or
2) by people who seriously think they know how to teach or run a school because they once went to school, figuring that returning there as an adult must be exactly like their childhood

in short:
:p/:shoutyoldman:
 

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Not exactly a teacher, but having thoughts about becoming a teachers aide, education support worker or teacher assistant... has anybody been involved in or currently involved in this field & can give me some feedback & thoughts??
 
Not exactly a teacher, but having thoughts about becoming a teachers aide, education support worker or teacher assistant... has anybody been involved in or currently involved in this field & can give me some feedback & thoughts??

Shell
 
Not exactly a teacher, but having thoughts about becoming a teachers aide, education support worker or teacher assistant... has anybody been involved in or currently involved in this field & can give me some feedback & thoughts??

What would you like to know in particular?

FWIW I've been doing it for going on 12 years now (public and private catholic, secondary) and I really enjoy it.
 
What would you like to know in particular?

FWIW I've been doing it for going on 12 years now (public and private catholic, secondary) and I really enjoy it.

I guess, is it sustainable for a full-time career?

I'm 26 & have no real set plan on my long-term desires. Have worked with kids my whole adult life, be it at summer camps, sporting clinics, school clinics, family events etc. In a bunch of different capacities really. I don't think I have the confidence to become a teacher and lead a whole classroom nor is it something that overly interests me right now. I'd love to be able to connect 1on1 with children in need of assistance & just be able to help them grow.

Just by looking into it briefly, I see there are Cert 3/4 in Education Support, is that something you would recommend?
 
I guess, is it sustainable for a full-time career?

I'm 26 & have no real set plan on my long-term desires. Have worked with kids my whole adult life, be it at summer camps, sporting clinics, school clinics, family events etc. In a bunch of different capacities really. I don't think I have the confidence to become a teacher and lead a whole classroom nor is it something that overly interests me right now. I'd love to be able to connect 1on1 with children in need of assistance & just be able to help them grow.

Just by looking into it briefly, I see there are Cert 3/4 in Education Support, is that something you would recommend?

Lol I did Camp America twice, that's how I guess it all began for me.

It depends on what your career goals are. There are definitely pros and cons of the job, ill just dot point them..

PROS:
- is quite a rewarding job, good to see students who struggle in class usually, make progress/mature
- No reports, no marking, no yard duty, no extra work to take home at night, weekends or holidays. When you are off the clock, you are off.
- Varied role- you usually will not be following just the one student, or subject. You may have strengths in one particular subject, but you usually wouldnt be just timetabled in THAT subject if that makes sense.
- Get to go on excursions, camps.
- Great hours. Mine are 8am-4pm, Mon-Fri. Can negotiate with Principal for other hours tho, including 3 or 4 day week.

CONS:
- while teachers are always respectful and great to work with (99% of the time) you are bottom of the heap and there is a hierachy within the school, its very clear
- No real chance to move upwards in the school; unless you get further training/do more courses (FWIW i do know of one aide at my school does have his coaching cert so he was able to do some hockey coaching as well as be an aide)
- its tough, you are working with the "lowest" most challenging kids in the school, all day, everyday (with the exception of free periods which would vary from school to school) and its draining. If you're sick, stay home, trust me on that.
- not a fantastic salary, is quite lower than a teacher. FWIW tho i just bought my own apartment at 38yo, am living alone and can easily afford the repayments.


I would do the Cert 3/4- that's what I did. The school (private catholic) did hire me before I got it tho, on the proviso that I did get it,. I worked at a public school for 1.5 years before i got the job there, and got my foot in the door in the first place in a front office role before they trained me themselves to be an aide for the rest of the time i was there.

If you know anyone in a school, use them- ask around. There may be positions going now but would most likely be full already for the year. Next intake could be half way thru the year at june/july, otherwise seriously look around come October/November.


Good luck :)
 
The teacher aides at our school have to do yard duty. Usually before school.

Well im fairly certain that is against the law. We are not meant to be supervising students in the yard, nor have direct responsibility in the classroom.

May be different in Qld tho.. ?
 
Anyway- common sense usually applies. NO we are not meant to be alone in a classroom with students without a teacher... but like if a teacher runs off to the toilet for 5 mins, or if a teacher is late to class at the start.. im ****ing going in the class ffs. Unless its a really rowdy classroom and im not confident with the kids in general.


Also teachers are no1 in charge of discipline. Not your role either as an Aide.
 
Anyway- common sense usually applies. NO we are not meant to be alone in a classroom with students without a teacher... but like if a teacher runs off to the toilet for 5 mins, or if a teacher is late to class at the start.. im ******* going in the class ffs. Unless its a really rowdy classroom and im not confident with the kids in general.


Also teachers are no1 in charge of discipline. Not your role either as an Aide.

It's not the same level of yard duty that teachers have. It may be just keeping an eye on one particular section, or assisting a student with a disability.

I agree with the discipline bit. It's the teacher's role to maintain order.

Last year one of the manual arts teachers left class to do something and left the teacher aide with the class. There was an accident with the equipment. That teacher got raked over the coals.
 

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It's not the same level of yard duty that teachers have. It may be just keeping an eye on one particular section, or assisting a student with a disability.

I agree with the discipline bit. It's the teacher's role to maintain order.

Last year one of the manual arts teachers left class to do something and left the teacher aide with the class. There was an accident with the equipment. That teacher got raked over the coals.

FWIW am just talking about general classrooms- an English or History or Maths lesson. Rarely to never id be alone in a Science lab with a whole class. I dont support tech classes, never have- but that is crazy, those teachers should be in there at all times.

Re. discipline, again tho its common sense, If a student is being a little prick and nothing i cant handle, ill handle it. If i see something way worse, idk a student putting another student at risk or something, ill get the teachers attention. Ive only ever had to really yell at students two or three times in 12 years. The last time was at recess and i noticed a group of 10 boys had shut a girl in the boys toilets and wouldnt let her out. I went to ****ing town on those little shits..
 
I have a question: Is there anything in life more important than education?

I tend to think not.

Not just referring to formal education here. There are tradies who have had the benefit of an apprenticeship (or not), but who've taught themselves thereafter. Autodidacts who've never attended a uni. or finished high school can be among our most influential citizens in regard to being leaders of thinking. The positive influence of most teachers cannot be overrated. They can change lives, occasionally for the better.:)
 
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Hi all,

I'm in year 11 next year and it's time I started thinking of career options.

so just recently I was thinking about becoming a Secondary School Teacher for Maths, Italian and maybe Drama or something.

Is anyone here a teacher? Is it a fun job?

What would be the pro's and cons?

What is the pay like?

I don't know whether I should become a teacher though because when I told my Maths teacher she said my grades proove I can do something a little more extravagent.

I just think it would be intruiging job thats all.

Any thoughts?
10 years on what did you decide and how has it panned out

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

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Secondary Thinking about becoming a teacher

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