Secondary Thinking about becoming a teacher

[Hard Ball Get]

I imagine classroom management is a bit easier than managing students outside the classroom.

Absolutely. So many more distractions when outside of the classroom and the wind and general noise makes it even tougher.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Absolutely. So many more distractions when outside of the classroom and the wind and general noise makes it even tougher.

And then they complain that it's to hot or to cold or their stomach, head or other parts of their body hurts so they don't have to do it.

And then try and fit 28 kids on a basketball court for soccer/basketball/badminton/table tennis and keep them all engaged. Bloody PE, it looks like fun for the students who want to do it but staying in the classroom is much easier to get the 'I don't want to do it kid' engaged.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Absolutely. So many more distractions when outside of the classroom and the wind and general noise makes it even tougher.

And then they complain that it's to hot or to cold or their stomach, head or other parts of their body hurts so they don't have to do it.

And then try and fit 28 kids on a basketball court for soccer/basketball/badminton/table tennis and keep them all engaged. Bloody PE, it looks like fun for the students who want to do it but staying in the classroom is much easier to get the 'I don't want to do it kid' engaged.

I am only just starting to teach, but observing and speaking to teachers last year this is exactly what I heard. I take my hats off to PE teachers. Anyone who can control a yr 9 PE class deserves a medal.

 

[pacemaker]

I am only just starting to teach, but observing and speaking to teachers last year this is exactly what I heard. I take my hats off to PE teachers. Anyone who can control a yr 9 PE class deserves a medal.

Finally some recognition. Now for the medal. When will this be presented to me?

As for those wanting to teach?

DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT.

 

[pepsi]

Anyone who can control a yr 9 PE class deserves a medal.

I have 5 different Year 9 PE classes. Good times.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

I have 5 different Year 9 PE classes. Good times.

I would sell Foxtel to Free To Air activist before taking on a year 8 or 9 class. I enjoy my year 4/5's.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Finally some recognition. Now for the medal. When will this be presented to me?

As for those wanting to teach?

DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT.

Next school assembly.

I have 5 different Year 9 PE classes. Good times.

Your like Chuck Norris and Bear Grylls combined.

 

[THRILLHO]

And then they complain that it's to hot or to cold or their stomach, head or other parts of their body hurts so they don't have to do it.

And then try and fit 28 kids on a basketball court for soccer/basketball/badminton/table tennis and keep them all engaged. Bloody PE, it looks like fun for the students who want to do it but staying in the classroom is much easier to get the 'I don't want to do it kid' engaged.

I've only done some substitution classes for PE, but I think it's probably an easier gig.

The disengaged, 'naughty kids' usually love PE, so no problems there. Your problems come from the girls normally, who dont want to play. They usually just whine and try not to take part. No real problems there either.

Plus, you get a whistle which makes it easier.

I find that the reason some PE teachers (at my school anyway), struggle with engagement is they make kids run laps for a warmup while they just stand there.

When I do it, I play that Octopus game (British Bulldog tag, when you're tagged you stand and try and catch others without moving) and I always start off as in. The kids can barely pick their mouths up off the ground when they see a teacher actively participating and because I'm a young guy, all the boys want to try and measure up to me and try and beat me.

So, year 9 PE? No sweat. In fact, year 8 and year 9 are my favourite year levels to teach.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

I've only done some substitution classes for PE, but I think it's probably an easier gig.

The disengaged, 'naughty kids' usually love PE, so no problems there. Your problems come from the girls normally, who dont want to play. They usually just whine and try not to take part. No real problems there either.

Plus, you get a whistle which makes it easier.

I find that the reason some PE teachers (at my school anyway), struggle with engagement is they make kids run laps for a warmup while they just stand there.

When I do it, I play that Octopus game (British Bulldog tag, when you're tagged you stand and try and catch others without moving) and I always start off as in. The kids can barely pick their mouths up off the ground when they see a teacher actively participating and because I'm a young guy, all the boys want to try and measure up to me and try and beat me.

So, year 9 PE? No sweat. In fact, year 8 and year 9 are my favourite year levels to teach.

Any PE teacher worth their salt wouldn't do this. If they do I'd say they are probably over 50 and haven't been properly trained since they graduated.

There are tons of other warm up games that you could play that keep all the kids active. I wouldn't play that Octopus tag game as Kid 'A' who gets tagged after 3 seconds of the game commencing has to stand motionless for the remainder of the game. I wouldn't really call that warming up...

 

[breeno]

Any PE teacher worth their salt wouldn't do this. If they do I'd say they are probably over 50 and haven't been properly trained since they graduated.

There are tons of other warm up games that you could play that keep all the kids active. I wouldn't play that Octopus tag game as Kid 'A' who gets tagged after 3 seconds of the game commencing has to stand motionless for the remainder of the game. I wouldn't really call that warming up...

What's your favourite?

I seem to remember the one where you would run from one end of the basketball court to the other, and if you were tagged by the people in the middle you were now in the middle, tagging others.

Run the Gauntlet was also ****ing badass, hit plenty of people in the face with those big pink volleyballs throughout my school years.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

What's your favourite?

I seem to remember the one where you would run from one end of the basketball court to the other, and if you were tagged by the people in the middle you were now in the middle, tagging others.

Run the Gauntlet was also ****ing badass, hit plenty of people in the face with those big pink volleyballs throughout my school years.

My favourite is probably better suited to younger kids. Toilet tiggy. Basically it is normal tag, however when you get tagged you bob down with your knees upright and place your hand in the air (on a right angle). The remaining kids run around and get the toilets back in the game by sitting on the toilet seat (knees) and flushing the toilet (pulling the hand [chain] down). You can take out the sitting if desired.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

What's your favourite?

I seem to remember the one where you would run from one end of the basketball court to the other, and if you were tagged by the people in the middle you were now in the middle, tagging others.

Run the Gauntlet was also ****ing badass, hit plenty of people in the face with those big pink volleyballs throughout my school years.

Probably not allowed to do it anymore due to the risk of suing. Students/parents are very litigious these days. Agree HBG?

 

[THRILLHO]

Probably not allowed to do it anymore due to the risk of suing. Students/parents are very litigious these days. Agree HBG?

We play Warball (like Dodgeball) but it's pretty lame. The balls are very soft and hard to throw properly and get some real heat on it.

Feel sorry for the kids. Still pretty good fun though. We played teachers vs year 8s on the second and third last days of term 4. I loved it.

Litigation and the threat of litigation is pathetic and over the top. Technically, we're not allowed to leave the classroom to speak to a student.

My favourite is probably better suited to younger kids. Toilet tiggy. Basically it is normal tag, however when you get tagged you bob down with your knees upright and place your hand in the air (on a right angle). The remaining kids run around and get the toilets back in the game by sitting on the toilet seat (knees) and flushing the toilet (pulling the hand [chain] down). You can take out the sitting if desired.

Haha, that would be amazing for year 9 kids. Would be mayhem.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

We play Warball (like Dodgeball) but it's pretty lame. The balls are very soft and hard to throw properly and get some real heat on it.

Feel sorry for the kids. Still pretty good fun though. We played teachers vs year 8s on the second and third last days of term 4. I loved it.

Litigation and the threat of litigation is pathetic and over the top. Technically, we're not allowed to leave the classroom to speak to a student.





Haha, that would be amazing for year 9 kids. Would be mayhem.

Yep, agree it is crap.

 

[breeno]

So I got into my Arts/Arts Edu course at La Trobe. My teaching streams look like being English and History method, but due to taking Politics electives I've been informed that my History Method could be Humanities Method if I wish later on down the track; I'm keen on just teaching History and English, but could Humanities be the better option?

Cheers.

 

[raskolnikov]

I've taken on the job of PE teacher for our school this year. Still do half my time in the 4/5 class. I'm enjoying PE. I actually find behaviour management easier doing PE because most of the kids are really into it.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

So I got into my Arts/Arts Edu course at La Trobe. My teaching streams look like being English and History method, but due to taking Politics electives I've been informed that my History Method could be Humanities Method if I wish later on down the track; I'm keen on just teaching History and English, but could Humanities be the better option?

Cheers.

Better doing History than Humanities as History goes to VCE level. My methods (did dip ed last year) were History and Biology. Weird combination, I know.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Haha, that would be amazing for year 9 kids. Would be mayhem.

Tails is a great one for kids that age.

Probably not allowed to do it anymore due to the risk of suing. Students/parents are very litigious these days. Agree HBG?

You can still play but you need to use the elephant skin nerf balls. And you need to draw the line if it starts to get heated.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Tails is a great one for kids that age.



You can still play but you need to use the elephant skin nerf balls. And you need to draw the line if it starts to get heated.

So avoid Billy Madison style dodgeball?

 

[Seen5]

So I got into my Arts/Arts Edu course at La Trobe. My teaching streams look like being English and History method, but due to taking Politics electives I've been informed that my History Method could be Humanities Method if I wish later on down the track; I'm keen on just teaching History and English, but could Humanities be the better option?

Cheers.

Hums is good to teach 7-10 - but it does incorporate History as well... History runs as its own subject in VCE (and the new Australian curriculum). If i were starting again i'd concentrate on History - the rest you can develop as you teach.

 

[underthestars]

So I got into my Arts/Arts Edu course at La Trobe. My teaching streams look like being English and History method, but due to taking Politics electives I've been informed that my History Method could be Humanities Method if I wish later on down the track; I'm keen on just teaching History and English, but could Humanities be the better option?

Cheers.

don't expect to teach just history and english - you'll be sorely disappointed!

 

[TigerGlory]

don't expect to teach just history and english - you'll be sorely disappointed!

Got a nasty shock when I found out I had to teach Humanities/SOSE and not just History.

Geography AND Business Studies can both get bent!

 

[Tassieboy]

Probably not allowed to do it anymore due to the risk of suing. Students/parents are very litigious these days. Agree HBG?

Is still the go.

 

[Keystone agony]

In my second year and about to start my first prac which goes for 3 weeks. From reading this and talking to others this is probably the worst part of it, as students know your not yet a teacher and you dont have the power a teacher at the school has. Im worried about controlling a class, im secondary so im teaching years 7-10 so probably some of the harder years.

Im not sure many others that have studied or are studying now, but do you talk about SEPEP, MAP, CGD models ect?

I think there are so many pros to teaching. I live in WA so the pay base as mentioned earlier in the thread is 85k after 5 years and i know someone that started on 60k. Which is damn good for a first job. Also if you become a level 3 teacher (which is apparently easy to get) than you go up another 10-12k. Teaching is a government job so your always gonna have a job (with the tough times some tradies and others lose jobs) and pay is continually rising each year. You get 13 weeks off a year, plenty of time to get into a hobby (eg: im really keen on doing renovations when im older, so this time would be ideal to do this). The work days arnt 9-3 but lets be honest its about avg or just better than the norm.

Also something im very keen to get into is coaching state sides or scouting for state/afl teams. This can be a nice little wager on the side and something you can do on the weekends, a teaching degree helps with this especially with state coaching/selecting/scouting.

The cons are probably the stress of managing a class, but you will soon learn how to do this after a few years of experience and also all those lesson plans you do in uni go out the window once in the real thing.

 

[iDon]

I wouldnt worry Keystone.

I am in 3rd year of my PE degree. the placement is the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the course. none of this by the book crap. You will quickly learn that nothing happens by the book (which is taught in class).

In Vic, for placement you are always supervised by a teacher. If things become challenging try and work your way through. Don't go in with the attitude that you aren't a teacher. You are. You are the classes teacher for that lesson and for that block. If you happen to have them a few times building up a teacher/student relationship from the get go is the way to go about it. Clearly set out your expectations and find out from the teachers/school what their discipline policy is. When students step out of line, refer them to the school discpline policy and act accordingly.

My suggestion, in your first class if someone is acting up jump all over it. shut it down and discpline them. they will listen. (if not your supervising teacher will come down on them like a brick wall) and then your students will understand that they can't get away with anything.

it will make everything seem like a breeze from there onwards.

Good luck. anything else you need answering I'm around to answer some questions from my experience!