Young minds receive their formative education through teaching while providing career fulfilment at every student level. When starting your career in education within England one must determine if you want to work with students at the primary level or in secondary education. The selection between primary and secondary education determines your everyday practises as well as affects the way you relate to students.

The Primary School Environment

Teachers who specialise in primary levels maintain a professional connection with students from age 4 through 11 as they progress through their basic educational development. Students will view you as their main influence during their time in elementary school.

Every day begins when familiar students return their gaze at you. You handle multiple teaching subjects because specialisation in a single subject area is not required. The daily schedule maintains its interest through multiple activities because one lesson could involve multiplication tables while the next requires art instruction and playground physical education.

The bond between primary teachers and their students forms naturally because of their shared classroom experience. Your students enable you to observe their personal growth and observe their academic milestones in every subject. Your role as a guide during these crucial years of development creates a substantial effect on students. Numerous primary teachers find the moment when a student masters reading or solves a math problem to be their most rewarding professional experience.

Secondary School Teaching

Secondary teachers instruct students between ages 11 and 18 while concentrating their teaching on particular subject fields. The teaching connection between educators and students establishes a different dynamic than what primary school teachers experience.

Your workday will consist of teaching different student groups rather than devoting it to one class. Your students seek your subject-based knowledge in their studies of geography, physics or French. Your dedication toward a specific academic subject transforms into the core element of your teaching identity.

Subject depth enables instructors to explore deeper educational material. Sharing your knowledge of literature or chemistry with developing minds can bring you great satisfaction if literature or chemistry have always been your passions. Teachers at the secondary level recognise the importance of watching students acquire both critical thinking abilities and full mastery of their subjects.

Secondary students develop relationships that differ from their interactions in other stages of education. The same group of students remains under your instruction for several years but you only interact with them during few weekly sessions. The students will grow from anxious Year 7s into composed young adults under your guidance. The changes in student dynamics establish a new form of rewarding professional bond.

Practical Considerations

Qualifications

The two paths to become a teacher in England demand qualified teacher status (QTS). You can gain this through:

* University-based PGCE courses

You can obtain qualified teacher status through school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT).

* School Direct programmes

* Teach First (for graduates)

The curriculum content for future primary teachers receives broad treatment in their training. Secondary training centres on teaching your chosen field while requiring knowledge of all subjects taught in schools.

Job Availability

Geography matters. Secondary teaching positions are more prevalent in urban zones than in rural territories where multiple primary schools exist closer to residential areas.

Your subject specialisation determines both your employment opportunities and probabilities of job acquisition. Secondary teaching positions in STEM disciplines together with modern foreign languages and English continue to be highly sought after by schools throughout England.

Salary and Progression

All public school teachers in England receive identical payment scales regardless of whether they work at primary or secondary level. The two types of education share identic advancement pathways which progress teachers through performance-based stages rather than through age groups.

The routes that teachers follow for their career advancement possess subtle variations. The number of middle management positions in primary schools tends to be lower than what larger secondary schools possess. Secondary educators might develop into department or faculty leaders although these positions do not exist at the same level in primary education settings.

Day-to-Day Differences

Primary teaching often involves:

* Teaching across subjects

The teaching profession includes working with thirty children from the same class each day.

* More focus on pastoral care

* Greater emphasis on basic skills development

* More parent interaction

* Often more displays and classroom decoration

Secondary teaching typically features:

* Teaching your specialist subject

I teach different classes to approximately hundreds of students throughout each week.

* More complex behaviour management

* Deeper subject content

* Greater focus on exam preparation

Teachers receive more unstructured time for both planning and marking tasks.

Making Your Decision

Consider your own temperament. Do you prefer developing personal connections with few people? Do you prefer experiencing diverse connections with various students instead of deep relationships with a smaller group? Or Do you prefer teaching various subjects in the curriculum?

It is beneficial to spend time in both environments if possible. The training providers who organise school experience days enable participants to witness both classroom environments in person.

Consult with practising teachers to gather their professional perspectives. The way teachers see their work provides insights into job aspects that people outside cannot readily detect. The working environment in the teachers’ room along with workload distribution and administrative tasks show considerable difference between different educational establishments.

Both teaching environments are equally valid since they serve different personality types and professional goals.

Teaching isn’t for the faint-hearted. Some subjects drive teachers to confusion about whether their students will understand the material. Among all academic subjects which one should receive the title of toughest to teach?

Mathematics The Universal Struggle

Maths terrifies countless students. Mathematical concepts exist in abstract forms which create an authentic obstacle for students. Despite delivering perfect algebra instruction a teacher encounters empty student faces in their classroom.

The underlying issue surpasses the subject matter. Students typically enter math classes burdened by emotional issues including fear and previous failures and the pervasive belief that they cannot succeed at math. Educators need to adopt dual roles as both counsellors and educators.

Teachers Margaret Wilson has spent her career instructing classes of history, English and mathematics. My goal extends beyond subject instruction when teaching mathematics because I work to challenge students’ negative mindsets about the subject. Students hold onto the belief that they lack the ability to succeed in mathematics classes.

Maths builds on itself. Miss fractions? Good luck with algebra. Skip algebra? Calculus becomes nearly impossible. The progressive nature of education requires teachers to verify complete mastery of every concept by their students which remains an unattainable goal when classrooms exceed capacity and contain various learning abilities.

Philosophy Teaching the Unteachable

Philosophy requires students to face an entirely unique educational experience. The subject contains questions that remain without final solutions. How can you determine student comprehension of a subject which experts have been debating for hundreds of years?

The goal of teaching philosophy consists of developing thinking abilities instead of providing factual information. The learning process requires students to both evaluate their preconceived beliefs and examine logical arguments while creating their own intellectual positions. These abilities need extensive development time because traditional teaching practises cannot support their learning.

Dr James Cooper from Oxford University explains that students can remember historical dates and mathematical formulas. The practise of philosophy forces students to approach thinking tasks that exceed their previous experience. The answers I need to provide remain out of reach. I will help students develop better questions but I cannot provide them with solutions.

The challenge for philosophy instructors includes adapting complex philosophical ideas to appeal to students at a young age. What reason does the teenage demographic have to study epistemology or metaphysics? The process of linking philosophical problems from ancient times to present-day life requires innovative approaches and extended periods of time.

Foreign Languages The Communication Conundrum

Language teachers battle unique frustrations. Students need to develop four separate abilities which include reading and writing together with listening and speaking. The teaching approaches and assessment methods for each skill remain separate from one another.

The rules of grammar can be taught to students yet natural conversation skills remain beyond the scope of formulas. The educational hours provide insufficient practise time and feedback opportunities for students to achieve proper language mastery.

Cultural understanding complicates matters further. Languages exist within cultural contexts. Students who learn French words through classes without cultural education become fluent in language but remain unable to grasp its true meanings.

Pronunciation proves particularly thorny. The brain reduces its ability to accept new sound patterns after the onset of puberty. Adult language learners find it difficult to detect sound variations that native speakers hear without effort.

Physics Invisible Forces and Counterintuitive Concepts

Teachers of physics need to demonstrate invisible forces to their students. Students learn concepts which oppose their natural experiences of the world.

Quantum mechanics defies common sense. The theory of relativity distorts our perception of temporal and spatial dimensions. Basic Newtonian physics contradicts common sense reasoning when it states that moving objects continue moving. The learning experiences of students come to a halt due to frictional forces.

Physics depends on mathematical principles which create two significant barriers for students. Undergraduate students need to understand difficult physical principles through mathematical methods that exceed their current capabilities.

The Human Element

The most challenging subject depends on what each teacher teaches and how students respond to it. The most difficult aspect of teaching exists in creating meaningful connections between students who have different interests and abilities and educational backgrounds.

Knowledge transmission represents only a small part of the teaching practise. The process involves establishing relationships and developing protected areas where students can fail along with learning style flexibility and maintaining positive energy through challenging times.

The coming together of teacher passion with educational preparation leads to great teaching results. Great teachers possess subject mastery and student understanding as their main strengths. Their teaching method adapts to the fact that each student learns in their own unique way.

The truth? The most challenging subject to instruct emerges from the academic field that your individual student finds the most difficult. Poetry serves as an entrance key for certain children but equations stay puzzling to them. Scientific principles seem natural to certain students while literature remains an insurmountable barrier for them.

The profession of teaching requires professionals to be flexible and empathetic while demonstrating infinite patience. Mastering the ability to find students at their current educational level represents the true art of teaching because it enables educators to lead students toward progress through incremental steps.

Job sharing in many workplaces is popular currently as employees attempt to get a better work life balance whilst still working. If you are finding it difficult to keep up with working full time but do not want to give up the role completely it is certainly worth approaching employers to see whether they are open to such a job arrangement which can benefit employer and employee.

Mutual respect and an equal workload are essential for a job share to work successfully and for each party to benefit by the arrangement. It is ideal if the person you are job sharing with is a colleague that is known to you as you may already have a good working relationship. If this is not the case you may need to decide whether you will each have specific areas of the job as your responsibility or whether you will simply carry on where the first person left off.

Good communication is essential for the job share to run smoothly and if you do not see each other between workdays then a note pad should be used to write down any messages that you need to relate to each other. A monthly catch up either in person or online is useful to discuss how things are going and if there are any issues that need sorting out.

Many industries are now taking on extra staff in readiness for the Christmas period. Over the last few years, due to Covid, Christmas has been quite different, but many are hoping that this year will be more back to normal and that there will be no restrictions on who we are allowed to meet up with and where we are allowed to go.

If you are currently looking for employment, then now would be a great place to start. There are many industries that will be looking to hire people such as the retail industry such as working in shops and also in hospitality, in restaurants, cafes or pubs.

You may find that there is a high level of competition for these sorts of jobs so you will have to get in quick. If you are applying for a job with a small business, then you may find that you have to send off your CV but if you are applying for a job within a larger organisation or a chain employer then they most likely will have their own recruitment forms they will want you to complete. You will also most likely need to give details of a someone they can contact as a reference.

Head hunting is a term used within the recruitment industry and it means to hunt down someone that is usually already employed and try and get them to work for you or the company you are representing (if you are an agency). It happens throughout a number of industries and seems to becoming more and more common – but is it ok to get members of staff this way? There is certainly no law against approaching people and asking them if they would like a job with your business but you do need to think about who they are and where you are potentially taking them from. For example if they work for a company that you have dealings with then you may find that it can make things very awkward and they may even be breaking a contract if they come and work for you straight after leaving their pervious role.

It is best to try and advertise the job and allow people to come to you but if you do have a friend or ex colleague in mind then you may well contact them and let them know what is available. Even if you are head hunting someone but sure to check their credentials to make sure that they are who you are looking for before offering them a job.

Many people had to resort to working from home quite a bit during the lock downs over the last few years. This may have been very new for some people and as workplaces start to open up again, it is likely that some will return to their office environment. Other businesses may of decided that actually they don’t need an office space and can allow their staff to continue to work from home. Others may of gone self employed and set up a business that they can run from their house. If this is the case you do need to think carefully about working from home and what that entails. Unlike at a work place, at home there are a lot of distractions. You may have phone calls, people ringing your door bell and the big pile of ironing that is calling you from across the room. In order to make working from home a success you need to be very disciplined and make sure that you set times when you need to be working. It is important to try and schedule in breaks and times for work. This will allow you to keep a good home work life balance.

Flexible working is a term that you may hear a fair bit within the jobs industry – but what exactly is it and it is something that you should be looking for? Flexible working is basically when a job is adapted to suit the employee’s needs. For example, it may be that you need to start a bit later after dropping the children off at school or that they need to work from home certain days a week. This is something that has become more common over the past few years especially since Covid restriction were put in place. Many employers had to get used to a new way of working and allowing their staff to work from home or work shifts to ensure there were less people in the office.

It used to be that if you were not able to work the hours need for the job or that were advertised on the job post then you need not even apply but with employers having to be show willingness and be flexible where possible this is not always the case. Some jobs may require people to be in the office and therefore working from home may simply not even be possible, but they may instead be able to offer staggered working times to fit in with the employee’s lifestyle and family life more.

If you are currently looking for work and are unemployed then you may wonder if it is ok to turn down jobs? If you are desperate for an income then you may decide that you have to accept any job that comes your way, but even if this is the case it doesn’t mean that you cannot continue to ook for other work in the meantime.

If you are looking for a permanent position then there may come a time when you are offered a job following an interview but have since realised that it may not be exactly what you are looking for.

When looking to apply for a new job position, not only should you consider if you have the relevant experience and qualifications but also is it a job that you would be happy doing? If you don’t feel that you would get much satisfaction out of the role then you probably shouldn’t even apply. Yes, money is often the main reason many of us go to work but that doesn’t mean to say that we cannot pick a job that we enjoy or that gives us satisfaction.

Trying to work without any job satisfaction often means we do not do the job to the best of our ability and that we dread going to work which is not good for our mental health.

The jobs market has been very up and down over the last couple of years due to Covid but there are some jobs that may well not come back and that are being faded out. 

There has been so many technological advances over the last decade that certain jobs seem to be at risk of decline and possibly extinction in the near future. This may of become even more apparent over the last couple of years where many people had to try and make processes as autonomous as possible to avoid having too much face to face contact with people.

Company owners are quick to realise that if they can automate a process by machinery or computers then they can save on salaries and make more profit in the long run. They can also avoid down time due to staff illnesses or holidays. For this reason, many jobs in manufacturing for example have started to be harder to find as they simply are not required as much as previously.

Sometimes automated processes simply cannot replace a human being and in certain situations it may not be right to try and go this way. Also it may be that you train to manage the machinery or equipment that did your job before – i.e. serving it and fixing when it goes wrong.

Normally around this time of year, lots of retailers start to hire new staff to enable them to cope with the Christmas trade. This year many shops have started ot stock Christmas items even earlier than usual and have even started playing Christmas music to get people in the mood.

Many retailers are dubious about employing extra staff this year due to the Covid pandemic and the uncertainty as to what is going to happen. Will we go in to another lockdown? Would people be ordered to work from home once again? No one knows exactly what will happen, and therefore many retailers are cautious about taking on more people in case they have to let them go again straight away. It is likely that this is going to result in busier shops, longer queues and overcrowding which is not ideal when we should be trying to socially distance where possible.

If you are currently looking for a job it is still worth going round to the retailers and asking if you can put your name down or leave your CV. This will ensure that should a position come up, you will be considered for it if you are a suitable candidate.