What to do next year?
15th October, 2016
As he nears the end of his university degree, Alex considers the future and some options for next year
As I and many of my university colleagues come to the end of our four year teaching degree, decisions about next year loom. What to do? It seems almost a ridiculous question to some people you ask, as they promptly answer, “Uh... teach? What else would I do?” However, others you talk to are looking to some other options; unsurprisingly after four years of study many are thinking of travel, while some people just aren’t ready to begin full time work. Although I’m in the “I must teach!” category, looking into next year started me wondering – what are the options? Let’s explore some.
Teach full-time
After pondering on it for a while I can say with great certainty that I am ready to teach – and that is my hope for next year! There are a number of benefits I can see, the first being the idea of having my own classroom. As we have progressed through each placement I have felt my teaching ability develop and there is the push to get out there next year and see what I’m made of! Also, having a salary would be nice – as many pre-service teachers will agree, working part-time and studying as well often leaves you tired and lacking in money. However, there are some challenges ahead. Working five days a week will no doubt leave me an exhausted husk of a human being for the first few months. And as we all know, teaching is no easy job; there’s planning, staff meetings, school activities and general day-to-day lessons! I completely understand that some people might need some time to themselves before they start something as intense as teaching. So what other options are there?
Work as a casual relief teacher
One clear alternative is casual relief teaching and it has a number of benefits. Firstly, no planning – you show up on the day and take the class! Casual relief teaching also pays well – it’s better than working full-time in a cafe and you get the chance to develop your teaching skills. It’s also the perfect way to set yourself up for a full-time job; you’re in the school working, you know the staff and they know you. However, casual relief teaching can be stressful, there will be hard classes where you haven’t had the chance to build a relationship with the students and the teacher might not have left a plan for the day! Also, the work isn’t assured – you might end up not working as often as you would like. Relief teaching may appeal to some, but not to others. So, are there any other options? Here are a few you may want to consider...
Take some time off. You’ve worked hard. Most university students study full-time and work as well – you deserve a break! Finishing study is the perfect time to earn some money over the summer holidays and take off to somewhere exotic.
Look into teaching overseas. I’ve got two close friends who are both teachers and taking off next year to England to teach! There are numerous overseas options and England is definitely a popular one – there are various teaching agencies that will set you up with work and help you get over there.
Work as an integration aide. This is an extremely rewarding job and will no doubt help you develop your teaching skills, without the stresses of being a full-time teacher.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that there are a number of options for next year, don’t get stuck thinking you HAVE to be a full-time teacher! Four years of study is a long time, don’t be afraid to take a break or make a change – whatever you do, just be glad you’re finishing your degree! The wide world awaits!
- Alex