[Closed] Becoming a geography teacher

There are quite a few teachers on here who can give you a run down of the in-&outs.

Mrs Dubs is about to give up her department head role to reduce the amount of stress she's under.

As for geography teacher qualifications, can you not go over the lines when you're colouring in? *

*little teacher in-joke to get you started.

I taught geography at a secondary school while a head of hums. I really enjoyed teaching geography and all my best moments in the job (now left) were in front of the pupils, teaching.

The great thing about geography, apart from the colouring in 😉 is that it is applicable in everyday life and that gets the pupils really engaged...most of the time. Check out the new GCSE specifications, they are very demanding in terms of content and its focus on maths.

I'd may be go and shadow a teacher at a local school, spend some time in the humanities department, chat to the teachers, pupils and teaching assistants. However, be careful in listening to the moaning, teachers love to moan.

The good thing with geography, is that you will be in demand too. We really struggled hiring geography teachers.

Find a good school, where SLT and middle leaders are supportive and you will LOVE it. A very rewarding job.

My missus says I dress like a geography teacher. Book marked.
Good luck op.

I assume you can opt for the PGCE 1 year programme (assuming you have a degree).

You'll have to pay the £9,250 fee (via student loan), and your bursary is very dependent upon your highest qualification (E.g. A first may get you £9k, a 2:1 £4k).

Geography doesn't attract a high bursary like the STEM subjects (e.g. Secondary Maths with a First Degree will get you around £25k) so look into this first.

^^^

yup - thread title suggests the OP realising in horror he (I'm guessing) was developing a feeble beard, elbows were growing leather patches...

Is the bad press I hear about reaching justified.?

I guess good spelling and grammar is still a requirement, even for geography teachers?

Take a weeks holiday and volunteer in a school to see.

Teaching is a fabulous, rewarding and never dull job. Pay is ok, holidays nice, stable employment that will not be cut back on like in industry.

It's also the most intense work you may ever do for 5 hours a day, has long hours on top, and can be very stressful in the wrong school (leadership is key imo).

I'm ex-science teacher and outdoor education specialist, who now spends my days teaching teachers to get outdoors...

If you ever think you may teach in Scotland, look up the requirements. Also consider that NI, Wales and Scotland have very different outlooks on education these days at a cultural and curricular level.

A friend is doing a SCITT to become a geography teacher, I believe his route also carries a £21k bursary to assist him.

My Geography teacher was smoking hot, if that helps.

I think that teaching is with looking at as a career.

I think it's finding out what kind of jobs you might have local to you. Teaching jobs vary alot. I find a sixth form college draining but in general I love it. I use to love the crowd control. I couldn't go back to it now

But I agree with your plan. Doing the training is the only way you'll know for sure

Mrs Pondo is a geography teacher, will ask her opinion - I know she loves geography, and she loves teaching, but I also recall her saying she couldn't recommend teaching to anyone in the current climate.

Assuming you have a Geography degree.....or a degree on the approved list of geography related subjects that qualify you to train to be a geography teacher.

So many routes into teaching now that despite being in it I can't keep up.

Be warned - Part of the 'package' that can make teaching attractive is the good pension. Not quite as good as it was but still good in comparison to the private sector. For me the long holidays and the good pension balance the lower wages than I would expect working elsewhere. However, a recent government announcement that employer contributions are being hiked up to 23.6% might spell the end to it. State schools have a years grace but there are private schools that use the scheme that are in consultation with staff that they can no longer afford to stay in and are looking for alternatives. Lots of talk that school in the maintained sector will go that way too. A huge proportion of a school's outgoing is staffing and a 40% rise to pension contributions is just not affordable given the government has not indicated a matching rise to the funding of education.

Don't geography teachers double as PE teachers so they can tell their pupils to go geog.

However, a recent government announcement that employer contributions are being hiked up to 23.6% might spell the end to it.

Employer or employee?

Employer.

Employee is between 7.4% and 11.7% depending on what you get paid - the more you earn the higher the %age rate you have to pay. Average is 9.6% I think.

Employer contribution rates have been ramping up over the years - it was 12-13% ten years ago so school finances are really feeling it.

As with a lot of things the 'golden generation' that recently retired got the best of it - small %age contributions, a final salary rather than average salary calculation and retirement at 60 rather than 67/68. It's that hole that is needing plugging by those teaching now and their employers.

Mrs Pondo echoes the observation to do some serious shadowing and look carefully at the money - know what you're getting into, because it is hard. She loves teaching but she wouldn't go into it now, especially secondary as it's such a numbers game and with performance-related pay it can be really hard to progress depending on your cohort (she currently has kids that generally aren't super-bright but have unrealistically high target grades, a knock-on from teachers earlier in the process doing what they can to hit their key stage 2 SATs targets).

I went on a three-day school immersion programme a couple of years ago when I was thinking of retraining as a geography teacher.

I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but I've got a pretty decent and relevant skillset - a PhD in a fascinating geography-related topic (Alice Roberts did a whole BB2 series on it); I've undertaken fieldwork in Iceland, Sardinia and South Africa; I've lectured in volcanology, glaciology, and any other physical geography topics you care to think of; I've delivered STEM teacher training. I've even worked as a teacher already, in Japan.

Did the teachers care about any of that? Did they want me to do five minutes in a lesson on something on the syllabus? Did they want me to spend 15 minutes giving any keen pupils an outline of where geography might take them over lunch one day?

Nope - they were so het up about GCSES in three months time' they just sat me in the corner of the classroom for three days.

Ofsted excellent school BTW. Needless to say I am not a teacher now and bl00dy glad too.

Looking to make the jump myself into teaching at either Primary or Geography. In the process of sorting out my experience days and various open day events. On the one hand my three kids are 7 and under so I can relate to that age but getting a job after may be harder. On the other hand Geography is something I would seriously enjoy teaching and I qualify for the Bursary which I think is about £26k and possibly various other childcare grants. With a young family and a Wife who works full time the training alone is going to be demanding. I will possibly have to go on a subject enhancement course and get my IT skills up to date - last time I was a post graduate essays and assignments still had to be hand written. On the plus side i'd like to think I have more life skills and experience with children compared to the average 21 year old. The other decision is either to go through the traditional PGCE route or the work option, although in my neck of the woods these courses seem largely to be not salaried but lead also to a PGCE rather than just the QTS.

Finbar, sadly that's the way it's gone in terms of teacher's futures and pay staked on their students' exam results. PGCE courses have been cut back because schools won't give opportunities for teaching practice as it might affect exam results. Academisation is the death of education. However, if you went into teaching now you won't have noticed the changes. Better still, if you're coming from being micro-managed in an autocratic, hierarchical organisation led by a narcissist, you'll feel quite at home.

I love teaching, not sure I would currently recommend it as a career though.

We're getting ahead of ourselves here.

The key question is can you colour in without going over the lines?

The key question is can you colour in without going over the lines?

Thats biology you fool, geography you colour round the outside!

Most importantly, have you got a good cagoule? You'll need it for those field trips.

I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I’ve got a pretty decent and relevant skillset – a PhD in a fascinating geography-related topic (Alice Roberts did a whole BB2 series on it); I’ve undertaken fieldwork in Iceland, Sardinia and South Africa; I’ve lectured in volcanology, glaciology, and any other physical geography topics you care to think of; I’ve delivered STEM teacher training. I’ve even worked as a teacher already, in Japan.

That's not a relevant skill set in teaching.

Being able to relate to kids, able to understand how people learn, how to motivate and engage, how to keep time and referee, how to juggle competing demands, how to get the funk out at the school show. That is relevant teaching skill set.

That’s not a relevant skill set in teaching.

Hang on he clearly knows better having spent 3 days in school...not like those no nothing teachers!

I taught secondary level English back in the late 90s. I don't know anyone who did the PGCE at the same time as I did who is still teaching, if that tells you anything.

I found teaching way too much like being at school. In fact, it was much worse than being at school, and I didn't enjoy secondary school much at all. In hindsight, I don't know what I was thinking.

I've also taught in HE and FE and they felt like escaping from prison in comparison to being in a school.

JP

My kids asked me if they could become teachers. I said no way.

He’s now a training surgeon and she’s a Supreme Court solicitor in Oz.

Teachers work stupid hours 50-60+ hrs a week. Far too much, behaviour problems in schools and politics.

It’s the only job where you are under 24/7 scrutiny.

Be prepared to work 6-7 days a week.

Holidays are ok but you’ll do some work.
If you’re very organised, know your subject and have people skills, you might love teaching.

Lol @ mattoutandabout and AA - teaching isn’t a relevant skill set to teaching?

I skipped the training teachers and teaching bit... 🤭

I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but...

To be fair it does sound like you expected to be treated as special.

Being sat in the corner sucks but having had someone dumped on you to look after during a busy time where every lesson counts, usually with instructions of "show them around" sucks too. I am afraid you where a low priority. I have had this at my work (not a teacher) when someone is dumped with me, if there is no plan for them and I am busy I am afraid they are a low priority it sucks for them I know but little can be done.

It’s the only job where you are under 24/7 scrutiny.

No its not, that is a load of rubbish.

It is however the only job where you feel the need to tell the whole world how hard you work, how you need holidays after being back in school for four weeks and how dealing with behavioral issues is hard. Why don't you hear staff from residential childcare or social work or kids mental health bleating on about it constantly? Because they/we just get on with it. I spent years working in teenage residential care and saw sights that will be with me forever, I didn't however bang on about it constantly like some sort of victim

Teachers, you are not the only profession that works hard, works long hours or deals with stress. You are not the only profession who takes work home or is held up to some public scrutiny. You do seem to bang on about it a lot though.

And relax....

My kids asked me if they could become teachers. I said no way.

My mother (now an ex teacher) discouraged me from considering teaching when I was making career choices. I now realise that whatever job she had been in she would have done the same, and like most of us would have said, "it is not like it used to be". As my children start to reach those decisions in life I am trying not to discourage them the same way - but to help them get as realistic a view as possible of what each job is like, to try and keep options open, and never to take at face value the views of people in that role who think the grass is greener.

He’s now a training surgeon and she’s a Supreme Court solicitor in Oz.
Teachers work stupid hours 50-60+ hrs a week. Far too much, behaviour problems in schools and politics.
It’s the only job where you are under 24/7 scrutiny.
Be prepared to work 6-7 days a week.

Do Surgeons and Supreme Court solicitors not also work long hours, and get scrutinised constantly?

If you’re very organised, know your subject and have people skills, you might love teaching.

Those strike me as the sort of skills you'd want as a court solicitor or surgeon too.

The teaching part can be fun. But only if you have students who want to learn. Most over my 8 years of teaching don't want to learn, and that's in a college where they chose the course.

A few pros and cons for you based on my own experience:

Pros:
Good holiday/annual leave allowance.
The teaching part can feel rewarding.
Can be creative depending on your subject.

Cons:
High stress/exhausting.
Jobs on the line every year due to graded observations.
Can ruin the subject for you.

It is a route that as I approach 50 I am now seriously considering. Not colouring in though, as a STEM (Chemistry) graduate I'm far more valuable than that 😉

Of course i know it's not easy but it's a vital occupation and one that should be valued. I was struck by a (similar) vocation recently having read the Secret Barrister's book; people going into criminal law work under extreme pressure, in difficult circumstances, under permanent scrutiny, long hours and weekends, and surprisingly (to me) for very little pay - and yet jobs are oversubscribed massively. Why is the legal profession such a draw yet teaching is struggling? And meanwhile greedy industrialists, corporate lawyers, financiers, etc. are raking it in in comparison.

All wrong, i tell you.

My lasting memory of Geography at school is Mrs Goodley's acrid coffee breath, and her baggy blouses and big ol' boobies swinging around when leaning over your desk.
So, you know, swings and roundabouts.

I tried teaching, twice - if you remotely value your 'me time' during the day - then it's just about the least suitable profession.
If you're a virtual workaholic, im sure it is rewarding. I found the fact that actual teaching was about 10% of the role, with the other 90% being bureaucracy, it really wasn't what i'd imagined.

It can be very rewarding but quickly descends into a ‘paper ‘chase as you get to introduce the latest new T&L fad I got out 5yrs ago massive relief to all mrs g now on half term which turns into 7days x 12hrs of prep
Holidays are obvious big draw esp with your own kids pay is ok with progression pension not what it was ..give it a go but Keep an exit door open if possible

– and yet jobs are oversubscribed massively. Why is the legal profession such a draw yet teaching is struggling?

That's not the message I recall from the Secret Barrister. It may be there are very few jobs and so the small number of people who want to do it are fighting for them - but my understanding was that whilst law was very popular, criminal law was very unattractive because its paid poorer, and at least as hard work as other legal careers that don't involve dealing with some of the most challenging people in society.

the only job where you feel the need to tell the whole world how hard you work

Apparently not.

Why don’t you hear staff from residential childcare or social work or kids mental health bleating on about it

We just did.

what's your aim with a board rubber at 20 paces like?

Can you hit a desk with a wooden metre stick with such force that it shatters in to millions of pieces?

Can you kick a desk a foot in the air?

Our geography teachers were ace.

Can you hit a desk with a wooden metre stick with such force that it shatters in to millions of pieces?

The metre stick or the desk?

I loved Geography at O level, had great teachers and they really seemed to love the subject. Was the 80s mind, so minimum admin I'd guess and no Ofstead.