If you want to become a teacher, this guide reveals everything you need to know about doing so!
One of the most difficult decisions we have to make early on in our lives is what we want to do in terms of a career. If you are yet to decide what you want to do specifically, yet you know you want to work with children, you have many different options available to you. In this blog post, we will explore those options in further detail so you can make the right decision for yourself.
Of course, one of the first things you need to do is decide what sort of children you want to work with. For example, do you want to , school-age children, or pre-school children? You also need to figure out whether you want to work with families or just children, as well as whether you wish to go down the not-for-profit, private or public route.
Different jobs that involve working with children
The main sectors that employ individuals to work with kids include education and teaching, social care, healthcare, voluntary work, and charity sectors. However, there are jobs in other industries, from tourism to law, which involve working with families and children.
The healthcare sector provides an abundance of opportunities when it comes to working with children. This includes becoming a speech and language therapist, pediatrician, health visitor, children’s nurse, youth worker, social worker, play therapist, family support worker, counselor, or child psychotherapist.
You won’t be surprised to learn that there are also plenty of options within the education sector. In fact, you can even combine education and health by taking an online master’s degree in school counseling. Or, if you want to focus solely on the education side of things, options to consider include becoming a teaching assistant, special educational needs teacher, secondary school teacher, primary school teacher, museum education officer, learning mentor, English as a foreign language teacher, early years teacher, or a careers advisor.
The skills you will need in order to work with children
There is no denying that working with children can be incredibly rewarding. However, these jobs also require a lot of responsibility and they are not suitable for everyone. If you are going to work with children, it is important that you have the following skills:
- Strong regard for health and safety
- A professional attitude to work
- A respect for diversity and a non-judgmental approach
- Resilience
- Enthusiasm
- Good time management and organizational skills
- Problem-solving ability
- Creativity and imagination
- Adaptability
- Leadership skills
- The capacity to stay calm in stressful situations and to think on your feet
- The ability to work as part of a team
- Exceptional communication skills, including listening, verbal, and written
- A patient and caring nature
What sort of questions may you get asked during the interview?
If you are looking for the best teaching vacancies, it is important to be prepared so that you can stand out amongst all of the other candidates. You should research as much as possible about the school and you should do some mock interviews to get ready for the type of questions you may be asked. Below, we reveal some of the most commonly asked questions during teacher job interviews to give you a helping hand.
- If we did not appoint you, what would we be missing out on? This is a common interview question for all fields, not just teaching jobs, as it gives the candidate a great chance to sell him or herself and show what they are about. You need to stay away from the bog-standard answers that everyone gives. Really think about your personality and what sets you apart.
- Evaluate the lesson you gave as part of your interview – In most cases, you will need to teach a lesson as part of your interview. This can involve using technology such as . This is the case no matter whether you are going for secondary or primary school teaching jobs. This is a difficult task, especially as you have never met the students before and you are in an unfamiliar school. Nevertheless, it is important to show that you recognize when things are going well and that you can see room for improvement.
- Why do you want to work at this school? – The interviewer is going to be looking for someone who fits in well with . This is why it is so important to do your research about the school in question. If you haven’t, it will show. It is not just about showing the qualifications you have but it is about proving that you are going to fit into the school and the environment.
- If you heard some colleagues speaking about you, what would they be saying? A lot of headteachers love asking this question because it gives the candidate the chance to think about their team spirit and their contribution to the school organization. It can be very telling. For senior teacher jobs, asking what they want people to say about them in three years’ time is another common approach.
- Can you explain a behavior management strategy you have used in the past that has been successful? Of course, all teaching vacancies require effective behavioral management skills, and your potential employer will want you to display this. This is especially the case in current society whereby behavioral issues are widespread.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what it takes to work with children, as well as the different options that are available to you. If you still want to work with kids, it is worth researching each job title further and understanding your daily responsibilities in order to find the right career path for you. We also hope you now feel more confident about going to an interview. There is no such thing as too much practice. Make sure you answer the questions above, as well as others, to prepare.