Introduction

Andy Davies and Mel Norman

This book is designed for anyone considering becoming a secondary teacher. The aim is to gain a 'warts and all' insight into the realities of such a choice, covering everything from the application process to the day-to-day realities of thriving as a secondary teacher. The writers of each chapter are all currently involved in a range of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) pathways and programmes, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses and different partnerships with a range of schools, following experience as successful secondary teachers. The information, ideas and advice are based upon their experience as teachers, teacher educators and researchers of teachers' professional learning in a wide variety of different settings. We should point out that, while advice contained in this book is relevant to readers interested in teaching in various contexts in all parts of the UK, the sections on policy and curriculum frameworks focus on England.

Structure and content of the book

The book is structured to help you to understand teaching and schools. Education, like any profession, is full of acronyms and technical language that can initially feel confusing and hard to understand. The Jargon Buster at the beginning of the book is a glossary of key terms used throughout this book, one which will give you the answer to many of the questions you may be too afraid to ask!

To help you to engage with the topics explored in Chapters 2–11 the following learning features are included.

* Reflective tasks: these are activities and questions designed to help you thoughtfully engage with the text. They will help you to better understand the topics and ultimately make up your mind about whether to get into secondary teaching.

* Pupil / teacher / student voice: these 'voice boxes' share the experiences of those involved in secondary teaching, helping to provide a rounded picture of the realities of learning to teach and working in secondary schools.

* Research focus: these summaries of important and influential research projects are designed to give you an informed and evidence-based understanding of different aspects of secondary teaching.

* Progress checklist: at the end of each chapter these sections summarise key points and help you to track your route towards a potential application for ITE.

* Taking it further: here you are given resources to follow up on issues raised in each chapter. Books, blogs and other web links are included that give an accessible and deeper insight into the topics discussed.

In Chapter 2, Andy Davies and Tom Newlands help you to consider the question 'Is secondary teaching for me?' A range of views from student teachers, newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and more experienced practitioners are considered, alongside the voices of those who have decided that teaching is not for them. This is complemented by discussion of the differences between primary and secondary teaching. Common myths about secondary teaching are evaluated and contrasted with the realities, as evidenced by research and the accounts of those involved in teaching. Activities are presented that encourage personal reflection on the fundamental question of whether secondary teaching is for you and how you would address this in a potential application.

In Chapter 3, Paul Dickinson summarises and clarifies the different pathways you can choose to follow to become a secondary teacher. He presents an overview of the core elements that are likely to exist in any of these pathways and explains the key differences between them to help you select the right route for you. This chapter situates current pathways within the context of recent government policy in England, including the growth of school-based pathways such as School direct. Comments from current students and qualified teachers about the particular routes they have chosen are highlighted in order to provide a sense of what factors recent applicants have considered when applying for their chosen pathway and how they subsequently feel about those decisions.

In Chapter 4, Mel norman explores current education policy and its impact on secondary teachers and their working lives. Current policy priorities are discussed and the impact of policy reforms on teachers and those learning to teach are highlighted. Policy changes to the curriculum, public examinations and teacher professionalism are addressed as well as the significant, and not always welcome, influence of Ofsted. The chapter also discusses the diverse nature of schools and offers you an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of working in a different school environment, including free schools, academies, faith schools, grammar schools and maintained schools, and what each of these offer both pupils and teachers.

In Chapter 5, Gary Stidder and andy davies focus on the nature of professional learning as a teacher. The processes and challenges of qualifying as a secondary teacher are framed by an investigation of the current (at the time of writing) Teachers' Standards (dfE, 2013) that need to be met to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You are guided through the demands of these Teachers' Standards from the perspectives of recently qualified teachers, who discuss challenges and the strategies they have used to overcome them. The importance of a rounded experience in learning to be a teacher is also explored so that the place and purpose of the academic study of education is discussed and explained, including how and why theory and assignment writing relate to practical school-based work. Finally, there is a focus on the role of subject mentor support for student teachers and other aspects of the school placement experience, including workload management.

In Chapter 6, Brian Marsh and Chris Sweeney discuss the importance of subject knowledge and expertise in secondary education. The need to have a passion for a subject specialism and the ability to inspire the same in others is described as being at the heart of effective secondary teaching. The importance for teachers to continually develop and enhance their understanding of subject knowledge and the ability to develop understanding of that subject in others is the chapter's key theme. This is supported by the voices of new and more experienced teachers discussing how they engage with such challenges.

In Chapter 7, Sally Johnson and Sarah Poore focus on the demands of classroom practice. This gives you an insight into school life from the point of view of the different parties involved: school staff, ITE tutors, pupils and parents. The chapter considers the strategies teachers use to maintain their well-being and to deal with the stresses, strains and also the benefits of working in schools. Classroom practice is explored by considering the challenges of behaviour management and developing an inclusive learning environment. There is also discussion of the challenges of working with different groups of learners and the ways in which teachers support the progress of all pupils through strategies such as differentiation and the monitoring of progress data.

In Chapter 8, Karen Murray-hall and Mel norman focus on the main challenges of working with secondary school age pupils. The chapter explores the great responsibilities teachers face as role models and how supporting young people goes beyond the remit of being a subject specialist. This role encompasses the well-being and development of every pupil beyond the academic; it involves the development of the child as a person, not just as a pupil. This can include responsibility for personal, social, health and economic education (PShE), dealing with individual pupil issues, home-school liaison and safeguarding. The voices of pupils and the teachers who work with them are presented to give a rounded picture of the realities of working with young people.

In Chapter 9, Nickey Brown and Mark Boylan address what is needed to thrive as a teacher. This chapter considers the skills, attributes and dispositions needed to be a successful teacher in the profession today. The chapter encourages you to engage in reflective exercises to examine different metaphors for teaching and to self-reflect on your strengths and qualities in relation to these and how they link to your values and aims as a teacher. Models of resilience are discussed and readers are encouraged to develop strategies for self-care to support their well-being to thrive as a teacher both during ITE and throughout their careers.

In Chapter 10, Bhavna Prajapat and Steve Roberts guide you through the entire ITE application process from choosing a pathway to completing a written application before giving advice on what to expect in a formal interview. There is consideration of how to learn from school visits before an interview, how to identify what your training needs are and how to find out about different providers that suit your preferences. Advice on the application process provided in this chapter draws upon particular insights from the range of professionals typically involved in admissions and reflects on the particular role each plays in making the decisions to: a) invite the applicant to interview; and b) offer a place on the course to the successful applicant. The chapter also discusses the range and variety of possible tasks and challenges that different subject pathways and different provider institutions may set as requirements for the interview process, as well as providing guidance on passing the literacy and numeracy Skills Tests. The chapter gives you guidance on how to request feedback following unsuccessful interviews, and concludes on the more positive note of how successful applicants can maintain and develop their relationship with the chosen provider after accepting an offer of a place on their course.

The conclusion of this book identifies and summarises key themes discussed in the preceding chapters. It continues by considering secondary teaching in the contemporary context, discussing current employment prospects and the importance of engaging in continuing professional development before discussing how current reforms are likely to impact on secondary education.

Is secondary teaching for you?

Andy Davies and Tom Newlands

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this chapter is to support you in making an informed decision about whether or not to apply to become a secondary teacher. We wouldn't be contributing to this book and writing the chapter unless we believed that teaching is a worthwhile, challenging and rewarding choice of career, but we are keenly aware that it is not for everyone. This chapter enables you to engage with a range of views from student teachers, more experienced practitioners, admissions tutors and those who have left the profession, as well as findings from relevant research projects. Reflective activities are presented to support you in considering crucial questions about whether secondary teaching is for you. These are drawn together in the progress checklist later in this chapter. While we seek to provide a rounded view of what secondary teaching is like, this chapter should be read in conjunction with observation visits to secondary schools and conversations with practising teachers. The importance of these visits and conversations cannot be overemphasised. It would be unwise to make such a life-changing decision without them.

As a secondary teacher you would be joining a large profession of talented and dedicated individuals. Currently in England there are an estimated 213,000 secondary teachers working in 3000 state schools and academies responsible for around 3 million pupils (DfE, 2014a). Rates of employment for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) are excellent, with 94 per cent of secondary NQTs reported as being in employment after finishing their ITE in 2013 (DfE/NCTL, 2014).

This is a profession that welcomes people with a range of skills and attributes from a variety of backgrounds and at different stages of their lives. Among the characteristics of those undertaking secondary ITE in 2013:

* 96 per cent followed a postgraduate route into teaching;

* 63 per cent were female;

* 16 per cent were from ethnic minority groups;

* 53 per cent were 25 years of age or older.

(Smithers et al, 2013)

The choice of career of a secondary teacher works for a lot of different people, but it is still a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Why teach?

The question 'Is secondary teaching for you?' is one of many serious questions that you may be asking yourself others may be:

* Why am I considering teaching?

* Do I have the skills to be a secondary teacher?

* Am I resilient enough to deal with the challenges of working in a secondary school?

However, before you think about secondary teaching more specifically you will have thought – or else need to think – about why you want to teach in general.

'Why teach?' is a question you will certainly need to address on your application forms and at interviews, whichever pathway into teaching you take. Answers to this question are varied and underlying these are motivations, ideals and values that say something about you and your potential teacher identity. It is not a question that you should be asking only at this point but one that you should revisit throughout your teaching career, as part of being a critically reflective practitioner.

Your decision about whether to teach or not, your choice of primary or secondary teaching and your proposed subject specialism will be related to and shaped by your experiences in education and beyond. Your prior life experience is unique and you can use this to bring something valuable and different to teaching.

Why secondary teaching?

In making the choice to become a secondary teacher it is important to reflect on the similarities and differences between primary and secondary schools and what it is that potentially attracts you to the latter. Table 2.1 compares characteristics of primary and secondary schools.

It may be that you feel you can relate more to an older age group and look forward to the challenge of teaching adolescents, in what are very formative years. One of the main reasons for choosing secondary teaching is a passion or enthusiasm for a particular subject. This may be a subject that you enjoyed at school, was taught well and then chose to study at university, though not necessarily. Furthermore, other reasons may be the challenge of inspiring a love of a subject in pupils, the opportunity to focus on it at GCSE and even A level and a philosophical commitment to the value of the subject in the secondary education of the whole child. Compared to primary teaching there is less contact time with the pupils you teach; more pupils will be taught per week and you will work with a range of year groups rather than one, and this variety may appeal to you.

Tim trained to be a primary school teacher, working in that setting for ten years before undertaking a two-year secondment in a secondary school as an English teacher. He provides insights into the nature of these two phases.

The broader context

The questions 'Why teach?' and 'Why secondary teaching?' can be asked at a personal level but should also be considered within the broader political and social context. The central importance of education for a country's well-being and economic prospects means that schooling is a topic of national significance. Education is a key part of every government's agenda, meaning that the nature of the job and the day-to-day experiences of teachers are subject to continual change as new governments come to power. ongoing change is a feature of every teaching career. Furthermore, images of secondary education in the media do not always paint a positive picture of the profession with, for example, news of pay negotiations, industrial action, teacher disillusionment and resignations. It is therefore important to familiarise yourself with the nature of secondary teaching in order to decide whether or not it is for you.