Further Education teacher/lecturer?
Discussion
Hello all,
I was wondering if there were any discussion groups for further education teachers? I'd like to teach maths, science or engineering.
I'm a technical sales engineer at the minute, have 12 years experience across power/O&G/automotive and a garage full of old bikes I'm fixing up. I also haved a degree in mechanical engineering, but not a good grade(though from a Russel group Uni). I did go to one event, but I was basically told that whilst this guy here had a first in testicle-juggling and meeja, he was somehow perfectly qualified, but they wouldn't even let me on the teacher training course because of my grade.
which took the wind out of my sails a bit.
I'm not looking to leave NOW, but thought if there's anything I can be doing now to make myself a better prospect for when the time comes, evening classes and such then it would be worth asking. The way I look at it is I either enjoy being a sales engineer and keep doing it, having spent some of my free time doing stuff I find interesting, or I get tired of being on the road and I've qualified myself for a job I'd enjoy more, almost accidentally.
Cheers
I was wondering if there were any discussion groups for further education teachers? I'd like to teach maths, science or engineering.
I'm a technical sales engineer at the minute, have 12 years experience across power/O&G/automotive and a garage full of old bikes I'm fixing up. I also haved a degree in mechanical engineering, but not a good grade(though from a Russel group Uni). I did go to one event, but I was basically told that whilst this guy here had a first in testicle-juggling and meeja, he was somehow perfectly qualified, but they wouldn't even let me on the teacher training course because of my grade.
which took the wind out of my sails a bit.I'm not looking to leave NOW, but thought if there's anything I can be doing now to make myself a better prospect for when the time comes, evening classes and such then it would be worth asking. The way I look at it is I either enjoy being a sales engineer and keep doing it, having spent some of my free time doing stuff I find interesting, or I get tired of being on the road and I've qualified myself for a job I'd enjoy more, almost accidentally.
Cheers
Family member has just secured a role at a further education college teaching her specialist subject. She will undergo PGCE training alongside her teaching and it’s fully funded by her employer. She has a good first degree and a fair bit of industry experience.
She saw the ad, went along to have a look, liked what she saw and applied. She starts in 2 weeks.
She saw the ad, went along to have a look, liked what she saw and applied. She starts in 2 weeks.
Opposite end of the country to you but I get emails literally every day from FE/UNI looking for appointments. This came though today...
Hello "21TonyK",
How are you?
I am working with a FE College in the South West who are looking to appoint 2 full time permanent Engineering Assessors to their work based learning team.
They are looking for;
1 Mechanical Engineering Assessor
1 Electrical Engineering Assessor
You will be required to assess a case load of students up to level 2/3 in either mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.
The ideal candidate will be A1 / TAQA (Assessors Award) qualified but they are also accepting applications from industry candidates who are interested in moving into an assessor role.
If these opportunities are of interest to you or someone you know forward me an updated cv with your contact details attached and your salary expectations and I will be in contact with you to discuss the roles in further detail.
Many thanks, Nicholi
Hello "21TonyK",
How are you?
I am working with a FE College in the South West who are looking to appoint 2 full time permanent Engineering Assessors to their work based learning team.
They are looking for;
1 Mechanical Engineering Assessor
1 Electrical Engineering Assessor
You will be required to assess a case load of students up to level 2/3 in either mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.
The ideal candidate will be A1 / TAQA (Assessors Award) qualified but they are also accepting applications from industry candidates who are interested in moving into an assessor role.
If these opportunities are of interest to you or someone you know forward me an updated cv with your contact details attached and your salary expectations and I will be in contact with you to discuss the roles in further detail.
Many thanks, Nicholi
- **************
Wife taught STEM in Oxfordshire teaching years 7-13, 12+13 is FE I think?
Loved the teaching element and making a difference to the pupils; hated the nonsense that came with it politically and the lack of organisation from the Senior Management Team.Supposedly at one of the better state schools too, in an affluent area.
Being at the start of the career ladder, the money was terrible too, she wasn't managed properly with workload and not given the right support. Did a few years then came out, retrained with a Masters and now is a Quality Manager for a defense company; apparently it's far less stressful!
Loved the teaching element and making a difference to the pupils; hated the nonsense that came with it politically and the lack of organisation from the Senior Management Team.Supposedly at one of the better state schools too, in an affluent area.
Being at the start of the career ladder, the money was terrible too, she wasn't managed properly with workload and not given the right support. Did a few years then came out, retrained with a Masters and now is a Quality Manager for a defense company; apparently it's far less stressful!
I've just finished my 2nd week as lecturer in Maritime Studies (plus a few weeks prep time before the students were in).
It was never my plan, but after deciding to leave the merchant navy I was in need of a new career. After an informal interview leading nowhere at the start of this year, I eventually found myself receiving a call back. Had an interview, did a micro-teach and was offered a job without any prior teaching experience and just a foundation degree to my name.
It's a lot to take on at the start but it's going well and I start on my DET course next week (all funded).
It was never my plan, but after deciding to leave the merchant navy I was in need of a new career. After an informal interview leading nowhere at the start of this year, I eventually found myself receiving a call back. Had an interview, did a micro-teach and was offered a job without any prior teaching experience and just a foundation degree to my name.
It's a lot to take on at the start but it's going well and I start on my DET course next week (all funded).
I did exactly the same as the above back in 2008 and left an IT job to become an IT lecturer at the local FE college teaching post 16 and degree level.
YMMV but, for me, it was a massive mistake. There were positives, over ten years later I'm still friends with a lot of the students I taught, and it's been very worthwhile seeing how their careers in IT have prospered and knowing I had a small part to play in that.
However, the negatives were a lot more:
1 - The hours you are expected to work are unbelievable. I was doing at least 60-70 hours including working Sundays
2 - On top of that, you're expected to do all the parents evenings, open evenings, etc which ran until 2100. There were six of those IIRC.
3 - I was kicked right into the deep end, and was teaching almost immediately with no training or material given to me. So I had to build courses, with no experience, essentially on my own. If I had been Ofsted inspected it would have been a massive fail as I was basically just talking.
4 - If a student turns up and can't be arsed to learn, or is just there instead of being on the dole (I had a few of those) no blame whatsoever is put on them. It felt like everything was put on the lecturer
5 - Similarly, if there are not enough students to run the course they will basically let anyone on to get the numbers up
6 - No one who has done it will understand how difficult it is (you only have to read the threads on here). Everyone will rattle on about 6 weeks off in the summer or whatever it is. The reality is you work a lot of the holidays to catch up from the previous term, or to prepare for the next.
7 - In order to be 'Ofsted outstanding' your lessons have to cater for all abilities (including people who have conditions like dyslexia or dyspraxia) and cover a wide range of teaching methologies (visual, aural, kinaesthetic, etc). So it's not just an hour of rattling away at the front of the class, or getting your students to do a task.
I left university in 1999 and being an FE lecturer was the hardest job I've ever done and I would honestly rather do anything else than do it again. It really is a vocation and you have to love it to want to do it.
YMMV but, for me, it was a massive mistake. There were positives, over ten years later I'm still friends with a lot of the students I taught, and it's been very worthwhile seeing how their careers in IT have prospered and knowing I had a small part to play in that.
However, the negatives were a lot more:
1 - The hours you are expected to work are unbelievable. I was doing at least 60-70 hours including working Sundays
2 - On top of that, you're expected to do all the parents evenings, open evenings, etc which ran until 2100. There were six of those IIRC.
3 - I was kicked right into the deep end, and was teaching almost immediately with no training or material given to me. So I had to build courses, with no experience, essentially on my own. If I had been Ofsted inspected it would have been a massive fail as I was basically just talking.
4 - If a student turns up and can't be arsed to learn, or is just there instead of being on the dole (I had a few of those) no blame whatsoever is put on them. It felt like everything was put on the lecturer
5 - Similarly, if there are not enough students to run the course they will basically let anyone on to get the numbers up
6 - No one who has done it will understand how difficult it is (you only have to read the threads on here). Everyone will rattle on about 6 weeks off in the summer or whatever it is. The reality is you work a lot of the holidays to catch up from the previous term, or to prepare for the next.
7 - In order to be 'Ofsted outstanding' your lessons have to cater for all abilities (including people who have conditions like dyslexia or dyspraxia) and cover a wide range of teaching methologies (visual, aural, kinaesthetic, etc). So it's not just an hour of rattling away at the front of the class, or getting your students to do a task.
I left university in 1999 and being an FE lecturer was the hardest job I've ever done and I would honestly rather do anything else than do it again. It really is a vocation and you have to love it to want to do it.
Id take FE over a secondary school.
You'd need to study a level 4/or DTLLS/PGCE
Most FE's are struggling financially - they are the cinderella of the education world. Be prepared to get piece meal hours until someone leaves/retires. However, one possible thing to consider (and flying in the face of my advice higher up) is speaking to a near by UTC?
You'd need to study a level 4/or DTLLS/PGCE
Most FE's are struggling financially - they are the cinderella of the education world. Be prepared to get piece meal hours until someone leaves/retires. However, one possible thing to consider (and flying in the face of my advice higher up) is speaking to a near by UTC?
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