Studying to Become a Teacher

In Australia, going to college or university are the best – if not the only – ways to become a teacher. With the proper training, a whole world of educating opens up to you in every part of the country. While each state and territory has slightly different qualification requirements, in general, you will want to follow these simple steps:

Gain Relevant Qualifications for Registration

First and foremost, you will need to gain the relevant qualifications to become a registered teacher by obtaining either a four-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a three-year degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc). Following completion of either of these, you can then complete a graduate educational methodology degree, which will make it possible for you to teach at an Australian high school.

Study Multiple Majors

In Australia, if you obtain a BEd or other primary degree, you will have to choose two separate majors or teaching areas in order to get registered. When you are selecting your courses and planning for your studies, be sure to keep this in mind. This is not only a good tactic to assist you in becoming a diverse teacher, but having multiple teaching areas will help you when it comes time for finding your first teaching position.

Become Registered

Of course, every state and territory will do things according to their own rules, but one thing that you can be sure of is that you will have to become registered with whichever Teacher Registration Board that is relevant to you. Becoming registered simply means that you are recognised as having all of your schooling completed and that you have the correct authorisation to be hired as a teacher.

Apply for Jobs

Once you have become registered in your state or territory and you have your teaching ID card, you can begin to apply for teaching jobs in private schools. Becoming a teacher in a state school, however, requires a little extra effort, as you have to go before a panel of Education Department staff for a suitability review. During this review, you will demonstrate your teaching abilities by answering hypothetical questions about different teaching scenarios. Following the interview, you will receive a suitability rating (denoted by ‘S’), which will essentially determine how fast you will be able to get a teaching position in the state school system. If you have a rating of S1, then you will most likely be offered a job immediately, a rating of S2 may have you waiting for a few weeks, a rating of S3 means that you should consider taking the first offered position no matter where it is, and a rating of S4 means you may want to study more and try the interview again at a later date.

Stay Up-to-Date

Even if you have already gone through the whole process and have been teaching for years now, there is continuous studying you will need to do to stay current in your field. Taking courses here and there will help you stay on top of new information as it comes available, and can also give you a new perspective on some topics. There are also new classroom resources and educational supplies that come out on a yearly basis, and you will want to stay as up-to-date as possible with any new technologies.

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