How To Choose The Right School For You? | Part 1
Feb 24, 2024
Kas Pillay
Choosing the right school for you is one of the most important decisions you can make when you start your career. The school you choose may potentially influence your feelings and thoughts on education and maybe even yourself as a teacher. It will also be a place that you grow in or a place that could restrict your growth.
There are many aspects to think about when choosing a school, the aim of this article will be to hopefully shed some light on the common surface-level considerations that one needs to reflect on when making this important decision.
Schools aren’t always permanent places for teachers- in the modern teaching world, teachers regularly work part-time or across numerous schools, and it is very normal for teachers to leave schools each year for a range of reasons. If you have made a decision that you are second guessing, don’t stress! you have the freedom to move at any time and find work as a relief teacher or as a contract teacher at a later date. It’s never final just a learning experience.
I left a school and community that I deeply resonated with, one that I grew up in myself. It was not perfect by any means but over the years I was able to leave my mark on the school and my subject area. In the process of dedicating myself to that particular school I formed many close relationships with the staff, community and the wonderful students. The decision to leave was not an easy one. Leaving was something that I needed to do to experience new challenges, become a better educator, to ultimately become a better for my students and colleagues through growing my skillset and experiences.
Through these experiences and teaching across many sites I have been able to distinguish a few key elements to keep in mind when choosing a school for you.
The Complexity Of The Student’s Needs
Understand your capacity to handle student behaviours. This is easier said than done, which is why being a relief teacher early on in your career is so vital. One of the best bits of advice I received early on as a student was in my last year of university. One of my teaching mentors Mrs. K, encouraged me to not worry about accepting a job straight out of university. She explained to me that working on a day-to-day basis and taking only short-term contracts allowed you to not only see how different schools operated but importantly experience different types of students and their behaviours.
Experiencing this early in your career will give you an understanding of where your natural skills are and identifies what you need to work. Of course this doesn’t mean you are picky or turn down opportunities to learn and work, but being real with your expectations as to what you can handle will allow for longevity in your early career.
Managing student behaviours is a massive part of teaching, its never easy regardless of the school. Sometimes the challanges you face early in your career can very well become your strengths later down the track.
Sometimes you need to put yourself in these teaching environments to understand what they are like and these experiences will be one of the biggest indicators of what school you want to teach in. I believe that if a teacher is in an environment that inspires them and fosters their passion which gives them a sense of purpose, they will make a lasting and positive impact on that school and also have a strong sense of personal fulfilment.
- Don’t rush into a job without experiencing the school
- Relief teach as much as you can in as many different schools as you can
- Be selfish in your decision as you need to do whats best for you
- Understand the context of your school and the needs of your students
Opportunities For Growth
- Are there opportunities for you to develop as a teacher/leader?
- Are there only a handful of leadership positions and are they being held by long term experienced people?
- Are there teachers who are experienced in the areas you are passionate about, will they be willing to mentor you?
- Will your school send you out for professional development?
- Are there opportunities for you to try new things or be involved in different areas of the school?
If your an early career teacher or someone who is striving for further development, it is important to identify if you will be able to achieve your goals in your chosen school setting. You may need to compromise on some preferences in order to be at a school that may have much more opportunity. For example, there may be a school that has a challenging student cohort and due to this there is regular turn over in roles, this may be a great place for you get experience in a role that may not be available in other schools.
Important things to ask and find out!
Opportunities For Mentorship
Understanding the value that senior educators bring to new educators is vital. You will learn far more about the ins and outs of teaching and thriving as a teacher from a good mentor than you will anyone else. I can personally attribute a lot of my early career success to three different mentors I have had, whom have supported me in networking, applications, teaching, planning and all aspects of the highs and lows of the teaching life.
“Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” — Denzel Washington
Being part of a team and staff that has high-quality positive senior teachers is vital to your career and personal growth as a professional. Mentorship does not need to be school-appointed, seeking guidance from colleagues who understand the nuisances of a school will help you in so many ways, and ensuring you have access to this at your site is important.