If you’re interested in inspiring, encouraging, and motivating people of various ages to shape their future through learning, why not consider becoming a teacher?
Teaching is a fulfilling job that allows you to make a positive difference in the lives of others – one that many people rule out in later life because they don’t think they can become qualified. However, changing careers and becoming an educator may be more accessible than you think.
So, with that said, here’s everything you need to know about becoming a teacher…
What do teachers do?
Teaching is about more than just transferring knowledge. The best educators are passionate and aim to inspire their pupils to fall in love with learning.
For some pupils, learning is fun and comes naturally, but for others, it can be more challenging. Successful teachers care deeply about helping their students grow and develop, which means adapting lessons to make learning as easy and enjoyable as possible.
A day in the life of a teacher can vary greatly depending on things like the subject, the level of teaching, and the age of the pupils. Teachers can also choose whether to teach in state or independent school (including academies and private schools).
However, certain teaching practices typically remain the same, regardless of the situation.
For example, a teacher will usually carry out tasks like…
- Creating lesson plans for classes, small groups of children, or individual pupils.
- Leading classes, workshops, and/or interactive activities to engage pupils in learning.
- Marking and grading assignments and exams.
- Tracking pupils’ progress and highlighting areas for improvement.
- Working with families and other teaching professionals (for example, teaching assistants) to achieve the best learning outcomes for pupils.
- Preparing pupils for exams and further education.
- Motivating pupils to succeed.
How are age groups catergorised in teaching?
Teachers can choose to work with various age groups, which are split into the following categories…
Primary school – including nursery and reception
- Key Stage 0: 3-5 years old
- Key Stage 1: 5-7 years old (Exams: SATs)
- Key Stage 2: 7-11 years old (Exams: SATs)
Secondary school
- Key Stage 3: 11-14 years old
- Key Stage 4: 14-16 years old (Exams: GCSEs)
Further education (sixth form/college)
- Key Stage 5: 16-18 years old (Exams: A Levels, AS Levels, National Vocational Qualifications, International Baccalaureate, National Diplomas)
Higher education (universities)
- 18 years old and over (Exams: Bachelor’s and Master’s degree exams)
What skills do I need to become a teacher?
The right person will…
- Be an excellent communicator.
- Be reliable and trustworthy.
- Have patience, as you’ll teach children of all different abilities and personalities. Some children take longer to grasp concepts than others or may display challenging behaviour.
- Be flexible – no child is the same, so you may have to adopt several different teaching approaches to cater to each child’s individual needs as best you can.
- Have effective discipline skills.
- Have sound knowledge of their subject matter.
- Be enthusiastic and keen to engage children in your chosen subjects.
- Be able to build pupils’ confidence and self-esteem.
- Always be kind and have the best interests of each child at heart, regardless of their background.
- Be creative.
- Be open to working with colleagues who may be 20 or 30 years younger than you. You should also be ready to take direction from them if they have more teaching experience.
What will I love about becoming a teacher?
- The opportunity to make a difference in the lives and futures of younger generations. Most people still remember their favourite teachers for a lifetime.
- You’ll get to keep learning yourself as training is ongoing. Plus, there’s often a thing or two you can learn from the children themselves.
- Variety – when you’re working with a class of children with a range of personalities and needs, no two days end up the same.
- The chance to make learning fun.
- Using your skills and life experience to influence and inspire children and young people.
- The benefit of time off during the school holidays.
- Getting to know each child – children are usually full of character and offer a refreshing perspective on life.
- You can choose what age group you decide to teach and at what level.
- There are opportunities to teach full or part-time, so you can find something that fits your lifestyle.
What are the challenges of becoming a teacher?
- Some children display challenging behaviour, which can disrupt the learning process. However, if you work in a school, you’ll usually have the support of a teaching assistant, who aims to provide extra support to you and any children who need it.
- Hours can be long as teachers often have to stay after class to mark work and prepare lesson plans. But the work is also very rewarding, and you’ll still get the sense that everything you do is contributing positively to your pupils’ lives.
What's life as a teacher really like?
It might be tricky to understand what becoming a teacher in later life is like without hearing from someone who’s been on the journey themselves.
With that said, you might want to read our interviews with Chris (a former offshore operations manager) and Carol (a former research scientist).
How much will I earn as a teacher?
Estimated salaries…
- Primary school: £32,000
- Secondary school: £33,000
- Further education: £35,000
- Higher education: £41,000
- Headteacher: £62,000
Are there opportunities to progress within teaching?
Teachers who want to progress typically move into a more specialised area at a higher level – for example, teaching history at A-Level.
They also may want to move into a head of department or deputy head teacher role. Some teachers also go on to become lecturers at university.
How can I get started?
If you’re thinking about becoming a teacher, there are several steps you can take to help you get started on your journey to gaining full Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
For example…
- Why not try volunteering in your local primary or secondary school to see whether you like the classroom environment? You could also request the opportunity to volunteer across various year groups if you’re struggling to decide which age you want to teach.
- Consider starting as a teaching assistant to gain some skills and experience before doing further training to become a fully-fledged teacher.
3. The next step in becoming a teacher is to start your Initial Teacher Training (ITT). You can do this through a university-led undergraduate or postgraduate programme or school-led, work-based training, which usually involves working
in a school whilst studying for a PGCE qualification.
The fastest route into teacher training is usually the school-led approach. You previously had to pass literacy and numeracy tests before you began your ITT. However, your fundamental maths and English skills are now assessed as part of this stage of the process.
School-led training designed specifically for people who are retraining later in life
An excellent option for those with a great deal of experience in a subject area – but not necessarily a degree in it – is to join a Now Teach programme.
While Now Teach doesn’t provide your teacher training, it aims to enhance it – working with you, your training provider, and your school to improve your experience.
After joining the Now Teach network, you’ll enter into school-led training whilst working towards QTS.
Their programme is designed to respect and understand the leap of faith that people take when they consider starting a teaching degree later in life. Its wrap-around support aims to make sure that people remain in the profession long-term by providing help even after they qualify.
While you don’t need a degree in the subject you’d like to teach to join Now Teach, it’s important to note that you will need an undergraduate honours degree of some kind (usually at least a second class). However, there are some cases where candidates without an honours degree will be accepted – particularly if they have a Master’s or PhD.
Plus, you’ll also need an A-level grade B or above in the subject you want to teach.
Other school-led postgraduate training options...
If you already have a degree (any degree) at grade 2:2 or above, but it doesn’t come with QTS, there are numerous post-graduate training courses across the country that you can join.
This route will allow you to work in a school and receive a salary whilst completing a qualification. School-led training approaches are a fantastic way to put everything you’re learning into practice.
However, it’s important to always check that your chosen course comes with QTS and doesn’t require you to do any further study.
Undergraduate teacher-training degrees
Although school-led training is the fastest route to gaining QTS, if you have the time and money, you may want to take the more traditional degree route.
If you don’t already have a degree at grade 2:2 or above, you can gain QTS by completing one of the three undergraduate degree types below…
- Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree (with QTS) – suitable for people looking to become primary school teachers. This degree focuses on general teaching, learning, and academic principles.
- Bachelor of Arts Education (BA) degree (with QTS) – suitable for people looking to become secondary school teachers in an arts subject (this includes humanities).
- Bachelor of Science Education (BSc) degree (with QTS) – suitable for people looking to become secondary school teachers in the field of science.
Some teacher training undergraduate degrees do not come with QTS, so always check before applying – otherwise, you may need to do further study. It’ll usually state in the degree title whether QTS is included.
Undergraduate teaching degrees usually come with a lot of financial help. Each course provider will vary slightly on this, so make sure you find out what loans, bursaries, and grants you’re entitled to before enrolling.
If you want to lecture at university level, you’ll usually need to be educated to degree level in your chosen subject and will likely need postgraduate qualifications – such as a Master’s or PhD.
Did you find this page helpful? Are you considering becoming a teacher? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.