There are plenty of good reasons to look for a new job as a teacher. You might want to progress to a more challenging position, find a more specialised role or travel to a new location.
Whatever the reason for your search, here are some excellent ideas for making your job hunt more successful.
Picture the scenario – you’ve found what looks like the perfect job. You send off your application and manage to secure an interview. All you need to do is survive an hour of questions, maybe a lesson observation, and you’ll land your dream role.
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Even though teachers are used to classrooms full of pupils and handling difficult parents, even the most competent and confident educator can fall flat during an interview.
Did you know that a quarter of teachers in England work more than 60 hours a week, far in excess of their counterparts elsewhere in the world? Recent research found that teachers in England work 47 hours a week on average during term time, including marking, lesson planning and administration, going up to about 50 hours in the summer during the exam season.
It goes without saying that finding the time for anything other than your daily duties is extremely difficult. But what about helping trainee teachers who are taking their first tentative steps into schools? How can established teachers ensure that the next generation have the best experience possible?
As opposed to the vast majority of other job hunters, would-be teachers have got more factors to bear in mind when weighing up their options.
In addition to standard considerations like salary and location, you also have to think about the size of the school, its reputation, its culture, the behaviour of pupils and the personalities of staff. Therefore, striking the right balance isn’t easy and you may have to sacrifice one ideal for another.
However, here’s how you can make the most informed decision and find the right school to match to your requirements.