One of the most important roles in our society is teaching. Whether you are shaping the minds of primary-aged children or honing interests at secondary schools, teaching is a tough but rewarding profession.
As a teacher, you do have certain responsibilities and rights as per the law. Here are some of those.
The role of a teacher
The role of a teacher varies between primary and secondary schools, as well as further education sites such as colleges or universities. In primary school, teachers are expected to cover a wide range of topics such as English, Maths, History and Geography. Depending on the age of the children, you may be able to incorporate learning through play.
Secondary teachers usually have a specialist topic such as Maths or History, but some of the Humanities subjects such as Geography and History may be taught by the same teacher. This means they have more than one area of expertise.
Alongside teaching, educators are required to do marking, progress tracking and even emotional regulation of their charges.
Responsibilities of a teacher
Behaviour management is one area that can be challenging in teaching. Identifying students who have behavioural issues allows you to find strategies to engage them in learning. In turn, this will improve the overall atmosphere in your classroom and encourage knowledge.
Teaching materials are, to a certain extent, at the discretion of the teaching staff. Being able to tailor your teaching materials to the ages and abilities of your pupils will help to foster learning in the best possible way.
As teachers are working in a position of trust, they are considered to be mandated reporters. This means that if a child were to disclose any form of abuse, the teacher has a legal responsibility to report it to the police.
Employment rights
Teachers in the UK work very long hours and do not have holidays off as the media would suggest. This can result in teachers taking sick time due to stress or burnout and can cause accidents to occur. If you have time off due to negligence by your employer, you may be entitled to compensation.
Many teaching professionals have families at home. There can be occasions when you need to care for your family during working hours long-term. Unlike many industries, working from home is not an option. You are, however, entitled to make one statutory flexible working request per year as long as you have had 26 weeks of continuous employment. Your school should consider this carefully and without bias according to the ACAS code of practice on work flexibility.
This could mean moving to part-time hours. If this is the case, your part-time wages should be at the same rate as when you were full-time. This includes any benefits such as maternity or paternity pay, sick leave and holiday pay.
ALSO READ: 7 Best Public Schools In The USA For Your Child’s Bright Future
