Every year thousands of graduates enrol for teacher training. But recent government statistics show more than 250,000 qualified teachers are not currently working in UK schools. Is this downturn a warning sign for those considering entering the profession?

It is important to thoroughly research any career before you invest time and money in training but the complex world of teaching warrants an unparalleled level of contemplation.

John Bangs is Head of Education at the National Union of Teachers (NUT). The NUT has its finger on the pulse of day-to-day teaching life and can offer a valuable insight. So get out your red marking pen as we take a look through the highs and lows of this unique profession.

Use your head

The current Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) recruitment campaign slogan is ‘Use your head: Teach' but maybe not all graduates ‘use their heads’ when deciding whether or not to undertake a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Benefits like job security, geographical mobility and lengthily holidays can act as powerful incentives before potential teachers realise the demands of the profession.

CAn the long hours of assessments, marking, class preparations and open evenings take some new recruits by surprise? Bangs doesn't think so: “I don’t think that there’s naivety amongst graduates now. People who want to make a positive difference to young people’s lives take the workload factor into account and teach irrespectively of it.”

There are also many extra curriculum activities; be warned fence sitters, new teachers are expected to readily partake. Teaching, as Bangs points out, “is not a 9-5 job, it’s something that’s a genuine vocation, and it’s not about counting the hours.”

To teach GCSE or A Level classes you must be academically proven in your curriculum subjects. That means these subjects must be relevant to your first degree. A spokesperson from the TDA said “Teaching is a creative, intellectually demanding and rewarding job, so the standards for joining the profession must be high too.”

Become a guru

Unlike many jobs teaching is a lifestyle choice - just think about the responsibility factor. As a teacher you are partly responsible for the development of a young person’s life. Being a teacher isn’t just about passing on academic knowledge, teachers must also immerse themselves in the daily lives of their pupils.

Unless you have a thoroughly open mind, a good sense of humour and excellent people skills teaching probably isn’t your calling. Bangs explained: “Every day you are engaged in intensive two-way conservations with children and young adults.” This teacher-pupil interaction shapes much of our society, so strong communicational abilities are a pre-requisite for teaching.

If your influence holds sway you could leave a monumental impression on the lives of young people. In terms of becoming an inspirational life coach teaching is second to none. According to Bangs “Teaching, despite the workload, is a fantastic job because it involves enormous creativity. It is immensely fulfilling.”

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