FAQs

Q: How do I know if I would make a good teacher?

A: The most basic test is to ask yourself whether you enjoy being with children and young people. A "yes" to that question is a basic requirement. Then you need to ask whether you enjoy helping people to learn. That is another basic requirement. There are also certain skills that you must either have or develop. One of these is having eyes in the back of your head or, put another way, being aware of what is going on around you and being able to pick up signals from other people. Probably the best thing you can do is to try doing some teaching in church or as a volunteer in a school. It is also important to talk to people who know you well. Can they imagine you as a teacher?

Q: Is there a specific Christian vocation of teaching?

A: It depends what you mean. Most Christian teachers don't experience a dramatic call like Jeremiah or Moses. However teaching is certainly a Christian ministry, which makes it more than 'just a job'. Some people know they want to be teachers from a very early age. Other teachers take a long time to discover this sense of calling. It is, however, important to believe that this is work God wants you to do; in other words that it is a calling. As such this makes teaching a vocation. People come to know they have a vocation or calling to teach in very different ways. You might find it helpful to read what some Christian teachers say about this.

Q: Does teaching have to be for life?

A: It is impossible to tell. Some teachers spend their whole lives in the classroom. Others move on into school leadership and become a head or principal. Others still take up other education related careers, for example as inspectors, consultants, authors, etc. Some will move into an entirely new career where the experience gained from teaching is invaluable, e.g. human resources work or business management. There is a range of possibilities. The important thing is to be listening to God's voice so that wherever you work you are following God's call and fulfilling our primary vocation of being faithful to him.

Q: How do I train to be a teacher?

A: There are lots of different training routes, some of them "on the job" with a salary and some of them as a student with a grant or loan. Whatever your circumstances, you ought to be able to find a route that suits you.

Q: Should I mention that I am a Christian in my application for a training place or a job?

A: The answer must be yes if your Christian faith is important to you, but how you do that might vary depending on the job or course that you are applying for. But you must use language that makes sense to someone who doesn't share your Christian convictions. And don't preach! Rather talk about your faith as a natural part of the person you are. For example you might talk about discovering your enthusiasm for teaching through working with young people in a church, or on your CV include working on Christian camps for young people or a year out with a Christian project.

Q: My church seems to expect teachers to lead a youth group or teach in Sunday School. Do I have to?

A: It is very important that you think through your response to this before you get asked. There are good reasons to be cautious. Teaching is a very demanding job and you may need to rest from it at weekends rather than do yet more in church. Most new teachers (and even experienced teachers) find teaching to be a 24/7 experience in that it is hard to switch off. So you may have to work hard to create space where you can focus on something else – and church may be the one place that you can. However it may be that you so love Sunday School or youth group that you cannot live without it. In which case that’s fine, as long as you remember the relationships with your pupils in school are different to those with young people in church. The important point is to manage your workload so you don’t overstretch yourself, and allow for refreshment and recreation.

Q: Will teaching interfere with my social life?

A: This depends on what sort of social life you are used to, but the answer is probably yes. Planning and assessment will always be part of your life and some of this will have to be done in evenings and at weekends. Then there are commitments like parents evenings which you must attend. As a teacher you must expect to have to juggle work and social life commitments and plan to include some real recreation in an otherwise busy week. You will need your holidays and must plan to make the most of them. And the research evidence is that teachers are rarely bored with their work, unlike many other professions.

Q: Will I be expected to work in my holidays?

A: It is unlikely that you will be required to be in school, but you will be expected to be well prepared to start the next term and, to be honest, that probably means doing some work in the holidays. But how you organise that is up to you.

Q: What are the rewards of teaching?

A: A major survey of graduates revealed that teachers are rarely bored. For most teachers the variety and stimulation are the most rewarding features of the job. The thrill of teaching a good lesson is hard to match. Watching your pupils grow and develop, learn and achieve is hugely rewarding. The pay and prospects are pretty good too – and there is a larger than average summer holiday.

Q: Teaching gets a bad press for being stressful. Is that true?

A: You are very unlikely to meet a teacher who thinks it is an easy job. Forget teaching if you are after a quiet life. But the stresses of teaching arise out of its being a challenging career. And that is what makes it fulfilling. You will have to be active in managing stress, but this is a skill that can be learnt.

Q: Is discipline deteriorating in schools?

A: Managing a classroom is a core task for teachers and that means ensuring that discipline is maintained. Most schools have high expectations for pupil behaviour and are some of the most orderly institutions that young people experience. But discipline is an important issue and is one of the two most quoted reasons for teachers being dissatisfied (the other is paperwork). Generally schools are positive places to be, but you will always have to work to maintain good discipline in your classroom. So yes, discipline is an issue, but creating an effective classroom environment is one of the rewards of the job.

Q: I have been told that the law doesn't allow me to talk about my Christian faith in the classroom. Is this true?

A: No. You are required to be balanced in your treatment of controversial issues, which means you cannot just talk about your own views. You will have to ensure your pupils know that there is difference of opinion. But given that, you can share your beliefs and experience. And you have to be sensitive. For example, talking about your faith must be appropriate to that lesson, or in response to pupil’s questioning.

Q: Can I work in a Christian school where I can be true to my own Christian faith and work with other people who share my commitment?

A: Yes. There are many different types of independent and state school, some of which are distinctively Christian. However teaching in a Christian school still requires you to work with colleagues and pupils who may come from a very different background from your own. So don't assume that working in a Christian school means that you don't have to engage with the diversity of opinion that exists in today's world.

Q: Can I refuse to teach something like sex education if I don't agree with the approach the school is taking? Can I disagree with another teacher's approach?

A: This question raises the more general question of how controversial issues are handled in schools. Firstly, you shouldn't be forced to teach a subject where you are not qualified properly. So it would be reasonable to request further training if you did not cover this in your initial teacher training. However, given that primary school teachers teach all subjects and secondary form tutors often teach Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), you may find yourself teaching topics like sex education. The key point is that the school is required to give a balanced presentation of views that are widely held in society. That means the school should not push one line (e.g. assume that all the class are sexually active, whether heterosexual, or in same sex relationships). There may be times when, in order to give a balanced presentation, you have to present views with which you disagree. It is actually healthy if pupils see that teachers disagree on controversial issues as it helps them appreciate that there is a debate. But it is obviously important that disagreement between teachers is dealt with appropriately.

Q: Will I be expected to lead assemblies because I am a Christian?

A: Not necessarily, but you may want to offer. Leading assemblies is certainly an opportunity for you to share your faith. But they are a demanding professional responsibility and not the same as giving a talk in a Christian context. So you need to seek training and advice on how to lead them. And don't make the mistake of accepting to lead lots of assemblies and then finding yourself overwhelmed by the work involved.

Q: Do most Christian teachers help with a Christian group in school?

A: Probably not. For example, some RE teachers don't help with a Christian group as they feel the pupils will get muddled between their lessons and the group meetings. Others want to be more involved in other aspects of school life. But Christian groups are very important in supporting Christian pupils and in reaching out to others, so it is important that Christian staff support the group. This maybe something you feel is for you. But don't assume that it necessarily goes with being a Christian teacher. You may well feel that God wants you to be involved in other extra-curricular activities like sports teams, rather than a Christian group.

Q: I have heard schools described as being secular. Does that mean schools are anti-Christian?

A: No. Secular is simply meant to mean that modern schools must meet the needs of pupils from all religious backgrounds and none. As a Christian teacher you will have to work with colleagues and pupils from all religions. There is a minority of extreme atheists who want to exclude all religion from schools, but most schools are very positive places for Christians to work. Schools are some of the most spiritual institutions in the country, with regular RE and assemblies and with a lot of attention given to creating a positive ethos. Indeed teachers are supposed to ensure that their lessons contribute to the spiritual development of their pupils.