Considerations for Starting a UK Career in Education

When deciding whether to begin a career in education in the UK, there are a few factors you may wish to consider.

What do I want to teach?

We all have our own set of skills and passions and it’s worth moulding them into a specialism so that we can be experts in our field. With plenty of education courses in UK to choose from, there will be support available to you when deciding on a specialism and how you can continue to build on your knowledge within it.

Who do I want to teach?

To begin with, you need to think about the age group that suits you. Is it stimulating young minds as they begin their educational journey that excites you, or would you prefer challenging teenagers as they embark on defining a career for themselves? Each group holds its own pros and cons, and so you might consider shadowing at different establishments to get a feel for what you might enjoy. Some teaching levels include-

• Nursery School Teacher- Kids aged between 3-5 years go to nursery or pre-schools. Teachers have to Manage and prepare them for learning basic disciplines, rules, and skills. You also need to plan their lessons and develop the communication skills of these little pupils.
• Primary School Teacher- If you like kids, teach junior sections as well then this job is for you. In the primary section, you have to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills to students. You will have great responsibilities with challenges. And you can earn good salaries without a doubt.
• Secondary School Teacher- Secondary school students means ages between 11-16 years. If you have any BSc, honours, or BEd degree you can be a secondary school teacher. You may take the necessary training to boost up your experiences. Salary ranges are also attractive for primary teachers.
• Higher or Further Education Teacher- In this stage students aged between 18 and more. So, you will teach in colleges and universities. You will need to decide on any academic or vocational subject within your expertise area. You need also have a good honours degree, maybe a PhD, work experience, etc.
• Teacher of Special Education- Students with disabilities are special children. They need special teaching and teachers as well. Qualified and experienced teachers can do well in this teaching sector. Teachers need to do special training to learn special teaching methods for the children. These teachers have demand in educational careers.

Why do I want to teach?

Whether you are looking at education courses in the UK because you are at the start of your teaching career or if you are coming up to retirement and want to share your knowledge whilst staying challenged, there are plenty of options when it comes to teaching and training, whether it be working in a school, college or as a trainer for an independent business.

What do I need to be prepared for?

It will be no surprise that working in education is going to mean a lot of hard work. You need to be able to work well independently, be adaptable and resilient. With the growth of modern technologies and social media, it’s also important to work on your IT skills; all things that we can point you in the right direction.

Moreover, the education sector is huge and teaching is not the only profession here. There are several types of education jobs and roles. You must have to identify them and choose a suitable career for you. Let’s see some other posts in this field-

• Teaching Assistant- Become a teacher’s helping hand is also an important role. These assistants support teachers to prepare lessons and setting up indoor and outdoor classroom activities. They also manage and help students and thus free up teachers’ time. For fresh graduates, it is a popular entry-level job.
• Supply Teaching- Experienced teachers can find this job suitable for them. Here they will deal with various types of teaching methods, subjects, age groups, etc. In England, they need to gain general teaching experience for this post. They fulfill primary, secondary, and other positions also. Thus they can get a chance to register with any agency and get works.
• Discipline Mentor- These mentors provide guidelines to students about rules and regulations. There is no need for specific degrees. Any general qualification can get you this job. The role is to cover the issues of absence, abuse, punctuality, etc. You can be a mentor of primary, secondary r further level students.
• Librarian- You can get a job in the school library or any other local authority. The role is to manage books, journals, other materials, keep a record of data, etc. Again, the librarian will also promote the advantages of using the library. To get this interesting job you need a library or IT-related degree.
• Educational Psychologist- Today’s younger generation suffers from different kinds of mental troubles. These psychologists play an important role for those young pupils. Psychologists deal with parents, students, teachers, and others. British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited undergraduate psychology degree and a Ph.D. in educational psychology is necessary to work in England.
• Education Welfare Officer- This officer’s role is to guide students and support them with every information. Students can get individual or group services. Welfare officers work with parents and teachers also to identify problems and plan for future success. They work in a particular group of schools or local authority education welfare services.
• Careers Advisor- Every student seeks career advice to take suitable decisions for their future. Advisors will find students’ skill gaps and guide them accordingly. They will also guide to make a cv, finding jobs according to interests. Graduates of any subject can apply for this post. Careers advisor is an interesting job with full of responsibilities.