Calling all Teachers! Primary or Secondary??

[ruelachesty]

Hi all,

I am interested in doing teacher training and have been for a few years now but was waiting until kids were a bit older and DP was a bit more secure in his job after recently qualifying.

So now I am looking to apply but it'll be likely next year, but I am aware that the entry to teaching is quite competitive so this year I am looking to volunteer/shadow etc to get some experience.

I had always thought I wanted to do secondary teaching (would be Tech Education with my degree) but now I'm thinking about primary teaching. Maybe it's because my girls are getting a wee bit older (oldest is in pre school now), I don't know.

So basically my question is why do you teach primary/secondary. what was the reasons behind your decision and what things should I think about?

I'll post this in secondary too.

Thanks in advance and hope you are enjoying your holidays (I'm in work!)

I teach Primary in year 5/6-although I have taught every year group from Reception upwards. I teach Primary because I enjoy teaching children rather than teaching subjects ( although I am also a Maths Lead Teacher as that's where my main interest is!) I also like that I really get to know the children I teach and their parents and families, I think there is much more interaction between teachers and parents in primary than in secondary-which can be either a plus or a negative depending on the parents you come into contact with! I have taught my current year 6's in Reception, Year 1, Year 3, Year 5 and now year 6. This means i know them VERY well, it also means I am with them 6 hours a day for weeks on end-which can be very tricky as there is always one in a class who winds you up! I like teaching a wide range of subjects-from maths to art-but hate that I don't feel I am an expert in every one of them! I like to see them grow and develop, I hate it when they leave!
I love the flexibility and freedom to teach children what they need to know, I hate the paperwork and target driven culture that is prevelant in schools today. I love that teaching is a passion rather than a job, I hate that it can become all-consuming and energy sapping.
When all said and done, I would never want to do anthing else.

Snowball, thanks for that. That is a geat reply!

My niece is in primary 3 at the moment and I hear her talk about her teacher and it makes me thing about the getting to know the pupils and families.

I was the year below my older brother and I was very quiet in school in comparison to him being rowdy and very loud.

I remember in English one day the class was having a debate and I must have said somethiing the teacher disagreed with and he said oh typical so and so's sister. But i'd been in the class for a whole year and had barely spoke so he never really knew me.

I think primary is swaying the decision for me.

My brother is now a maths teacher and he thinks i'd enjoy secondary but the rest of my family think i'd like primary.

Now, this is going to sound quite bad, but I always think of primary teachers as quite mild and shy types (I don't know why) but that is definitely not me, I've spent years running pubs and amd now in a trade where I deal mostly with men so have a bit of a harder exterior which I think is why I thought I'd be more suited to secondary.

But I went to my nieces nativity play last week (which was something else I liked) and NONE of the teachers were how I imagined them. In fact there were a couple I was scared of so maybe I am suited after all.

I would look at the teaching vacancies in your area for each sector the national trends are there are far more primary applicants than jobs many never actually gaining full time positions .. sorry to be negative.

Mrz, I had thought of that but I would need to volunteer this year to apply before 1st Dec 2012 to start studying August 2013 and a probabtionary year 2014-15. I'm hoping the job situation may be better by then. Maybe i'm being too optimistic but I feel I can't really put it off any longer hoping that the job market gets better.

I'm actually only working part time just now so even if a part time/supply post came up for the short term?

Sorry I'm really not wanting to be negative but you need to think about how you will complete your NQT year... have you looked at the TES forums for advice? community.tes.co.uk/forums/38.aspx community.tes.co.uk/forums/61.aspx community.tes.co.uk/forums/30.aspx community.tes.co.uk/forums/126.aspx
community.tes.co.uk/forums/66.aspx
good luck

No, no, I need to think of everything.

I should say that I am in Scotland so at the moment we have the guaranteed year placement. I know that could all change by the time I qualify.

so NQT isn't a worry that makes a difference less negative

But your right, after that, who knows what there will be. But I just feel that I am now at the stage I should be doing something (before my head explodes with the job I'm in) :)

A previous colleague was also an ex landlady, which made it interesting when she had parents evening with those she had previously had to eject from her pub! Part of primary teaching ( in fact part of all teaching) is putting on an act. The way I teach Reception is completely different to the way I teach year 5/6, the tone of voice and body language reflect the approach that you need to take. You need to be able to adapt to survive! But basically I am a very blunt Northener and most of my colleagues would hardly be described as shy retiring types, a stroppy 7 year old needs firm handling and it takes a strong personality to deal with some of the abuse and aggravation you receive from parents!

Secondary teaching is very much acting too.

I used to think that I was going into Secondary sciences, but once I started to spend some serious time in classrooms I realised that my heart truly lay in primary. I love the variety and that I'm teaching the whole child.

Get into some different classrooms and see how you feel!