Job Sheet: Secondary School teacher
Job title
Secondary School teacher
Job description
Secondary school teachers teach one or more curriculum subject
areas to students of about 13 to 18 years of age at a secondary
school.
They may teach several subjects in one area (such as social
sciences teachers) or teach only one subject in that area (for
example, history).
Secondary school teachers may do some or all of the
following:
- plan, prepare and present teaching programmes
- set and mark assignments and tests
- assess students' work for internally assessed components of
qualifications
- keep records and write reports on students
- attend departmental and staff meetings
- meet with parents, wh?nau or caregivers, individually or at
parents' evenings
- participate in or organise extra-curricular activities such
as sport, camp or drama
- keep up to date with curriculum changes and assessment
methods.
Qualifications required
Entry Requirements
To enter a teacher training programme you will need a tertiary entrance qualification. Entry requirements may vary so check with your training provider.
To become a registered Secondary School teacher you need to have one of the following:
- a specialist subject degree - which includes two
subjects, a major and a minor, in the school subjects you want to
teach in - followed by a one-year Graduate Diploma of Teaching
(Secondary).
- or a combined specialist subject degree and secondary
teaching qualification.
This takes 4 years to complete.
Training on the job
Teachers must undertake relevant ongoing professional
development and maintain professional practice. This can be done
through internal or external courses, workshops and seminars. To
find out more, visit the New Zealand Teachers Council website
www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz.
Registration
Once qualified, teachers must apply for teacher registration from the New Zealand Teachers Council. After two years of support and guidance as a teacher they can apply for and gain full teachers registration. To find out more, visit the New Zealand Teachers Council website www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz
Training costs
Training costs vary, however it will cost approximately $4,500 per year to complete:
- a specialist subject degree followed by a one-year
Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) or a combined specialist
subject degree and secondary teaching qualification.
Location of job
Secondary school teachers can work throughout New Zealand as well as world wide.
Career path
Experience and training can help you progress in this job. There
are many career paths available and you can move into different
educational roles such as head teacher, dean, principal,
professional support-development, etc.
Salary range
Salary depends on qualifications, setting and geographic location.
Other careers this profession could lead to
University lecturer
Teacher of Community classes
Researcher
Can work for a Government agency (e.g. curriculum development or
policy work)
Can work for a training organisation associated with secondary
school education
Can up skill and work in other teaching sectors (e.g. special
education)
Advisory roles such as education review officer
How to increase the chances of successfully entering
this industry
- A relevant degree qualification
- Counseling experience
- Tutoring or coaching work, work with people with
disabilities, work as a youth group leader, work as a teacher
aide
Places to source information about this job
Talking to current and recent student teachers, experienced teachers or principals can be a great help in making a decision on whether teaching is for you. You could also contact your nearest teacher education provider. You can then discuss what it's like to be in the classroom and they may be able to arrange for you to spend some time observing a class in action.
Visit the TeachNZ website -
www.teachnz.govt.nz
Ministry of Education website
www.minedu.govt.nz and the New Zealand Teachers
Council website
www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz
Other relevant points
TeachNZ offers scholarships for secondary subject areas where there are teacher shortages. Visit www.teachnz.govt.nz for more information.
