Jobs in Education

Job choices in the education sector

Working in the education sector can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience and there are many different roles within this area not just being a classroom teacher. If you decide that you want to work with children in education in some capacity starting out as a classroom teacher or working as a teaching assistant will give you a powerful insight into just what is involved and whether working on the chalk face is for you.

Working in a classroom has its advantages as you get to build up a relationship with the pupils in the class helping them to achieve their potential academically and to progress in other non-academic ways too. There will be a high level of planning and record keeping if you are the teacher in charge of the class but as a teaching assistant you may be required to feed back to the teacher about the progress of particular children or groups. The main difference between the two roles is the level of responsibility and accountability that is required.

If you decide that you want to train as a teacher then it is necessary to study to degree level in a chosen subject. This is true for anyone who wants to work professionally with children be it a child psychologist, learning support teacher or supply teacher. A teaching assistant role however does not require a degree but anyone wanting to enter into this role should have a good standard of education and possibly a vocational qualification for some roles. A higher-level teaching assistant would generally need to have studied for a level three BTEC in a subject relevant to education.

As previously stated another of the roles in the education sector involves working with pupils who have additional needs which may be educational, behavioural or physical. These children need professional help to enable them to get the most out of the education system and to reach their potential. This role can be very rewarding but can also be frustrating as often children with additional needs make slow progress and so small goals will need to be set to allow them to achieve. Although not being tied to one classroom can be a benefit it may be tricky to be able to communicate with the already busy teacher how the child is progressing. Written reports each term or even half-termly will be necessary to keep the school and parents informed.