Calling the resident teachers!

[Rohais]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if the UK forums resident teachers would be able to give me a little careers advice.

I'm currently going into my third year of a law degree....but I've decided I'd actually like to be a history teacher. I know, bit of a difference.

I'm aware that I need to have a history degree, and I'd like to do this through the Open University whilst I undertake some work (anything I can get really) but...what do I do after that? I've looked on the teaching website and there's so many options, its kind of confusing really.

Does anyone have any tips or advice they could give me. Anything would be greatly appreciated - whether its courses, the OU, work experience etc

TIA

 

[cherjp]

I have a friend who trained to be a teacher at secondary school and unfortunately cannot get a job. Not wanting to put a downer on your situation but it is difficult right now for newly qualified teachers.

Do you not enjoy your law degree ?

My friend helped at her childrens school when she could , and that amongst others things she did gave her a bit of insight into what she was planning to do.

if its what you really want to do then good luck.

 

[Rohais]

In all honesty, I've enjoyed learning about what its taken to get the law into the position that is it today...but not the application of it. I'm going to finish it...but I don't want to be a solicitor etc. I did originally, which is why I did it...but our course is very practical and I haven't enjoyed that aspect in the slightest.

I'm hoping that, in the time it takes me to qualify, things would be looking up in that aspect...

 

[cherjp]

I hope it all works out for you then, another of our friends , their daughter is currently at Stirling Uni doing a degree in secondary teaching too, she also want to be a history teacher!!

As you say by the time you would be finished things might be better employment wise so stay positive !!

good luck .

 

[luke]

Hey, secondary MFL teacher here.
You're right, you will need a history degree in order to teach it, then the most common way after that is to do the 1 year PGCE (which I did) which is a teaching qualification where you do some time at uni (more theoretitcal pedagogy etc) and some time doing placements in schools.
I won't lie to you here, the PGCE is by far the hardest thing I've ever done - it's like having a full time job whilst doing a full time uni course!!

Also, as mentioned above, jobs are very hard to come by it seems - there are far more teachers than jobs, despite what TDA adverts may say.

The best start will be to get some (necessary) experience in a school - you may find the idea of teaching appealling but you really need to see how you feel in a school as to if the job is for you!
I did a year as a teaching assistant before doing my PGCE

Good luck with whatever you choose

 

[Danauk]

Hi, I'm an assistant head in a primary school and my husband is deputy head of the IT department in a secondary school (he doesn't actually have an IT degree, we both have music degrees but he did some open university IT courses in order to swap subjects and is currently doing a masters in IT). We both got our degrees and then did PGCE's, like Luke said the PGCE is very, very hard work. There are several other options available but are not as easy to gain acceptance on. DH is the GTP (graduate teaching program) coordinator for his area. For the GTP once you have your degree if you find a school willing to accept you you basically do the training on the job whilst being paid to work at the school. The other option which is also available at my husbands school is to become a cover supervisor then again do on the job training to get your degree and qualify as a teacher at the same time. Again agreeing with Luke, your best bet would be to see if you could get a job as a teaching assistant 1st to make sure teaching is what you want to do, then go from there.

As for jobs available, there does seem to be fewer and fewer around at the moment. This year we had to appoint a new teacher and we had the most applications submitted than ever before. We also had to recruit a teaching assistant and a part time office worker and for both these positions we had people applying who already had degrees, we have never had that before.

Good luck in what ever you decide to do.

 

[Rohais]

Thanks everyone for your advice, I really appreciate.

I hadn't thought of the teaching assistant role as experience so I'll have a look into that. I've got a few days off during the week next year, so I'll see if I can find a school that'll let me go in as a teaching assistant, paid or not, one day or so a week. If not, I'll try the year after when I've finished my law degree.

I really hope I get there, as its something I've been thinking about for a long time...but my family and teachers pushed me into a law degree. I enjoyed the A Level of it, but looking back it was more about the history of it than anything else

Again, thankyou all very very much!

 

[podgora]

@Rohais thanks for starting this topic and guys who gave ur response thanks too

 

[janiebubble]

Have you thought about teaching law?

You sound like I felt ... I enjoyed the discipline and the problem solving aspects of learning law but knew I didn't want to become a solicitor.

I teach at a sixth form college, A level law - although I have taught other courses (Institute of Legal Executives for example) in other jobs.

Anyway, if you want to know how to go about qualifying all you need to do is ask

However if you do want to teach younger children you will need to do a PGCE in a national curriculum subject. I have heard of colleges accepting degrees in subjects other than the subject you want to teach if you can demonstrate your degree contains a large element of that subject for example. I know an RE teacher with a geography degree and a law teacher with a degree in dentistry!

 

[disney_princess_85]

I have heard of colleges accepting degrees in subjects other than the subject you want to teach if you can demonstrate your degree contains a large element of that subject for example. I know an RE teacher with a geography degree and a law teacher with a degree in dentistry!

Indeed. My friend is a secondary school RE teacher and she has a psychology degree!

 

[hildasmuriel]

We are a town centre school so perhaps we get more traffic than others but we have a waiting list of over 40 people who want to do voluntary work. Everybody thinks that is the route to getting a job as a TA or it will help towards getting their PGCE place - the trouble is we have far more people who want to do it than teachers who want volunteers in their class. When you have 30 children and 1 TA in your class (and possibly another 2 or 3 adults working as LSA to statemented children) then you already have enough people to direct during lessons. Another person can be an encumberance.

If you do seek voluntary work, my advice would be to ring around the more out of the way schools to offer your services.

 

[fairytale]

Just to add a further little point.

I have a law degree and completed my LPC also.

During my degree I often contemplated my career steps and ironically considered switching to teaching around the same time as you.

However, my point is that your law degree can be used in so many ways, and i am sure once you complete your LPC and investigated all the avenues available to you during your "term" periods within a law firm you may be surprised how much you enjoy a certain area.

I was 100% sure that Criminal Law was going to be my thing, however, two weeks in I hated it, I ended up specialising in Litigation working with the courts etc and loved it, something that 2 years prior I would have laughed at and said "no chance".

I suppose what I am trying to say is the Law is so diverse that I wouldnt rule it out completely just yet. Working experience (summer work) within a practice or even a PLC would give you a better insight before you make any final decisions.

Good luck either way and I wish you all the very best whatever you decide

 

[Rohais]

Thanks again to everyone for all of your advice, its all very helpful

I have considered teaching law - at A Level, anyway. There's not many places around where I live that actually offer it as a qualification and I'm not sure that I would like to teach just a particular area over and over. I like the diversity that teaching history would bring, in addition to the actual subject. To teach A Level Law, do you still have to do the PGCE?

I don't know how I could demonstrate that my law degree contains a lot of history I'll have a harder think about it though!

Thanks for the advice about trying harder to reach schools...it might be a bit tricky as I have a disability and can't drive, but there might be buses that head in that direction. I know of one, at least

Fairytale...I thought criminal law would be my module, but hated it too. Though, part of that might have had something to do with my lecturer...

I've really thought about it - and have undertaken some work experience - so I really don't think law is any longer my ideal career.

I think I'll head to my careers department when I get back to university, and see what they think.

Again, thanks soooo much everyone! Knew I could rely on the UK Disers