User talk:Myster Oduro

What is a trainee teacher?
A trainee teacher is someone who’s training to become a teacher with support from a teacher training provider. There are various paths trainee teachers can take to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). These include:

Finishing a degree in teaching education A two-year grad scheme with Teach First Doing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Completing an employment programme. For example, School Direct, allows graduates to work as unqualified teachers while training to attain QTS. Trainee teachers that attain QTS then become Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and have to pass a two-year induction period in a school before they can teach classes on their own.

Routes into teaching can be roughly broken into university-led and school-led. University-led teacher training, like PGCE courses, is ideal for those who benefit from research-based learning as much as placements.

It is also a great option for those who don’t already have a background in teaching. School-led placements are a practical option that allows trainees to work within a specific school, earn a salary and build a report with pupils right away.

What does teacher training involve?

Whatever route you take, you’ll spend time studying, teaching and learning theory. You’ll complete hands-on tasks on placements in schools, while planning and teaching lessons.

You’ll also have experienced mentors to train you in specific skill sets and help you analyse and improve your performance. Trainee teachers who have earned their QTS will be teaching for around 90% of the time as experienced teachers, with the other time spent on key inductions. This means that you'll get valuable experience with the expected daily work of any teacher.

You won’t be expected to be a fully competent teacher until towards the end of your training. For example, disciplining pupils is something that you can ask those more experienced to help with. That considered, teacher training is about building your experience in schools, learning from mistakes and continuously assessing your performance so that you’re always improving. Myster Oduro (talk) 23:13, 21 April 2022 (UTC)

Do trainee teachers get paid?

Whether you get paid will depend on what route you take:

People completing school-led PGCEs are placed in schools from day one, and are often paid as trainee teachers. University-led PGCEs allow more time for trainee teachers to study and reflect than the school-led route, but they’re not salaried. Various bursaries and loans are available, however. Trainee teachers going through Teach First are paid a salary and won’t have to pay for the qualification. This is probably the most financially manageable route to becoming an Early Career Teacher. However, it’s more intensive and trainee teachers have to be more flexible in terms of location. School Direct trainees are only eligible for a salary if they’ve been in employment for three or more years, so you may need to seek out financial support. Myster Oduro (talk) 23:19, 21 April 2022 (UTC)