Further Education Teacher
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What is the work like?
Further education (FE) teachers, sometimes known as FE lecturers, teach students over the age of 16, and some 14 to 16-year-olds studying work-related subjects.
As an FE teacher, you could work in a variety of learning environments, ranging from colleges and community centres to prisons and the armed forces.
The types of courses you could teach include:
academic subjects (like maths and English) often leading to qualifications such as GCSEs and A levels
vocational courses which train students for careers such as catering, construction or childcare, often leading to NVQs
the new 14 to 19 Diplomas delivered in colleges
leisure and hobby courses, such as photography.
Depending on the subject you teach, you would use a variety of teaching methods, such as seminars, tutorials and demonstrations.
Your day-do-day tasks would typically include:
planning and preparing lessons or seminars
setting and marking assignments, tests and exams
monitoring and assessing students’ progress
developing new courses and teaching materials
record keeping and other administrative tasks
attending meetings, professional development courses and workshops
interviewing prospective students
acting as personal tutor, supporting students and helping with problems
supervising practical work, work placements or field trips.
You could teach full-time, part-time (day or evening) or day-release courses, and could teach in further education, sixth-form colleges, community colleges, adult education centres, the prison service and work-based learning settings.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
You would need:
at least a level three qualification (for example A level or NVQ level 3) in the subject you want to teach – for some academic subjects you may need a degree...