Why Teach Physics?
Imagine that you had a job where you had the freedom to organise your own work yet be part of a team, to think up innovative ways of working, use your professional knowledge to influence the thinking of a whole generation - all while providing a socially valuable service with a secure, long-term future.
You might think that such opportunities would be rare, but you'd be wrong: this is what physics teaching has to offer. Physics teachers agree that they derive both a sense of achievement and pleasure from opening up new horizons to young minds.
Putting across sometimes difficult ideas presents an enormous challenge that requires enthusiasm and imagination. Catherine Wilson, an ex-physics teacher, now education manager at the Institute of Physics, comments: "If you like engaging people's interest, then teaching is a wonderful intellectual challenge. For me the great joy was when pupils who were struggling with a new concept suddenly saw the light dawn".
Teaching also allows you to add to your own knowledge and interest in physics at the broadest level, whether it's through preparing one of the newer modular courses that now include, for instance, modern particle physics or setting up extra-curricular projects, or just answering children's' questions about black holes or alien life. Lab work need not be dull either: you can use your creativity to develop original experiments. Some school physics departments even conduct their own scientific research programmes such as building and operating a radio telescope or constructing a weather station to detect changes in weather conditions.
A career with potential
Newly qualified teachers can look forward to a well-developed career structure that will provide them with interesting challenges throughout their working lives. Because physics teachers are in short supply, they often tend to be reserved for teaching physics at GCSE and A-level rather than general science to younger age groups. And career progression is likely to be rapid since a high proportion of physics teachers are over 50. Physics graduates may find themselves becoming head of department with the appropriate salary increases within a few years of finishing their training.
There is also the possibility to move into other areas of education such as school administration and inspection, or to work on curriculum development, with further opportunities for the enthusiastic to write curriculum material and textbooks.
Opportunities for mature entrants
The older graduate who has been working in industry or elsewhere has much to offer the teaching profession. General life skills - perhaps from having a family, experience of working with high technology in a commercial environment or managing people - bring an added dimension to the classroom. Not only does teaching offer flexibility in choosing where to work and when to change jobs but salaries compare favourably with those in universities and research institutions.
Support for teachers
Organisations like the Institute of Physics offer a wealth of support for physics teachers at every stage of their career by providing booklets, school lectures, exhibitions and organising links with industry. The Institute also runs short Physics Update courses which aim to help teachers update their physics knowledge and teaching methods, and an annual Teachers' Award Scheme to reward teaching excellence.
Training and Development Agency for Schools: www.tda.gov.uk/
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