What does a maths teacher actually do...?

[AnnaK]

(Secondary ) I am thinking of retraining as a maths teacher but was wondering about the timetable and actual workload. Do you work every lesson of the day and then have marking and planning every evening? Or is the work life balance better that a primary teacher's? I was a civil engineer until dd2. I'm currently working as a TA specialising in maths in a primary school, and feel I have more to offer than just laminating and displays! Thank you for taking the time to read this! :)

Main scale secondary teachers have a 90% timetable in most schools. So at mine, you'd be teaching 45/50 lessons per fortnight. The 5 hours PPA doesn't really give you enough time for all the marking and planning so yes, you'd need to do some work out of school hours, though it would be up to you to organise that. Other things that teachers need to do that TAs don't include parents evenings, weekly meetings (after school), open evenings, twilight insets (maybe) running extra revision sessions in the run up to exams for Yr 11 & 6th form and being a form tutor. I'm sure there are also other things, but I've had a 5 period day with break duty, auditions for the school show at lunchtime and then a meeting after school so my brain has stopped working.

Why is there is a shortage of maths teachers? Because maths graduates can earn a living without having to become a teacher. Don't do it.

a lot of laminating and displays......

Its a horrendous job. Maths in compulsory to 18 for anyone without a C in GCSE. Dozens of reluctant teens, literally dozens and dozens of them. My friend has 60 in a class, most don't turn up to most lessons, and she is responsible for contacting every parent every time, and trying to help every truanting student catch up with lessons they have missed every time they turn up. It's an impossible job. There is never any light at the end of the tunnel. Complete nightmare.

what catfordbetty said, there is a 60% shortfall for a reason.....and the main reason is the number that decide just to walk out one day and never return, sod their careers, mortgages, references, and everything.

Thanks for that! Might need to rethink...

Grammar and independent schools are an option of course - you wouldn't get the behaviour issues and Maths interest and achievement would likely be better, but any type of teaching is heavy workload. I teach sixth form Economics and need to work one weekend day and most evenings to keep up. I am not on a full timetable either!

You need to consider how good your Maths is too, as the flip side of better behaviour may be very able students who will push you to extend them.

Could you offer Physics? You'd have a big choice of employers!

Sign up for the school experience programme and see what you think.

EvilTwins - you get 5 hours PPA every week???? Good grief! Primary teachers get a morning or afternoon! What I could do with 5 hours!

Lara - she gets 5 hours a fortnight, rather than a week. Most of us secondary teachers work on fortnightly timetables.

My Dh has recently left his job as a maths teacher to go back into industry.

He loved his subject, is a strong character, hard working and v.thick skinned but even he found the relentless observations, targets and poor behaviour management too much.

I honestly wouldn't be a teacher for all the money in the world and will happily correct anyone not in the know who tries to raise the 'but you get all the holidays' argument.

Sorry to be negetive OP but since DH has left teaching we have our family life back. We can converse in the evenings and he is able to take part in family stuff at the weekends without worrying about marking/lesson planning/report writing.

I would def say think long and hard before taking the plunge.

What job is he in now, DrawingRoom?

Lara - 10% is standard across all sectors. It's 5 hours per fortnight (though I get more than that as HOD/SLE)

Its a nice job to do part time, not at all family friendly full time. Better in FE, horrendous in standard comprehensives. You have to really love the subject as 90% of the people you teach will probably hate it so you are constantly looking for interesting activities, which after a while can get exhausting. I sometimes wish everyone enjoyed doing algebra for its own sake like me!

I taught maths in comprehensives for over ten years but have been much happier since joining the independent and international sector. I would never go back to teaching in a comprehensive.

What about working as a TA in a Secondary school? In the school I work in you generally specialise in one or 2 subject areas and work with all age groups. I've not had to do any laminating or displays yet!