Thread: bachelor of secondary education?

Recently I taught as a relief woodworking teacher in a community centre, teaching adults. The teaching co-coordinator spoke to me and suggested that I looked into Certificate IV in training & Assessment (TA40110). It’s a great course for people who are interested in teaching/ training their skills in a Learn Local (community centre with ACFE funding) and TAFE. If you are interested, Google and see who is offering it, but please don’t go with any dodgy organizations. Even if you have a bachelor degree, you would still need this to teach adults apparently. I know this isn't a degree course and you can't teach secondary school. But think about it, there is no shortage of adult students as far as what I can see, we have an aging population here. Also you don't have to do any baby sitting of teenagers as an adult teacher. Just throwing it out there.

I have a Chippy turned Builder mate who did this. Got a Dip Ed whilst working and now teaches "Design and Technology", which includes woodworking/metalworking and associateds.

Only in his late 30s. He's doing OK but every day is a new challenge for him. Half of his typical week is consumed with being a shoulder to cry on...

Do not, I say again, DO NOT underestimate the challenge that teenagers (and their parents) these days present in a teaching environment.

My sister recently gave up and walked away from teaching. Some 25 years, so she knows what it was like once. Now it seems to her to be less teaching and more parenting...

When "Johnny/Jenny" failed it was her fault not the fact that

they came to school with hangovers most days from parent supplied alcohol,
It's only maths- what do I need that for?
they did not do homework as the parents said they did not have to.
Facebook was more important than schoolbook
social organising took precedence
recent love breakup meant they were too upset to come to school
dog/cat died, had to take a day off to recover.

etc, etc. (Cross out those that do not apply)

You could try sending a PM to Journeyman Mick on these forums, as he did the same thing, in Qld.
I did the Cert IV in Training & Assessment, and have to say I find teaching adults less stressful than teaching high school kids. As Justonething says, watch out for dodgy organisations.

What you would have to do is approach a provider of a BEd and request an assessment of "Recognition of Prior learning".
This will require you to submit a full CV, and tertiary education certs etc, and almost certainly attend an interview.

You cannot hope to get this as a general/generic assessment that would apply to all educational institutions - each Education Faculty/department in each Institution will have its own method of assessment so I would approach several and see what they offer. You would have to contact QUT/Uni QLD/Griffith Uni etc and obtained the contact details of a student advisor from their Ed faculty to initiate the process. You could also email the Head of the Faculty direct.

Unless you had previous educational training the recognition of prior learning would only apply to the non-education options/electives which in most BEd's equates to half of the course. However, in practice most programs would probably not give you the whole 50% and it would probably be significantly less than this.

Cheers, Although I do understand the difficulties of teaching and am sure it will be a shock dealing with ridiculous parents and painful teens, it is something I am interested in doing.


I have looked into the T&E course, but just don't feel it opens enough options.

Bob, I am going through the hoops to find out about Griffith atm. UQ and QUT courses aren't appropriate for me.
I have found that CSU (Charles Sturt University) offer a distance course with an Industrial Skills entry for those with a trade cert 3 or higher and 5 years tradesman experience. This is a 2.5 year course opposed to 4 year.

I will drop Mick a message later in the week.

The other place that maybe worth try is USQ.

Chikoroll
Young Player beware!

I am an ex technology Teacher and walked away from it at 59 years old for the sake of my health. Don't expect because you have a trade you be a full time technology teacher. If you end as a teacher in a state school you could well be be a part time Tecnologogy studies, English teacher,Math teacher or what ever else they are short that term.
Research the turnover rate of young teachers with less than 5 years experience with the union-its abnormally high.
Because Technology teachers are in short supply and they will most certainly employ you, but I urge you improve yourself within in your trade.

By prepared to be on you guard to be set up by students to attempt to villify you and cause trouble with your superiors because you keep discipline in classes.


Believe me the longer holidays are just not worth it. For many of us they were not long holidays.The public doesn't notice the teachers cars in the school carpark in the holidays or notice the teacher working till late at night to keep up with his/her classes.

David Elliot is spot on in what he writes.Not all kids are like this but there are enough of them to make the task of teaching almost impossible unless you are a very gifted person who can reach these type of student. I found the students who where able to thrive came from a stable family background and supported by both Mum and dad.These kids wanted to improve but sadly the ones that don't made it difficult for the ones that do.

Chiko, I admire your willingness to take on this task!!

I was medically retired from teaching - Primary - 8 years ago and have lost touch with all
the qualification needs. I know that a couple of mates who were man.arts teachers said that
ex tradies always found it difficult to adjust to teaching.

I for one would not go into teaching these days, but the I am of an older generation's mindset.

Cheers for the experiences

Speaking to various teachers, it comes across to me that the successful discipline methods have changed over the years.

I remember myself being one of the ratbag kids you speak of in certain classes, this was generally down to lack of stimulation and respect.

I have never found myself to struggle with understanding teenagers, so much so that at work when the work experience kids and trainees get an ear belting from the other oldies, I gain a shadow. Haha, it's quite comical, but does highlight a certain respect which I feel cones from mutual understanding and recognition.



Going to have to stop writing now, my battery is on 1%

Chikoroll
You should waltz it in to teaching with your trade creds. You will need tertiary qualls though. Your observations on dealing with "modern" teenagers are on the mark. I worked as a trade teacher at a Juvenile Justice Centre in the 90's and had a huge adjustment to make philosophically. Artme is on the money there. Teaching kids on a work site is hugely different from the class room setting. Apprentices either shape up or get shipped out.

I found most of my time teaching there satisfying, BUT found the real enemy was not the students rather it was the system. I would pull up to my kids high school to collect my kids and see the teachers with the thousand yard stare. Same as us. Yes the kids & their parents are revolting but IMHO, the teachers crack from a lack of support from their own management.

TT