As a secondary school teacher you will teach pupils aged 11 to 16 (or 18 if your school has  a sixth form). Specialising in a particular subject, you will plan, teach and assess lessons in line with curriculum objectives. You will aim to create a healthy culture of learning in your classroom and department, and will support, observe and record pupils' progress. Teachers must keep up to date with the latest developments in their subject area, new resources, methods and national objectives. The role also involves liaising and networking with other professionals, parents and carers, both informally and formally.

Career progression may be through a specialist curriculum or pastoral role, or by moving into leadership. You may become a head of department, head of year or key stage, or deputy or head teacher. Or you may choose to become a coordinator of a cross-curricular area, such as special needs,or careers education, or a subject or professional mentor for trainee teachers on placement. You could take on additional responsibility as a leading practitioner, in which you would share excellent classroom practice, knowledge and expertise with colleagues in your own school and other schools in the locality.

Teaching is a career where you are immersed in your subject every single day and are making a lasting difference to young people's lives. To be a great teacher you need to be hugely passionate about your chosen subject and want to share that passion. Inspirational teachers demonstrate great knowledge, enthusiasm and love for their subject, so it is worth considering what it is that makes you love your subject and why it is important to you. Then you will be able to convey that passion through your teaching and inspire your students to feel the same. Your understanding of your subject needs to be comprehensive and deep - you are going to be teaching students who are capable of achieving top grades and your knowledge needs to support this. Be prepared to assess your subject knowledge weaknesses and be prepared to fill any gaps - you will build this expertise throughout your career but starting from a solid foundation really helps.

Teaching is an academic career and there will always be new things to learn about your subject; great teachers embrace this and are comfortable in their quest to develop and enhance their subject knowledge. Additionally, teaching is a profession that can be subject to change, either in revision to the curriculum, the introduction of new practices and standards and even new qualifications or schools. Effective teachers need to be able to stay on top of their personal and professional development at the same time as their day-to-day responsibilities. Great teachers look to continually grow and develop their skills. Ongoing professional development and regular observation provide opportunities to grow and learn from more experienced practitioners. Great teachers are reflective practitioners and a growth mindset is part of the foundation of teaching.

As a teacher, you will face a host of competing demands and challenges - one of the biggest attractions of teaching is the variety of work involved. Whether planning work, classroom teaching, assessing work, running a trip, collaborating with peers, getting involved with extracurricular activities, managing student wellbeing, researching trends and best practice or quietly reflecting, no two days in teaching are the same. So great teachers need to be well organised and have strong administrative skills to enable them to manage multiple tasks effectively. Teaching is absolutely not your regular nine to five!  Yes, there are the long school holidays but teaching is a consuming role that takes real commitment and dedication. When term time is in full swing the pressure can build up and you will need to have the flexibility, stamina and resilience to be able to cope with multiple demands and tasks. You will need to be forward-thinking and have the ability to see things through successfully.

Classroom and behaviour management is a critical skill that all new teachers need to master, so having patience, being respectful and authoritative, as well as having the ability to deal with issues professionally are traits that all great teachers can demonstrate.

Great teachers are also great communicators and relationship builders. Teaching is about communicating new and sometimes complex ideas in a structured way that allows students to learn and the ability to communicate clearly, positively and effectively is essential. You need to be driven to work hard and with creativity to find ways to make learning exciting, enriching and accessible. A great teacher will show a genuine interest in individuals and treat each individual with significance and respect. Good teaching practice is built on the working relationships developed between the teacher and students.

Schools are unique places and not like any other workplace! They are a fun, busy, challenging and ever-changing place to work requiring high levels of energy. They are a social workplace that requires a social person. Classroom and behaviour management is a skill that all new teachers will need to master so having the right temperament; patient, respectful, authoritative along with the ability to deal with issues professionally is key to being a great teacher.

The obvious yet critical question is ‘do you want to work with children/young adults?’. If you aren’t able to answer this question with a categorical yes then teaching is not the career for you. You will need to be happy to work with children every day and have the energy and enthusiasm to meet their needs - to support them, listen to them and do your best for them – even when meeting resistance.

Teaching is a challenging profession, but the rewards and benefits far outweigh these challenges. Many people feel drawn to the profession so they can directly impact the lives of their students and “make a difference”, but it is important to be genuine and clear on what your own personal motivations are for joining the profession. You will need to include your reasons for wanting to teach in your Personal Statement and you will be asked about it as part of the interview process, so ensure your reasons are well thought out and developed.

The best way to achieve the above is by arranging to spend time in a school environment, observing lessons and daily life.

School Experience offers you the chance to observe and reflect upon teaching and pastoral work, and the opportunity to talk to teachers about day-to-day life in a school. It will strengthen your teacher training application, give you observational experience prior to interview and help you decide if teaching is right for you.

When applying, and in particular when writing your Personal Statement, you will be able to draw upon any school experience you have had, using this experience to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the profession and your commitment to it.

If you are then able to reflect and draw upon how your school experience reinforced your desire and passion to teach during your interview, it will add credibility and depth to your answers. At the interview we also look for evidence that your understanding of the role, responsibilities and expectations of being a teacher match the reality, and how you demonstrate the aptitude to manage the demands of the profession. You will be better prepared to answer such questions if you have a greater understanding of those responsibilities and demands. We look to train people who have the aptitude to be reflective practitioners so meaningful reflection on your school experience during the interview will give us a good indication of this.

• Contact anyone you know who works in the profession and arrange to have a phone conversation/zoom call with them. If you do not have any contacts within the profession, then please do get in touch and we can try and help you with this. Ask whomever you speak to about why they became a teacher, what they enjoy the most about their job,and what are the biggest challenges.You could also ask them to describe to you a typical day, and ask what skills they have that they think makes them a great teacher. You can then reflect on this; think about what you have learnt and were there any surprises? How does this make you feel?

• Get online and search for some Virtual Lessons to watch. Think about the techniques that are being used and what impact they have on the students. Look out for any challenging behaviours within these lessons and how they are managed, and think about what you can learn from such observations. If you have ever had any personal experience of working with children perhaps in a volunteering, church or sporting capacity, think about what you learnt from this experience and whether you ever witnessed any challenging behaviour and how it was dealt with.

• Watch our new videos “A Day in the Life of a Teacher” and “A Day in the Life of an i2i Trainee Teacher”. In these videos, two experienced teachers and two current trainee teachers discuss what a typical day is really like.

• Sign up for one of the many Virtual Information Seminars that the i2i Teaching Partnership SCITT are currently running. These will provide you with lots of information and the opportunity to ask questions to, and engage with the SCITT team. We also have several recorded webinarsavailable that provide invaluable insight into the world of teaching - please email Krissy Taylor (ktaylor@weydonschool.surrey.sch.uk) for access to these.

• Have you had any opportunities to homeschool a sibling or relative, or have you ever worked with children in a sporting, tutoring or volunteering capacity? If so, spend some time thinking about these experiences and what you learnt from them, both about yourself and about the children you worked with. You could even plan and deliver a lesson to your household on a subject that interests you. Film it so you can watch it back and assess how you came across, and identify what worked and what didn’t work.

• Read about any current educational news stories that interest you. Think about the role education plays in society and how this knowledge is helping you decide on your career in teaching. Read some of the numerous blogs out there written by current teachers. You can keep track of development in the education sector by reading the news and visiting government and educational websites such as the Department of Education, Guardian Education and TES.

• Watch one of the several documentaries available such as Educating Essex, Mr Drew’s School for Boys, or The Unteachables. Whilst the focus of these is often on behavioral issues, they will be a useful way for you to explore the environment in which you are considering joining.