Primary vs Secondary?

Magenta

Hello everyone
I am currently assessing career options and one thing I am interested is teaching.
My father and brother are both teachers so I guess you could say it's in the family. Also some of my friends are doing it and they love it.

I'm currently trying to decide if I'd prefer primary or secondary. Part of me is thinking secondary because I can specialise in 1 or 2 subjects (biology & maths) however it also means dealing with teenagers- my class in secondary school was a nightmare so I've seen how hard secondary teachers can get it.

At the moment I'm kind of favouring primary because small children tend to look up to their teachers more and be a bit more interested.

Which do you think is better and why?

dambarude

I was in the exact same position two years ago. I couldn't decided whether I'd do primary or secondary teaching (Science/maths as well).

I ended up doing primary, for the reasons you mentioned- discipline issues in secondary school, seeing how idiotic my fellow classmates could be with teachers (student teachers in particular). What also put me off was the lack of jobs in secondary, which you hear about so often in this very forum. At the time, the outlook for primary employment wasn't as bad, but it has deteriorated a lot since, due to changes to the pupil teacher ratio. I'm enjoying my course, and have had one teaching practice, with another to come.There is a great feeling when you see how much children enjoy a lesson, and take from it, which mightn't always be the case in secondary level.

While science and maths in primary level are obviously different to secondary, you still get to teach about light, electricity, and living things among many others. I loved these subjects in secondary school, and that was probably the main reason for wanting to teach them. That, and seeing the influence an interested and dedicated secondary teacher can have.

You do have to be a bit of a jack of all trades with primary though- since starting the course I've had to compose a song, perform a dance, have an irish oral, do presentations, make art portfolios/journals, write essays and much much more, all for examination. I have also had to pretend to be 'a toaster' during drama. If you enjoy diversity, you'll like primary teaching.

In Mary I and Pats you take an arts subject with the B.ed degree, meaning you could still study maths, or even biological sciences (for first year only), along with primary teaching.

byhookorbycrook

Magenta wrote: »

At the moment I'm kind of favouring primary because small children tend to look up to their teachers more and be a bit more interested.

Not true,juinor infants might look up to a teacher but that's more or less it. As to more interested, there is a huge range of ability in any infant class, from a child reading Harry Potter to a child who has never ever, even held a book .A child from a home where there is no culture of learing has to be motivated to become "interested" I LOVE primary because of the diversity, every day is different and poses new challenges but I know a girl who did secondary teaching, has the same view as you that primary teachers were heroes to their classes.

She lasted a weeksubbing in primary.:D
She couldn't hack things, like cleaning up pee- puddles, a child alive with head lice, a parentent who told her 6 yr old that he should beat up a neighbour's child in the yard,trying to differentiate the curriculum for the 30+ in her room, the mammy at the door complaining that X didn't wear their coat going to the yard and another mammy complaining that Y HAD to wear a coat.(All in the one week.)

Don't go for one above another by thinking one is "easier" han the other. See if you can do a few days observation in a primary school . You'll either love it or run miles!

PS Do you have honors Irish?

Magenta

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Not true,juinor infants might look up to a teacher but that's more or less it. As to more interested, there is a huge range of ability in any infant class, from a child reading Harry Potter to a child who has never ever, even held a book .A child from a home where there is no culture of learing has to be motivated to become "interested" I LOVE primary because of the diversity, every day is different and poses new challenges but I know a girl who did secondary teaching, has the same view as you that primary teachers were heroes to their classes.

She lasted a weeksubbing in primary.:D
She couldn't hack things, like cleaning up pee- puddles, a child alive with head lice, a parentent who told her 6 yr old that he should beat up a neighbour's child in the yard,trying to differentiate the curriculum for the 30+ in her room, the mammy at the door complaining that X didn't wear their coat going to the yard and another mammy complaining that Y HAD to wear a coat.(All in the one week.)

Don't go for one above another by thinking one is "easier" han the other. See if you can do a few days observation in a primary school . You'll either love it or run miles!

PS Do you have honors Irish?

Hi I have a D1 in honours Irish and I need a C3 but it doesn't matter because I'm applying to the UK (I'm a bit tired of Ireland and the deadline is gone here anyway).

implausible

Magenta wrote: »

Hi I have a D1 in honours Irish and I need a C3 but it doesn't matter because I'm applying to the UK (I'm a bit tired of Ireland and the deadline is gone here anyway).

It will matter if you ever want to teach here. You have to sit a college-standard Irish exam within 5years of starting here.

The idea of basing your decision of how badly/well behaved the kids are is a bit misguided. The truth is that you will run into discipline problems everywhere at every level, but if you're motivated and enjoy what you're doing, you'll find it a lot easier and more enjoyable.