Considering becoming a post-primary physics/maths teacher.

tautology

Hi guys! So, as the title of the thread states, I've been considering becoming a physics/maths secondary school teacher for a while now since I graduated. However, I have a couple of questions I need answered by people in the know.

I've worked with students before in my job as a tour guide. However, students are generally happy on these trips out, and discipline, if required, is generally handled by the teachers who accompany them (unless it's a particularly bad day!).

My primary concern about becoming a teacher is a classroom management one - I'm not sure I have the nerves of steel that might be required to control an unruly class. Would you say that you can learn how to effectively control a class, or does there need to be a natural ability there as well?

Another concern I have is how difficult it would be to find a stable job after I do the PGDE - is it really easier for a maths/science teacher to get a job? Would I have a hope?

I love the idea of helping kids discover the wonders of science. I do not like the idea of screwing up royally in my first year of teaching and having hellish classes to deal with until the summer. If anyone can give their own experiences or advice, it would help me out so much! Thanks!

dory

Just on the topic of it being easier for Science/Maths - I'm not too sure. This year the course (now called PDE, formerly PDGE and HDip) is full of people who working in the science industry and have been let go. Or others who just got sick of the lab. I found talking to a principal very useful before taking on the course. They should be able to tell you which subjects are good.

As for classroom management, I see some people have it naturally but I've seen it learned also. I'm not the expert on that so maybe someone else could answer that one.