Teaching maths when you only have GCSE

[xsquared]

Not me, but I have several colleagues whose subject specialism is not maths, but either because of a shortage of qualified maths teachers, or for whatever reason, they are teaching numeracy or maths up to GCSE foundation level.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a snob and there are plenty of effective teachers who are not officially "qualified". On the other hand, I have seen several examples of poor understanding of maths from the teacher, leading to giving wrong information to the class.

What is there to do? Nobody wants to teach maths anymore.

And here I am a fully qualified, maths degree holding, Ofsted consistently graded outstanding (yea yea I know) Maths teacher, former AST + AHT.... and I can't get a job for love nor money

Seriously.
I have given up applying now.

3 of our faculty are ex PE. They won’t be teaching a level but they are experienced teachers and they do a very good job, 2 of them especially. We have a big issue with our most experienced teachers being taken for a level and higher gcse, purely because there is no other choice - only some of us have the skill set to teach that. It does mean the lower groups are more likely to have teachers who are less confident though and who have less idea of the types of questions they might need to be able to access on a topic in later years. It’s harder to make the links. We are in a much better position than many schools in our area though. We’ve lost 2 very good young teachers recently, who’d just had enough of the pressure and the hours. That’s what needs addressing.

Slovenlys that seems very surprising! Are you in England?

I’ve got to agree on the primary workload can’t. When I go in to see my daughter’s books (y2 now) I am always amazed at these beautifully written bits of feedback and targets that just seem utterly pointless. They were even there in reception. I wanted to tell her treacher not to bother- but then they weren’t written for me or my child but for an inspector! She’s in a small village school where I am very sure she gets excellent, regular, verbal feedback that will actually mean something to her.

Well, considering the highest you can get at foundation is a C, they're probably fine ....

Thicken I'm in South Wales. Recently moved here.
Have been told it's a 'closed book' when it comes to recruitment here but maybe I should revert to my maiden name rather than my very foreign sounding married name for a better chance. I just can't believe that would be the case??!

I think it's more likely that because I've been out of work for a couple of years (trailing spouse) schools might be reluctant in case I have to travel again.

It's a shame because I honestly believe I'm a great maths teacher.

I really hope that’s not the case slovenlys! Sounds like they are missing out.

Slovenly, perhaps with your wealth of experience, and hence more expensive, do you think it’s because they want to get an NQT so that they can pay M1 rather than M6?

I know someone who is on UPS and when she applied for a new job, she was turned down for being too —expensive-- experienced.

Very possible you’re too expensive, lots of schools are angling to get rid of their more experienced staff. Possible also that they’re reluctant to hire an ex-AH? Too opinionated? Wondering why you stepped down?

That's another thing I try to cover in my applications. Without sounding like a twat I purely want to teach for teachings sake. I'm happy not having any responsibilities and just teaching maths. Luckily my DH job, although it's meant we've lived in four countries in the last couple of years, is very well paid so I just want something to keep me busy. He's got a contract here for 3 years minimum. I spent years at uni getting my maths degree then PGCE I just want to teach and make use of it. Pfft.

I've tried to word it a bit better than that of course but totally see how some schools can be put off by the potential 'expense' of me if they don't read the whole application.

Jeez that is frightening. I got a good grade in maths and stats but I’m prettt wretched at the subject and would never be able to teach it.

@BertrandRussell

Do you have any further questions as to why I sent my children private?

Because this is not in any way acceptable. Not even a little bit. I'd actually like to make a law that people who don't understand the subject SHOULD NOT be teaching it to GCSE

It's not just a UK problem. I buggered off to the sunlit uplands of overseas international school teaching 3 years ago, & we can't recruit or retain maths staff despite offering the equivalent of double a UK salary.

My ds is bright, lazy, good at maths but cba, has had some seriously ropey teachers. Currently very much disengaged & underachieving.

I'm trying to fill the gap by helping him at home, & my O level & A level maths are simply not up to the job. It's been 30 years since I studied maths, & whilst I was a solid A throughout, it's definitely 'use it or lose it'.

I've - long teaching career - winged teaching History, Geography, Classics & Latin at various times, quite successfully. But it just doesn't fly in core subjects.

No idea what the solution is.

Thesearepearls - no different in private schools, honestly.

I've quite a few friends who teach in UK private schools. They are no differently qualified.

In fact, most of the teachers whose contracts don't get renewed in my overseas school tend to come from a private school setting. The ones from the state system are usually more experienced & also a tad more robust.

All the teachers in my DC’s private schools had degrees in the subjects they were teaching. They might not have always been the greatest of teachers, but at least they knew their subjects. I don’t understand how teachers who don’t understand their subjects can maintain any semblance of respect from the kids tbh

Yes, & so did all the ones I've worked with in a terribly fancy private setting, who either thought 'bugger this for a laugh', or were not renewed due to being a bit rubbish at actually teaching.

I agree with you entirely that subject teachers should either be graduates in their subject or have a proven track record (I'm a very good English teacher who happens to be a Classics grad).

However, excellent subject knowledge isn't enough - you have to be able to teach.

Unfortunately, we have both a recruitment & retention crisis with regards to people who can offer both, & are willing & able to stick with it.

It's naive to think that private schooling buys your way out of this one; I've found teaching (& educating my dc as part of the deal) rather eye opening.

There are many advantages, but the teaching standard definitely isn't a given.

I want to hear a bit more about these crap teachers in private schools. What do we mean by a bit rubbish?

noble - our DC, who went to university in the UK and studied maths-based courses (A* Maths a pre-requisite, FM highly desirable) both remarked that fellow students from top rated private schools had always been well drilled in maths but that problem solving skills had not always been well developed.

Hah, not developing problem-solving skills but getting top grades anyway isn’t what I was thinking of as a bit rubbish!

We have interns from STEM subjects in at the monet. All second years at solid unis. They are bright eyed and bushy tailed and cocky and naïve in equal proportions.

I would guess that one or two of the 8 will consider teaching. the others just want their £2000 for their summer.

But two is better than nothing!

at the moment! They may not know of Monet...

I so agree purple. Many inadequate teachers in private schools...

may I also add this is no better than English and in the three tier system , don't get me started on who they have teaching English to year 8s!

Oh and my DSs' Spanish teacher : a Spaniard - fair enough- but qualified in Spain, to teach history....

It’s not only maths... we are going to lose something like 200 years of teaching experience at the end of the year through a mass exodus ahead of academisation and a possibly devastating Ofsted inspection. Those 200+ years of experience will be replaced with NQTs, ie 0 years of experience.

My own dcs’ maths lessons are toe curlingly bad, and I was appalled at the quality of recent applicants (all NQTs) at my own school