Secondary Teaching - Business Studies

[KatharineE]

After some advice from any business studies teachers here please!

I got myself bogged down in admin jobs for 25 years but have recently completed a Business Management degree by distance learning. I’m looking to do the PGDE into secondary teaching (Scotland) starting in 2021 but I’m now really struggling with confidence that I can actually pull this off and make a success of it. Obviously things are difficult just now with the Covid situation or I would be asking schools if I could come in and observe classes, and I know I’ll also need some volunteering experience in schools at some point before next August.

What’s it like teaching business? What do you teach? In my local school we have digital literacy and admin/IT and I think I would feel confident with these as it’s been my job since leaving school, but less confident I suppose with the actual business side of things. I found the accountancy element of the degree particularly hard because I just didn’t enjoy it. Maybe at my age (44) I’ve just left it too late?

Why not pick up a revision guide for GCSE and (if it interests you) A level Business/Economics? I have had to learn new specifications very quickly and find them the best way to get my head round them as they are written in student-friendly terms.

My current school had a wonderful charismatic head of business who organised whole day activities at KS3 including planning, budgeting and marketing, a bit like a mini version of The Apprentice. It introduced the subject to those year groups so that the option at GCSE was at least familiar.

Not too late to teach Business. Students love to hear stories from the different types of firms you have worked in over the years.

The revision guides will give you the basic spec such as cash flow, break-even, 4 Ps, types of businesses etc. You will have to teach KS4 and KS5 and the key is to keep it current and adapt case studies eg use Zoella.

You will have to run year 9 enterprise days, maybe enter competitions that sort of thing. Lots of practical elements

GCSE Business accountancy is just practice. A Level Business then includes ratios, gross profit margin and all that jazz.

However a key driver now for some schools is that you will have to teach Economics as well. Other schools maybe happy if you can teach BTEC Business as well if you can't offer Economics.

Not a business teacher but a Scottish English teacher who started teaching after having my DC.

Business is a really popular option at present. Pupils enjoy it as they see it as relevant to the world around them . You will see on the PGDE that there are many mature students and Business is one that attracts people looking for a change from industry , a teacher's salary is not so attractive to Chemical Engineers for example .

The qualifications will look completely different to what you sat at school ( we are similar ages) so unless you have had DC in the senior phase recently I would look at Nat4,5 and Higher in the SQA website and BBCBITESIZE . Look for (the absolute )!rubbish CFE for broad general education to raise your awareness of what pupils are expected to cover . Be prepared for pupils in S1 who are still working towards first and second level in literacy and numeracy .

Your experience in the work place will be a great advantage as you will be able to give great examples from your career.