Does anyone have anything positive to say about secondary teaching?

[Seriouslymole]

I have been toying with the idea of training for secondary teaching (MFL) on and off for about the last 15 years but have been too comfortable in a relatively well-paid job. The comfort is less currently so might force my hand to make a move in a different direction. I realise the timing is odd given Covid but am just garnering thoughts both IRL and online.

Also, I am 47 so would be old to go into it, if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks mole I do think if you are considering a major change it's irresponsible of us to only give you half the story!

DS teaches MFL at a large secondary in outer London. He loves the fact that every day is different. Listening to him and reading a few comments from teachers on MN I'd say the school makes the biggest difference to whether people are happy teaching. If the leadership team isn't supportive it sounds a nightmare.
He went in with several languages, with a requirement to be able to teach two but he really only teaches one most the time.

I taught MFL (French and Spanish) for 10 years in 3 inner city secondry schools. Tbh I only lasted as ING as I did without having a nervous breakdown, because I was part time for the last 7 of those years!

My advice is, either get a job in a private school or go part time (or both) but avoid the inner city schools like the plague unless you love dealing with teenagers with challenging behaviour every day 😏

The other thing to look into when checking out schools is that a lot of schools have made it optional to study a language at GCSE. They are often the ones that have difficult Y8 or Y9 groups to reach as the students know they can drop the subject soon enough. The other side of this is that in schools where a language is compulsory, you will get students who really don't want to study it and who aren't cut out for it either 🤔

My favourite year groups to teach at secondary were Y7, Y10 (where they had chosen MFL themselves) and of course Y12 & Y13 due to the smaller numbers.

Bonne chance avec ta decision!

I don't think you should let only having 1 language put you off. I think it is fairly common for MFL teachers to pick up a second language for teaching and if you are fluent at French then you'd probably find Spanish pretty straightforward to get to a high enough standard to teach at KS3.

You asked about my days. I normally work about 9-10 hours at school on a working day and then maybe do an hour in an evening if I have a full teaching day the next day. I do have frees, but they tend to get taken up with admin and marking and things so I find it difficult to plan lessons in them. I'd then usually do a couple of hours on my day off (I'm part time - 4 days a week) and then same on a Sunday. I reckon I work about 45-50 hours a week in term time on a 0.8 contract.

I teach overseas and love it. You do need a couple of years experience for most schools overseas though.

There is less paperwork than teaching in the UK but I am in a boarding school so there are other pressures.

Swahili is not likely to be beneficial. We teach IB and are probably one of the largest entries who do Swahili. There are three different courses and I think the total for the three worldwide was less than 200 last year.

My advice is, either get a job in a private school or go part time

Worth pointing out though that if having a supportive management is important to you, which it is for many, then there is no guarantee a private school will be any better. The senior management in private schools can be excellent, good, poor or terrible, just like in state schools.

Also worth pointing out that a significant (and increasing) minority of independent schools have pulled out of the Teachers Pension Scheme, as they can't afford to pay the huge increase in employers' contributions. Not being in the TPS might not bother some people, but it will be a significant factor for some.

You don't know Latin, do you? Some schools have that on their carousel of languages. Alternatively, if you could offer French and History or RS, you could pick up a timetable in mostly French and they could backfill with KS3 Humanities. My subject's Economics and I have done KS3 History, Geography and KS4 RS and a bit of Classical Civ.

I've just checked and IB entries for Swahili in May 2919.

Swahili Literature 60
Swahili as a second language 117
Beginners Swahili 47

There are about 10 schools, mainly in Tanzania and Kenya.

IB are probably the only examining board that will offer Swahili.
So offering Swahili is probably not going to help you.

At my school most mfl teachers teach just one language.

I was a relatively latecomer to teaching, qualifying in my early 40s. Secondary teaching is hugely rewarding. Teenagers are immensely interesting and extremely funny.
In fact the thing with teaching is it’s never the kids which are the problem, but the grown ups can be awful.
And yes to PP comments on fads and Knowledge Organisers; even writing those two words makes me twitch.