Becoming a maths teacher

Blue giant

I'm a third year maths student in UCD. I've never known what I wanted to do but liked maths so just decided to study maths in college. It's just now that I realise that I might like to be a maths teacher. A lot of the jobs that use a lot of maths are very stressful and involve long hours and that's not something I want. I also enjoy helping people and often helped other students in class when I was in school. I have a few questions regarding about becoming a maths teacher and potential employment.

Most teachers have two subjects. How would only having maths as a subject work for finding jobs? Is there even many jobs out there at all? I was also wondering what the PME involves. I'd also love to hear anyone's experience in being a maths teacher.

RealJohn

Maths is a core subject so there tend to be more hours going as a single subject but you are still unlikely to get full hours on just maths, not that you’re likely to get full hours or anything like it for the first few years anyway.

You must have other subjects that you did a year or two of though. You’re not supposed to be teaching anything that you don’t have to degree level but school don’t always (and in fact, I’d say rarely) stick rigidly to that - you’ll very likely get a class or two teaching whatever subject you claim is your second subject, regardless of what level you got to, unless it’s something like applied maths, which wouldn’t be in high demand in secondary schools.

Currently, employment prospects aren’t good but then, by the time you finish your degree and your masters to qualify as a teacher, the job situation might be better since it’s probably reaching breaking point at the moment so some government are probably going to bump up the number of teaching jobs temporarily to make themselves look good and it might well be this one or the next one.

RealJohn

As for experience as a maths teacher, get used to “why do we have to learn this? When are we going to use this in real life?”, “I’m just not able to do maths”, “I’m number dyslexic” and, from parents, “I wasn’t any good at maths in school either”.

It’s a nice subject to teach some of the time too though. Sometimes, a kid will be struggling with something and then it’ll just click with them and they’re delighted. I’m not sure there are many subjects that you’ll see that in in quite the same way and it’s very satisfying, albeit short lived (usually).

2011abc

I think you will find a rapidly decreasing number of teachers who would not describe their job as ‘ stressful and involving long hours ‘.

Blue giant

RealJohn wrote: »

Maths is a core subject so there tend to be more hours going as a single subject but you are still unlikely to get full hours on just maths, not that you’re likely to get full hours or anything like it for the first few years anyway.

You must have other subjects that you did a year or two of though. You’re not supposed to be teaching anything that you don’t have to degree level but school don’t always (and in fact, I’d say rarely) stick rigidly to that - you’ll very likely get a class or two teaching whatever subject you claim is your second subject, regardless of what level you got to, unless it’s something like applied maths, which wouldn’t be in high demand in secondary schools.

I wouldn't have done anymore than a module or two of other subjects. I've done a few geology, business and applied maths modules but mostly just pure maths modules and having looked up the requirements online I'm not close to having studied enough modules to teach anything bar maths.

I think you will find a rapidly decreasing number of teachers who would not describe their job as ‘ stressful and involving long hours ‘.

I understand that being a teacher is no walk in the park and have a few relations who are teachers so see first hand all the work they have to do outside of school. I think it would also be foolish to suggest though that it wouldn't be less stressful and have a better work/life balance than some of the other jobs open to me like trading, investment banking, consultancy etc. The only thing that would attract me to these jobs would be the pay anyway as I don't think I'd enjoy them whereas I do think I could enjoy being a teacher (at least some of the time).

amacca

Blue giant wrote: »

I think it would also be foolish to suggest though that it wouldn't be less stressful and have a better work/life balance than some of the other jobs open to me like trading, investment banking, consultancy etc.

I wouldnt be so sure tbh...maybe on the work life balance at some points in the year

but depending on school environment, class groups, management, pt ratio, resourcing, contract hours etc etc it might not that much less stressful than some of the other careers you mentioned or as it seems looking on from outside.....horses for courses and all but if I were you I'd go into teaching with my eyes open on the stress front.....

Then consider what the pay leaves you if you are thinking along the lines of getting a house/mortgage etc...and how part time hours might mean this isn't even an option

Shaungoater

Blue giant wrote:

Most teachers have two subjects. How would only having maths as a subject work for finding jobs? Is there even many jobs out there at all? I was also wondering what the PME involves. I'd also love to hear anyone's experience in being a maths teacher.

I love it, I love it very the daily interactions and the characters and challenges. I think it takes people with such a high level of maths a while to get used to dealing with weaker students, that is the main challenge at the start, structuring the lessons so they are differentiated and take in all types of learners.
Plenty of jobs out there, you would be okay in larger schools with just maths too.

The PME is a slog. I did it when if was one year but two now I heard makes it manageable but tedious. You choose a different school each year to do your teaching practice in, some colleges prefer you to pick schools in their radius. You will get training in the PME and if you get a good cooperating teacher in the school you be sorted.

Blue giant

amacca wrote: »

I wouldnt be so sure tbh...maybe on the work life balance at some points in the year

but depending on school environment, class groups, management, pt ratio, resourcing, contract hours etc etc it might not that much less stressful than some of the other careers you mentioned or as it seems looking on from outside.....horses for courses and all but if I were you I'd go into teaching with my eyes open on the stress front.....

Then consider what the pay leaves you if you are thinking along the lines of getting a house/mortgage etc...and how part time hours might mean this isn't even an option

Thanks for sharing your opinion. The pay rates are definitely one large factor I have to consider. Other options would leave me far better off financially realistically although I don't know how happy I would be in these jobs. I hope to do an internship in industry this summer as I may even end up enjoying it. Happiness versus financial security will likely play a large role in what I decide ultimately.

Shaungoater wrote: »

I love it, I love it very the daily interactions and the characters and challenges. I think it takes people with such a high level of maths a while to get used to dealing with weaker students, that is the main challenge at the start, structuring the lessons so they are differentiated and take in all types of learners.
Plenty of jobs out there, you would be okay in larger schools with just maths too.

It's great to hear someone so passionate about their job. I can see how dealing with weaker and not interested students could be problematic, especially since a lot of students just decide they can't do maths and won't hear otherwise.