Job Discussion Forums

[purple rainbow]

Hi everyone,

I've been a long time reader of Dave's ESL cafe. This is my first post

Anyways, I graduated last year with a Bed. I'm qualified to teach both elementary and secondary. However, there are no jobs for teachers here anymore (even for supply teaching). Thus, I'm thinking about teaching in the UK. My questions are for both elementary and secondary students:

1) How was the typical classroom environment regarding student behaviour in supply teaching as well as regular teaching jobs (non-supply)? (i.e. would they sit down and talk, how often would they listen, how easy/hard was it to take the attendance, did any students swear at you, etc.)

2) Did you encounter any violence directed towards you from the students (if yes, what happened)? Any violence between the students?

3) What city and area did you teach?

4) What grades did you teach?

5) What cities and areas would you recommend as the least challenging in terms of student behaviour

I'm especially interested in finding out from people who have taught in the UK. However, even if you know any info from friends or relatives, that would be great.

Warmest Thanks

[spiral78]

Where are you from? Are you eligible to work in the UK?

[Dedicated]

Hello Purple Rainbow,

A lot will depend on your nationality - firstly you will need a work permit if you are not a national of the EEA. It is the school or local authority to whom you apply who will then apply for your work permit.

You would have 4 years then to apply for QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)
in order to continue teaching in a mainstream school.

Check out this website < www.tda.gov.uk/teachers/overseas_trained_teachers/entry_requirements.aspx>

The UK is particularly short of science and maths teachers. Generally, avoid inner-city schools, but there is where the greatest need exists.

[Kiels]

Hi Purple Rainbow,

1) Student behaviour is often reliant upon their teacher. If you are able to implement firm behaviour management policies or command respect, then this shouldn't be tto much of an issue for you. Of course, Primary (elementary) jobs will give you more security in expecting your children to behave well. However, it also depends upon your school and the policies it has regarding behaviour management. Also, if you get a job in the UK, make sure you google their OFSTED report and have a look at it. As well as an overall grade for the school (1 is outstanding, 2 good, 3 satisfactory and 4 failing) it will include a paragraph about the schools behaviour management policies. This should give you an idea what to expect in that school.

2) I have never experienced violence except in a special educational needs school. Even then, this was handled very well by experienced staff. Primary again is less likely to have violence in the classroom. There are reports of more serious crime in larger inner city schools (generally secondary) but these schools (you would hope) are incorporating policies to help tackle these issues.

3) I've only taught in the North (Newcastle). However, if you don't mind the idea of going to Scotland or Wales, they both have different curriculums and guidance to the rest of the UK> Do some research if you fancy working there. If you look at schools in London, or Newham (where the Olympics will be held) then many of your students may speak English as a second language. In some schoosl there, well over 95% of the students in a school may speak English as a second language. (primary, not so sure about secondary but look at the huge immigration numbers in the UK and you can understand why this is the case) This may prove difficult for you or alternatively, you might love this and have skills to deal with it. Bear in mind, all these languages will be different, i.e there may be as many as 50 languages spoken by children in the school.

4) I'm not sure which areas would be classed as least challenging. What I can say is that your school is most important in helping you choose. Some schools have undertaken huge efforts to improve such things as gang culture or student violence so in areas where these might be problem, the school might indeed prove to be excellent in dealing with such issues. Again, if you have an offer at a school, check their ofsted report. Inner city schools can be challenging, no doubt, but if you are prepared to deal with these challenges, I suspect the pay is better.

Finally, if you are thinking about working in the UK as a teacher, make sure you understand the huge amounts of political bureaucracy and red tape involved in working in the UK system. The TES (Times Educational Supplement) had reported higher than ever numbers of teachers from the UK working abroad. Be prepared for assessment overload measured against set standards by the government and testing which will hold you and your school accountable to the grades you and your class gain.
The TES online will also enable you to search for jobs in the UK.

Good luck.

[purple rainbow]

Thanks Kiels

[eha]

Take a look at the TES (Times Educational Supplement) website :
http://www.tes.co.uk. Find the forum on 'Behaviour'; that'll give you a good idea of what many schools in the UK are like.

[scot47]

More teachers chasing fewer jobs.

[mimi_intheworld]

The most useful (and, I learned through experience, realistic) commentator on teaching in the UK I have found is a blog called Scenes from the Battleground. If you've never seen it, settle in, have a cup of tea and a couple of hours, and just start reading. It will give you a more realistic idea of what it's like teaching at a bog standard comprehensive school in the UK (England, specifically).

http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/

Happy reading!

[artemisia]

I've just come across this thread and the blogging address posted by mimi_intheworld is a great read! It's well written, full of accurate details and anecdotes. That brought back a few memories!!
Thanks for that and very useful source of info for either NQTs or those wanting to brave the secondary school teaching waters of the UK.

[Nemodot]

Hi just saw the while on way home. I work in the east end and at my regular comp, I and my fellow teachers have in secondary

Had leg broken
Head smashed into door
Head butted
Pushed to the floor
Bitten
Spat at
Food thrown at
Sworn at every day
Bins kicked over (lots)
Doors kicked in (regular)
Threatened with a good kicking from dad! And from dad
Bottles thrown at head

I could go on but that was in one year. It's a war zone in the corridors and my school is mid range. What the teachers do in rough schools, where children are armed with knives and smoke pot for breakfast (one teacher told me at his last school kids got joints out in class)

Expect at least to be ridiculed, sworn at, ignored and bullied.

That's the uk system! A friend from up north, who escaped to Singapore, said that is nothing. At one school he went to a kid waited outside a door with a metal bar and bashed both kids and teachers heads in!

We had a kid that trashed our "inclusion" centre, trashed the PRU, then was sent back to regular classes. Should have been in prison.

I'm looking for my escape route to Asia as I write!

[artemisia]

I was once punched in the face at high school but it was an accident. Seriously! Two kids were fighting ferociously on their way into my class. It was full-on kicking and punching and I had to break it up. No chance to go for help either - they were blocking the door. They were both shocked though when they realised I'd been hit and I took advantage of that to separate and send them off in different directions.

I remember a teacher who'd worked in an inner city school near Westminster telling me that the teachers used to work together in groups to their classes. They were too scared to walk alone. Never experienced anything like this in an English language school/ class.