Teacher Career Description
Teachers are responsible for the facilitation of learning and the development of skills in children. Teaching, being one of the most exciting and responsible professions, sets very high standards which are a challenge to all prospective teachers.
What am I going to do in this occupation?
Apart from facilitating learning, another important goal, the development of the child's character and sense of responsibility, remains.
The specific nature of teachers' work will depend on the age of the children they teach and the nature of the training they received. Prospective teachers can consider preprimary, primary or secondary education at specialist academically orientated schools. Specialist education includes schools such as those for epileptics and for children with hearing, visually, mentally or physical disabilities.
Schools can specialize in certain subject fields including Home Economics, Domestic Science, technical subjects or commercial, agricultural and art subjects. The school curriculum at academically orientated schools generally includes three basic courses namely that of the natural sciences, human sciences and languages.
Pre-primary (pre-school) education focuses on the emotional development of the small child. It is the task of pre-primary teachers to lay the foundation for later education and training. They present a balanced educational
programme in which special attention is drawn to developing communicative skills and interpersonal relationships. The education of small children involves a variety of activities which teachers plan and organize.
Primary and secondary school teachers as guardian teachers have versatile tasks which include amongst others, the facilitating of learning, supplying information regarding many other choices children have to make, giving supportive counseling when necessary and setting an example regarding correct manners and behavior.
Besides the formal education given in the classroom, the teacher is also expected to plan and organize extracurricular activities such as sporting events, cultural activities, tours, weekend camps and outings to places of interest. Through involvement with the child on this level the teacher gets to know the child better and values such as a sense of responsibility, punctuality, respect, friendship and trust are nurtured.
Teachers are also required to do administrative work which includes tasks such as setting examination papers, marking answer sheets, marking homework, the completion of registers, drawing up of schedules and the writing of reports.
The teacher working in the field of special education works with children with speech and hearing disabilities, learning disabilities, blindness, deafness, hardness of hearing, weak-sightedness, epilepsy, mental and physical handicaps. These children require specialized attention and are taught through specially developed apparatus and techniques. The teacher works as part of a multi-professional team consisting of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, occupational counselors, psychologists and medical personnel.
Teachers' working hours may be irregular and depend on factors such as the amount of special classes they arrange, administrative work and the number of extramural activities they are involved in.
Requirements
What kind of personality do I need?
A teacher needs to understand children and enjoy working with them. Children can quickly sense when someone is not really interested in them and such a teacher will surely fail.
Good communication skills, fairness, maturity, a sincere caring attitude, tactfulness, a strong sense of responsibility, discipline and tolerance are important qualities a teacher should possess.
Where can I work?
A teacher can work at any school (private or public).
The conscientious teacher that works hard and
studies further, can be promoted to positions such as head of department, vice-principal of the school, principal of the school, inspector of schools, educational planner or lecturer at a teacher training college or university.
Can I work for myself in this occupation?
Teachers can work for themselves if they have the necessary resources to establish a private school and pay for services rendered by teachers they employ. However, a private school must be registered with the government and have to follow the prescribed syllabus and conform to set standards.
To earn an extra income teachers can give extra or part-time classes, for example in Mathematics or Adult-education.
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