Education

Jobs that inspire others

By Rosalyn Page & Lauren Farrow

Australia

Published by Career FAQs Pty Ltd

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 The big picture
Why education?
Education is the backbone of society. A good education nurtures
new ideas and inventions, a strong economy, career opportunities
and equality – the main ingredients in the making of a well-run
civilised society. But if the education system is weak then other
aspects of society will suffer. High rates of crime, drug abuse and
domestic violence are regularly linked to poor education.

Educators hold one of the most important roles in society and with
a skills shortage in some education sectors, there is no better time
to consider this as a career option.

The profession will never become redundant or stale, as it is

continually changing. In the classroom, teachers are bringing
education to life with the use of technology, interactive learning,
role-playing and experiments, and there are developments in
work-based learning through apprenticeships and vocational
education and training (VET).

A career in education can also provide opportunities to see the world.

An educator could find themselves standing in front of students at a
school in Europe, Asia, the United States or South America.

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 Education

With many people now realising that career progression entails a

lifelong journey of education, whether through a university degree,
apprenticeship, TAFE qualifications or community colleges, educators
are needed to meet these demands.

There are also opportunities to branch out into the corporate world.
Just think about it – virtually every organisation needs qualified
staff, which means the education sector intersects with just about
every other profession. People with expertise in business can
become teachers in business colleges, or those involved in a school’s
administration could move into managerial roles. Many of the skills
needed to be a good educator, such as interpersonal, communication
and organisational skills, are in demand in sectors such as training
and human resources.

What do educators do?

If the idea of going back to school and facing a throng of students
sends chills down your spine, there is no need to run for cover.
While some educators thrive on the classroom atmosphere, others in
education choose different paths, such as moving into management
and administration. The blackboard illustration gives a run-down of
just some of the tasks different educators do.

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 The big picture

An educator has many doors open to them – from primary and

secondary teaching, university lecture halls and vocational training
to teaching a company’s staff how to use computer programs or
running long-distance learning programs over the Internet.

In these various roles, some day-to-day tasks will be common to

all educators. Other tasks are what makes each role unique.

What makes a good educator?

A good educator will open people’s eyes to new opportunities, expand
their horizons, instil enthusiasm and provide their students with
more choices. Everyone remembers a teacher who made them fall in
love with science, reading or history, whose passion for a particular
subject still remains with them today. But what traits and skills made
this educator so memorable?

We asked real people working in education what they think makes a

good educator. Here’s an overview of their responses.
n Professional qualifications
n Teaching experience
n Patience
n Enthusiasm for the subject area
n Good interpersonal skills
n Good spoken and written communication skills
n Ability to reflect on yourself
n Discipline
n Tolerance
n Love of teaching

The kind of person who makes a good educator, according to the

people we interviewed, will generally be:
n outgoing
n creative
n a good listener
n a team player

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 Education

What are the job opportunities?

Education provides a perfect career path for school leavers, as well
as those wishing to change directions at various points in their life.
As an educator you can afford to be creative with your goals.
While you might begin as a primary school teacher knee-deep in
playdough, 20 years on you might find yourself in an education
department developing the curriculum or at a university teaching
budding primary school teachers. Your options are as varied as your
imagination, so start thinking outside the square.

Good teachers are targeted in a way that never used to

happen, particularly by firms that deal with human resources,
management and consultancy. A good teacher is seen as a great
people person who knows how to organise group learning and can
put learning packages together. In a learning economy these
sorts of skills are highly sought after.
Professor Terry Lovat – Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Arts),
University of Newcastle

Career opportunities can be divided into two distinct areas.

n Face-to-face teaching
n Management and administration

Face-to-face teaching
When most of us think about education we picture a teacher
standing in front of a classroom of students. While face-to-face is
the largest part of the teaching profession, it is just one of the many
opportunities available. A face-to-face educator could work in every
sector of the profession. Working directly with students, you will
be at the coalface sharing your students’ everyday achievements
and dilemmas. If you are looking for personal contact and the rewards of
seeing your students finally reach their goals, this is the place for you.

If you like the idea of working with children and young adults
then face-to-face teaching within early childcare, kindergarten,
primary and secondary schools provides the perfect opportunity.
However, roles within these sectors vary greatly. For instance,
childcare workers oversee the development of very young children
by helping them build up new skills like good eating habits,
supervising social aspects of play and changing nappies, whereas
primary school teachers focus on the literacy and numeracy
development of a child’s education.

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 The big picture

A primary school teacher will need a well-rounded knowledge of all

subjects, as they are expected to guide the Year they are in charge of
through English, Maths, Science, History and so on.

Secondary school teaching is more specific, with educators honing in

on certain subjects or key learning areas, such as Maths, History or
Geography, teaching classes across the Year 7 to Year 12 curriculum.
You might be teaching Year 12 about the birth of nations in the
morning and then the life of Ned Kelly to Year 7 in the afternoon.
Teachers can also participate in extracurricular activities. This means
you have the opportunity to do such things as tutor debating teams
and coach basketball outside the classroom.

Within primary and secondary schools there are also educators who
focus on students with special needs. As the primary and secondary
school sectors are designed with the ‘average’ student in mind,
students who have cognitive, emotional, behavioural or physical
difficulties can find it difficult to learn within this environment.

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