USEFUL SUBJECT CHOICES
To be a teacher it is very helpful to have done some basic literacy, numeracy and ICT skills all the way up into year twelve because they are needed all of the time when teaching. In year twelve and leading up to year twelve it is helpful to know what kind of teacher you want to be. For example if you wanted to be a science teacher then you would normally take one or two science subjects in year twelve because that would put you a head of the rest of the pack in university. I want to be a music, science and Italian teacher so I have already chosen to do stage 1 Italian and music for a full year and I really want to keep going with science until I finish year twelve. I believe that these subjects will help me be the best I can be in university and really excel because what I think is that there is no point in doing a career that you don't enjoy or jump up to do everyday with enthusiasm.
key skills
As mentioned previously basic literacy, numeracy and ICT are helpful to be a teacher. Teachers need literacy skills because they are frequently checking students work and writing feedback, they also have to know what students are saying especially if they have great grammar and word skills. Numeracy is needed to add up scores on tests and assignments but it is now needed less and less because there are calculators on phones, computers and it is very easy to bring a small calculator with you. Over the years ICT skills have become more important because teachers are now typing the assignments up on computers and they have spell check so it is not as much of importance as it use to be; for example the computer is now used to mark the role and also it is one of the key forms of communication at SHCS so it is important to be educated in that aspect.
employability skills
There are many employability skills needed to be a teacher but these are just a few:
CONFIDENCE: Knowing what you're talking about and being confident about knowing the information is a very important skill because if you did not have this skill then the lessons would be boring because you, as the teacher would just be reading out of a text book and that is not being very engaging. The second point is you need to be able to talk in front of different groups of students, parents and staff members; this can be very hard at times but as a teacher I believe that the confidence needs to be bought up to a higher level so that you feel okay talking to anyone, no matter who the audience is. Not only is confidence needed in yourself but also in your peers and students. If you do not have confidence in them then I think that they would find it very hard to have confidence in you and your teaching methods (the confidence goes both ways).
COMMUNICATION: Everything that a teacher does involves communication. Teachers are required to use different types of communication for different people; for example, teachers do not talk to the students the same way they speak to the principal, vice versa. The teacher needs to be able to communicate to the students when they need to do the task, explain thoroughly what the task is and when the due date is (those are just basic communication skills for being a teacher). People that the teachers need to communicate with are the following: Students, parents, school community, senior staff, other staff in general to work cooperatively and maybe even other people in the community who have any inquiries.
PUNCTUALITY: This is a great skill to have no matter what job you are in. Punctuality is especially needed when you are a teacher because you are not allowed to keep the students waiting in a class room for half an hour while you are stuck in traffic; as a teacher you have to plan a head- if you know that there will be heavy traffic then leave earlier so that you miss the traffic and can be at school on time. You also need to be punctual so that you don't miss out on anything that is being communicated e.g. at a meeting, there could be some vital information missed out because of not being on time (punctual).
ORGANISATION: If you are not organised as a teacher then it is very hard not to be punctual so most of these skills are all linked. It is important to be organised because you need to set a good example for the children- if you are not organised, how can you expect anyone else to be organised. It is always good to have neat and organised desks/ folders when being a teacher so that when a student needs a sheet or grade back it can be easily located. Organisation is also needed when being a teacher because you have to have all worksheets and class work done before every lesson; you cannot just decide what you want to do at the start of the lesson you have to plan a head.
CONFIDENCE: Knowing what you're talking about and being confident about knowing the information is a very important skill because if you did not have this skill then the lessons would be boring because you, as the teacher would just be reading out of a text book and that is not being very engaging. The second point is you need to be able to talk in front of different groups of students, parents and staff members; this can be very hard at times but as a teacher I believe that the confidence needs to be bought up to a higher level so that you feel okay talking to anyone, no matter who the audience is. Not only is confidence needed in yourself but also in your peers and students. If you do not have confidence in them then I think that they would find it very hard to have confidence in you and your teaching methods (the confidence goes both ways).
COMMUNICATION: Everything that a teacher does involves communication. Teachers are required to use different types of communication for different people; for example, teachers do not talk to the students the same way they speak to the principal, vice versa. The teacher needs to be able to communicate to the students when they need to do the task, explain thoroughly what the task is and when the due date is (those are just basic communication skills for being a teacher). People that the teachers need to communicate with are the following: Students, parents, school community, senior staff, other staff in general to work cooperatively and maybe even other people in the community who have any inquiries.
PUNCTUALITY: This is a great skill to have no matter what job you are in. Punctuality is especially needed when you are a teacher because you are not allowed to keep the students waiting in a class room for half an hour while you are stuck in traffic; as a teacher you have to plan a head- if you know that there will be heavy traffic then leave earlier so that you miss the traffic and can be at school on time. You also need to be punctual so that you don't miss out on anything that is being communicated e.g. at a meeting, there could be some vital information missed out because of not being on time (punctual).
ORGANISATION: If you are not organised as a teacher then it is very hard not to be punctual so most of these skills are all linked. It is important to be organised because you need to set a good example for the children- if you are not organised, how can you expect anyone else to be organised. It is always good to have neat and organised desks/ folders when being a teacher so that when a student needs a sheet or grade back it can be easily located. Organisation is also needed when being a teacher because you have to have all worksheets and class work done before every lesson; you cannot just decide what you want to do at the start of the lesson you have to plan a head.
personal/ physical skills and attributes
RESPONSIBLE: Being a teacher you have to be responsible for ALL of the students in the class room because you are the responsible adult in the room. You have to be mature and tell them off when they are in the wrong e.g. throwing scissors.
TIME MANAGEMENT: You need to manage your own time along with the classes time (allocate time to do certain tasks etc.) You need to be able to be fit in meetings, classes and marking the students work with have a balance- time management is needed for all of these skills.
PATIENCE: As a teacher you need to have patience with the students that are not performing very well or the students who are choosing to be rebellious and uninterested.
RESILIENCE: As a teacher you need to be able to put up with students who are starting fights with you- these students may be swearing, yelling or abusing you- you need to be able to control your own temper as well as the situation you are in. You can not just sit there and take the abuse, you have to make sure they know who is boss and just keep calm and not lash out/ become defending.
PHYSICAL: To be a teacher you need to be mentally fit to put up with the challenges that each lesson will throw at you along with being fit enough to maybe climb some stairs. Being a teacher, fitness is not the most important aspect it is more about what you know and can teach. However if you were a P.E. teacher then you would have to be a reasonably fit person to be able to teach the certain areas you would teach in school P.E.
TIME MANAGEMENT: You need to manage your own time along with the classes time (allocate time to do certain tasks etc.) You need to be able to be fit in meetings, classes and marking the students work with have a balance- time management is needed for all of these skills.
PATIENCE: As a teacher you need to have patience with the students that are not performing very well or the students who are choosing to be rebellious and uninterested.
RESILIENCE: As a teacher you need to be able to put up with students who are starting fights with you- these students may be swearing, yelling or abusing you- you need to be able to control your own temper as well as the situation you are in. You can not just sit there and take the abuse, you have to make sure they know who is boss and just keep calm and not lash out/ become defending.
PHYSICAL: To be a teacher you need to be mentally fit to put up with the challenges that each lesson will throw at you along with being fit enough to maybe climb some stairs. Being a teacher, fitness is not the most important aspect it is more about what you know and can teach. However if you were a P.E. teacher then you would have to be a reasonably fit person to be able to teach the certain areas you would teach in school P.E.