As a teacher, you’ll play a crucial role in shaping the lives of young people. You’ll inspire, motivate and encourage a new generation of learners and guide them to make a positive impact in the world around them. A school teacher helps their students to be passionate about learning and understands the impact and importance of lifelong education. Plus, salaries and benefits for experienced teachers can be excellent.


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The teaching profession is exciting and challenging. Teachers act as role models, mentors, caregivers and advisers. They can have a profound effect on the lives of their students.

Primarily, teachers will impart knowledge to their students to help them learn new things about a specific group of subjects. They find new ways of supporting their students’ learning styles and are mindful that students, especially young people, will learn at a different pace and speed to their peers. Because of this, teachers need to be highly adaptable and flexible with their lesson plans.

A creative mind, a listening ear and strong communication skills are essential to succeed in the role of a teacher. Individuals who are resilient and tenacious are particularly in demand.

Teaching is a career path that is available to anyone that has an undergraduate degree and is able to commit to achieving Qualified Teaching Status (QTS). There are several possible routes to QTS, including on-the-job training in a school where you can earn as you learn.

Most importantly, teaching is a great career choice for those who want to make a difference in the lives of young people and who are passionate about lifelong learning.

What is the role of a teacher?
The role of a teacher is to inspire, motivate, encourage and educate learners. Learners can be of any age and from any background. However, for the purposes of this guide, teachers refer to those who educate young people of school age (roughly 4-18).

Teachers serve many roles within a school environment. Gone are the days when a teacher was merely seen as a classroom educator; someone who just teaches a core subject to a classroom full of children and then goes home for the day – job done. Teachers can work across a variety of subjects which they may bring to life with the assistance of modern and interactive technologies.

A teacher’s role is to “shape the life chances of young people by imparting knowledge – bringing the curriculum to life,” says Harry Cutty, headteacher of Cantell School and vice chair of Aspire Community Trust. “When you have the right culture and systems in place, it’s more than just a job. When you get passionate teachers, they can hugely inspire young people no matter what their background. Great teachers support young people not just in education, but in life and vocation choices.”

The teacher job role is expansive. From imparting knowledge to safeguarding children’s welfare, inspiring critical thought and moral values, teachers play a central position within the community. They are often passionate and dedicated individuals with a strong desire for lifelong learning.

“I have a continuous hunger for improving and extending the knowledge of young people,” says Francesco Milano, teacher of modern foreign languages at Trafalgar School in Portsmouth. “By improving someone’s knowledge, you are improving the world – not just the big world – the one that exists within the community in which you live.”

As long as you hold a degree, teaching is an accessible career path to anyone, at any stage of their career. Education offers the potential to shape the young lives of the next generation. It’s a profession in which you can move forward and gain promotion swiftly if you achieve rapidly. Your salary will rise in line with your increased responsibility, and once you gain experience, your career path can take you in many different directions.

Teaching is also one of the very few professions where you are equally celebrated if you choose to remain a classroom tea