Teachers are some of the most incredible people in our society. I mean, dedicating your life to educating the future of humanity? Caring for and looking after other people’s children? There are few professions as noble. Saying that, it’s pretty difficult to become a teacher – particularly if you’ve been working for a while and want to switch careers.

The purpose of this post is to help those people out there who are selfless and patient enough to teach our youth, with a few tips and tricks for getting into teaching.

Qualifications

As mentioned earlier, getting involved in education and becoming a teacher is far from easy, partly because of the number of qualifications and certifications that you need to get started.

Firstly, you’ll need GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent in Maths, English and Science if you’re looking to become a primary school teacher. Fortunately, the majority of people already fulfil this requirement as Maths and English are pushed heavily in schools.

After the GCSE requirements have been met, those who want to be teachers must have a degree or degree equivalent qualification. The subject of the degree doesn’t always matter too much (though obviously, it would help if your degree was in the subject you wanted to specialise in). The reason teachers need to have a degree, apart from the obvious reasons for needing to know stuff, is so they can take part in the next stage of education – teacher training.

With their GCSEs and a relevant degree, budding teachers have a choice to make – do they want to teach in primary schools or secondary schools? The training for each is very different so it’s an important decision to make. Similarly, teachers will also need to specialise further into a certain subject or group of subjects, learning even more about how to teach and what techniques to use in the classroom.

On top of these compulsory qualifications, there are countless certifications, skills tests and optional learning programmes that people can get involved in. It really is quite a long process, but the key details are:

• Have GCSE Maths and English at Grade C/4
• Have a Degree

If you don’t have a degree, the government has implemented Undergraduate training programmes dedicated to training qualified teachers, so you have nothing to worry about.

Stay in the Know

Tip number two – stay aware. Even if you’re still unsure about your path to becoming a teacher, there’s no harm in subscribing to government services, blogs and newsletters that will keep you up to date on your options. In fact, there are loads of different services on offer to make your path to the classroom much easier. Don’t be afraid to do a little research and find out what’s happening.

Think About Location

Education is an ever-changing field. New strategies, new systems, new exams and new regulations are implemented all the time, affecting the job market in the process. Teachers are great, yes – but they are still doing a job, so it’s important that if you’re becoming a teacher you take a look at the demand in your area.

There are many job roles that occasionally require relocation and teaching is no different. Across the country, councils and governing bodies are short-staffed, offering training courses and job roles to both trainee and experienced teachers alike. A great example of this is Teach in Cambs who offer Cambridge teacher training sessions to try and encourage people to enter education in the area.

Check your local area and you mind find something similar that will help you gain more information or obtain the training you need to become a teacher. With any luck, this quick guide will help you achieve your dreams and help the next generation.