Thinking about your next job move can be a daunting task, and thinking about a new career even more so. Teaching is both these things, but more than that is also a vocation. In today’s world, many jobs – and even whole careers – are disposable, with the average UK citizen changing jobs ten to fifteen times in a life time. So, with that said, what should make you consider the (potentially lifelong) commitment of teaching? The truth is, quite a lot.
A vocation, not just a job
Perhaps the simplest explanation of a vocation is ‘an occupation that requires dedication’, and certainly teaching requires plenty of that. Teaching is never short of challenges, and with that variety. Whether it’s holding the attention of the whole class, or working with students one on one, you will be taking part in shaping the next generation and sharing in their successes along the way.
A community, not just a workplace
Teaching is a social role that requires an articulate and imaginative person to fill it. You will get to work as part of a team with your colleagues while also guiding and leading students toward their potential every day. If you are the kind of person who flourishes through interaction there is probably no job in the world that can offer a more suitably engaging and diverse environment. Being a teacher is about being involved in a community, and one in which you will play a crucial part.
Learning, not just teaching
It’s also worth mentioning that teaching isn’t all about teaching. It’s about learning. As a qualified teacher, you will have the opportunity to pursue lifelong learning. You will get to keep exploring your topics to further your own understanding and share your knowledge with your class, building in them the same passion you hold for them yourself. You will also have access to one of the most powerful learning resources of all – the students. Ask any teacher if a perspective, insight or question from the class ever made them see something in a different light, and you’ll find it’s far more common than you might think.
Be Rewarded, not just employed
Not only will you find plentiful opportunities once qualified – teachers are in high demand in every part of the country (and even the world) – but you will be rewarded for it too. With most newly qualified teachers paid a starting salary of £23,720 (and in Inner London £29,664) you will also benefit from annual pay scale rises. Mature entrants, depending on previous experience, may start at an even higher level. It’s a career with potential too, as a head teacher can earn in excess of £100,000. And then there are the holidays.
Make a difference, not just a living
Then there’s the biggest draw to teaching of all, the chance to make a difference. Teaching is one of the few jobs in the world that can allow you to change other people’s lives on a daily basis. As the head of the class, you will be responsible for stoking passions, engaging minds and inspiring young people in ways that will stay with them for the rest of their lives- you might even shape what they do with their lives entirely. It’s this opportunity that most teachers cite as the reason they entered the profession, and the reason they remain within it.
Sound like teaching might be for you? If the answer is yes, then find out how to apply for University of Exeter’s acclaimed PGCE programmes today and get started on the road to change students’ lives, not just your own.