4 days a week as a teacher Vs 5 as a lecturer?

My missus did some supply in non degree courses at UHI and said it was a right skive in comparison to teaching in a school.

Other people's experiences may vary. 😀

At a guess - based on no personal experience - the lecturer at a uni will be a less stressful job as the people want to be there and want to learn. Teachers have a very tough gig and doesn't get helped by having kids there who have no interest or desire to be so.

As said based on no personal experience, just my take on both roles.

Depends on whether you have to pull in funding as a lecturer. I've heard that can be stressful.

Personally I'd flip from teacher to lecturer but that because the last few months have been stressful as I've been faculty head with almost 70 periods of cover to organise per week.

Not quite the same, but I teach adults English in FE (in London) and it's very different from school teaching. My partner is an LSA in secondary so I hear what the environment is like on the other side.

I think discipline and behaviour will be the main differing factors between your two choices. You've got 4 days of possible/probable hassle vs 5 days of less hassle. I'm sure the lecturing will have lazy and unmotivated students but I very much doubt you'll have physical / verbal confrontations with your young adults.

I'd choose an easier, and more enjoyable, life lecturing, even if it is an extra day a week.

In FE/HE we have our own political problems that UCU helps with, re: contracts, hours, workload etc so it's not all rosy.

I don't think lecturing is always an easy ride, it could very well depend on the specific job and what the requirements are. Students might be paying to be there but it doesn't necessarily mean they are any easier to deal with, it can mean they think they can boss you around.

the lecturer at a uni will be a less stressful job as the people want to be there and want to learn.

Sadly this hasn't been true for years.

Speaking to the part I know about (HE), it's going to depend heavily on the institution.

Crudely - if it's a respectable institution (and by that I mean broadly a university, not just Russell Group), and a permanent post, they are going to expect *a lot* more out of you than just lecturing. Research and likely several faculty and/or admin roles. You'll need to have some novel pedagogy ideas for keeping students engaged online and actually getting them into the building for in-person stuff (a lot harder than you might think).

If it's a HE college or private provider (BPP or that ilk), and/or a temporary post, then I don't know, but you can probably disregard at least some of the above.

I should add many HE colleges and private providers absolutely are respectable too, but equally there are some shockingly mercenary fly-by-night HE providers around. I'd avoid these like the plague.

Depends on whether you have to pull in funding as a lecturer.

Very much this. If you are 'just' lecturing then it's not too bad, but if you're expected to bring in funding and supervise research then it can be a lot more stressful (IMHO).

Kind of depends. I’ve just finished lecturing, 21 years doing the job, and depending on the programme and institution, it can be pretty full on with very long hours and lots of demands. The actual lecturing is the easy, fun bit that takes up the least time, so it really does depend on the exact circumstances… I really loved the actual teaching and will miss that, although I will be doing some sessional stuff which will be nice 🙂

You’ve got 4 days of possible/probable hassle vs 5 days of less hassle. I’m sure the lecturing will have lazy and unmotivated students but I very much doubt you’ll have physical / verbal confrontations with your young adults.

I wonder if that is the same for someone teaching something specialised like criminology - where presumably people have picked it?  Same money but for 20% more time… that’s quite a hard sell.  Presumably there is something making you think it may be better?  We all know that teachers have massive holidays 😉 but have you seen how long uni students get off - don’t count your chickens most lecturers don’t get that. Those that do — don’t get paid for holidays!

I am a full-time secondary teacher  and my sister is a part-time lecturer. Although she is contracted to work 2 days per week, her workload is such that it is impossible for her to only work her contracted hours.  The number of students she has responsibility for seems to increase year on year with no increase in resources to cope.  My sister consistently works hard to offer students high value experiences with visiting speakers/workshops etc only to find that only one or 2 students turn up which she finds utterly demoralising.  Student attendance is generally woeful since lecturers have to put everything online, however all management seems to care about are the student feedback surveys.  Add to this the endless marking, double marking and students thinking that she should be at their beck and call morning, noon and night, whenever they need her at the end of an email and maybe it is understandable that staff at her university are leaving in droves.  I would not swap secondary teaching for lecturing, however pupil behaviour in the school I work in now is generally good.

Thanks for all the responses.

Presumably there is something making you think it may be better?

Teenagers are really quite trying at times. I've been teaching since 2004, with 3 years out training adults, then back.

Teenagers are always pushing the boundaries, and it just gets wearing. It's not like next year's students are suddenly going to stop pushing boundaries, that's just human nature, especially in puberty.

One of my concerns is,about half of my criminology students have gone on to do some criminology related degree. Some are awesome and I assume are doing brilliantly. One has dropped out of uni because of their work ethic, and is working at the pub. All my students have chosen criminology at A level, they haven't all been particularly motivated.

A lot of my complaints about teaching are workload related. I imagine I'd be complaining at least as much in a university.

It makes sense to try the lecturing post if you've never done that - different experience, teaching at a higher level might interest you more etc.

Would depend a bit on your current role teaching - You wouldn't have any clout being brought into a university to teach with no academic background. On the one hand that means you can just focus on the teaching and not worry about other things. But if you're comfy at your school with a level of professional status you'd be starting afresh from that pov.