Primary -V- Secondary

ByChance

There's probably not many people who have experience with both careers who can give insight here, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I always gravitated towards wanting to be a secondary teacher. I love my subjects and like the structure.

For the past two years I've taught ESL to primary students in Asia. They can be a handful, but for the most part - they brighten up my day. If I'm having a tough day, one little funny question from them can cheer me right up.

I've been thinking of what dealing with the teenagers of today will be like. I read more and more literature advising young people away from teaching. That students don't care, parents side with students, not to mention bullying/ cyber bullying and all those other problems on the rise.

Is there anyone who has experience with both and can say which they preferred?

Is there any secondary teachers who regret not going the primary route?

Inspector Coptoor

My only regret in not doing primary is based entirely on job security.

If I had done primary teaching in 2001 & finished in 2004, I would more than likely have a permanent job somewhere now.

I spent a few weeks in primary schools but have to say, even though secondary teaching is very frustrating in terms of job security, I prefer teaching teenagers.

drvantramp

IMO...secondary more about your own love and knowledge of subjects plus leadership/psychological development of teenagers into young adults.

Primary more about the children, i.e. enjoying being with young children as well as curriculum...

I saw it more like primary "The Nurturer" v secondary "The Coach".

as stated, better prospects in primary definately and more smiles maybe.
still prefer secondary!

Powerhouse

Post-Primary teaching does give a teacher the chance to engage some way intellectually with their subjects if they genuinely enjoy them (as opposed to have just randomly taken subjects they thought they could do to get a qualification), and have classes with whom they can raise the bar a bit.

Obviously there are many times when you deal with students where intellectual benefit is zilch, but there is some variety in the timetable which counteracts that somewhat. But there is no doubt that the issue you raise - That students don't care, parents side with students, not to mention bullying/ cyber bullying and all those other problems on the rise - are the real bugbears which surely are a real difference in the jobs.

The sort of stuff many Post-Primary teachers have to put up with routinely is unbelievable. For example, I had a student the other day who refused to sit in a designated seat, had no books/copies and just got up and left the room with ten minutes left in class. He'll get a little tap on the knuckles from his Year Head and will be back in to do the same thing again the next day. There is no mechanism for dealing with that in a meaningful way, and that is the great frustration of Post-Primary teaching.

My daughter is 13 and at this stage says she wants to be a Primary teacher. I am a Post-Primary teacher myself but have no inclination to advise her to consider Post-Primary which says a lot. I'd hate to think of her having to field all that crap in years to come when she could be with a young relatively enthusiatic and responsive group instead.