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rhian
Joined: 22 Jan 2004
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 Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 12:22 am Post subject: Training to be a teacher: Primary of Secondary? |
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I have been accepted on to a PGCE in secondary English teaching.
I have now become confused as to whether I want to teach primary school or secondary school. I was originally attracted to secondary schools because I can teach the subject I studied at university. However I have now started to think about primary schools because it is such rewarding work and a lovely environment.
I've always had a good rapport with younger children and find that I can usually engage with teenagers quite successfully also.
I'm going to visit some schools to help me decide but I'd be interested to hear what you think.  |
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stakay
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 12:57 am Post subject: Re: Training to be a teacher: Primary of Secondary? |
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| rhian wrote: |
| I have been accepted on to a PGCE in secondary English teaching. |
What is a PGCE?
You probably need to think about what level of communication and interaction you want to be having with kids to decide whether to teach primary or secondary. Are you the kind of person that's ok wiping a kid's nose and tieing shoelaces or are you the kind of person who'd rather communicate at a higher level with teenagers? If you're ok doing both, then find out what happens after you finish your degree - can you teach primary with a secondary degree or teach secondary with a primary degree? Just keep your options open. |
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rhian
Joined: 22 Jan 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:15 am Post subject: |
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pgce is postgraduate certificate in education - it's a course that runs in the uk from sep to may and is the best acedemic route to getting qts.
that's sound advice, thanks S - i belive that you can do an adaptor course from pri to sec but not the other way round, will check up on that though... |
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stakay
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| rhian wrote: |
pgce is postgraduate certificate in education - it's a course that runs in the uk from sep to may and is the best acedemic route to getting qts.
that's sound advice, thanks S - i belive that you can do an adaptor course from pri to sec but not the other way round, will check up on that though... |
Aha - I'm about to head into the seedy world of teaching in the UK and didn't know what the PGCE actually means. And now I do. So thank you! |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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Is there really much difference?
Teachers must be equipped with the same sort of pedagology whether elementary and secondary and also must demand a disciplined approach for themselves whether involved in elementary or secondary.
Same sort of work load.
I guess it is entirely personal and where you see yourself fitting.
In NZ, where I came from, any male elementary teacher is given top applicant listing compared to any female applicant, so for a male there's that discrimination meaning easy pickings in job choices (location more then anything) working for the male. |
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dreaming_saturn
Joined: 26 May 2004
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| Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:08 am Post subject: |
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| Cheonmunka wrote: |
Is there really much difference?
Teachers must be equipped with the same sort of pedagology whether elementary and secondary and also must demand a disciplined approach for themselves whether involved in elementary or secondary.
Same sort of work load.
. |
I'm not sure about this. I lived with a few PGCE students when I was studying Education, they were doing a primary PGCE and have a Secondary teaching QTS from the Netherlands. The methodology in teaching teenagers and teaching younger kids is much different. Plus, for Secondary Education you really focus on how to teach your subject, in my case the English language. In primary you wear a lot of hats. As a secondary QTS I don't think I'd be a capable primary teacher. Sure, I know general methodology and might do an OK job, but I don't have any practical evaluated experience with feedback that a PGCE in primary would give me. For Secondary, however, I feel right at home teaching my subject.
One thing I can tell you is it's a heck of a lot of work!
In the UK they need teachers in both levels, so job prospects should be good either way. Ask yourself which you'd enjoy more. Or better yet, ask to observe at a local school (I think you need to get a criminal record check done first) or talk to some working teachers. From my experience here in NL primary is more physically exhausting and it pays less, whereas secondary is mentally exhausting, and you don't have to maintain more distance from the students, they don't need to like you, you're there to do a job and have to be hard on them at times even if you don't really want to. This is one thing many secondary teachers complain about at first.
If you want to teach in contenental Europe get a primary PGCE - at least in the Netherlands all the international schools want more primary PGCEs, there are three here in my city looking and the pay is pretty good because they are private schools. |
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