this could be because you have been contemplating a change of profession, or you are required to take a particular teaching qualification because of your job role. Perhaps you have a hobby or a trade you would like to teach to others; you know you are good at it and feel you have the skills and knowledge which you could pass on to others. While this book will guide you through the process of teaching, learning and assessing, it is up to you to ensure you are up to date with your subject knowledge. This is what you will actually teach and is sometimes referred to as a subject discipline or specialist subject. As you will be an experienced practitioner in your subject, and also a professional teacher, the term dual professional is often used to denote your role. This is because you are a professional in two different aspects.
Example
Peter works full time as a plumber. The local college is advertising for plumbing teachers to deliver an evening class. Peter feels he has the necessary skills and knowledge and would like to apply. The advertisement states the successful applicant will be able to take a part-time teaching qualification which will be paid for by the college. If Peter is successful, he can continue with his job, teach an evening class and work towards a teaching qualification. Peter will therefore be a dual professional. A professional teacher and a professional plumber.
Depending upon where and what you will teach, you may not need to be qualified in your particular subject, but be able to demonstrate appropriate occupational skills and knowledge at a certain level. Some subjects require you to have a level above that which you will teach, for example, holding a level 3 qualification to teach it at level 2.
Some subjects might not require you to hold a specific subject qualification at all, but just possess the necessary skills, knowledge and experience. If you are teaching towards an accredited qualification, you will need to find out what the requirements for you to teach it might be. There is often a particular body responsible for your subject. In the UK, it’s the Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards and you can access their website at: http://fisss.org. They, along with the awarding organisation who accredit and certificate the qualification, will decide what is required by teachers to deliver and assess in each subject area.
Programmes or courses are frequently known as vocational or technical (i.e. work or employment related), non-vocational (leisure, hobby or interest related) and academic (theory related). However, some topics can cover all three aspects.
Example
Kersti works for herself as a horticulturist. She designs gardens for customers and advises which plants are suitable for their environment. The owner of the local garden centre is often asked if there are any short courses regarding garden design. He approached Kersti and she offered to deliver a three-hour session at the garden centre to a group of interested customers. Her session will therefore be vocational (as it could relate to a job), non-vocational (as it could relate to a hobby) and academic (as some theory will be covered). The session will take place in the garden centre and will not be in a classroom. The learners will not receive a certificate but will receive a record of attendance.
Programmes that lead to qualifications are known as accredited and an awarding organisation (AO) will issue a certificate to all successful learners. The AO produces a qualification specification and checks that the requirements of it are followed. This is by carrying out ongoing verification or quality measures. All AOs are regulated, in the United Kingdom the regulator is Ofqual in England; it’s Qualifications Wales in Wales; the CCEA in Northern Ireland; and the SQA in Scotland (weblinks to these are at the end of this chapter and further details can be found in Chapter 3). Any college or training organisation can apply to an AO to offer accredited qualifications or endorsed programmes of learning, and they are often called a centre or a provider. An accredited qualification can be offered by several AOs, and is nationally recognised. Endorsed programmes are specifically written by a centre in conjunction with an AO, to meet the needs of particular employers or learners. The AO will still issue a certificate to successful learners; however, it might not be accepted like a nationally recognised qualification would.
Records of achievement or records of attendance could be issued by centres to learners who are on a short programme which is not certificated by an AO. It’s good for the learner to have something which shows what they have done, but it only proves achievement or attendance at something specific. For example, an update to the company’s policies and procedures, or attendance at a garden design course.
The most important aspect of teaching is to ensure that learning is taking place. If you are currently teaching, your delivery methods might be based on experiences of how you were taught in the past. However, there are many different approaches you could use. This book will hopefully give you new ideas to use in a more engaging and practical way. Chapter 5 includes a table of different teaching and training approaches and activities. Teaching isn’t just about being in a classroom; it can take place in many different environments such as the workplace, a voluntary setting, indoors, outdoors or online.
Extension activity
Think back to when you were at school or college. What were your favourite and least favourite subjects and why? How did the teachers impart their skills and knowledge to help you learn? How do you think your experiences as a learner in the past will influence the way you will teach in future?
Qualifications and standards for teachers and trainers
It can be overwhelming making a career move into teaching or training. You might need to achieve certain qualifications or meet particular professional standards prior to commencing your role or while working on-the-job. Having a qualification is a way of demonstrating you have met all the criteria required to be a teacher. Standards are a set of criteria which you can demonstrate on-the-job. They are a way of checking and confirming what you are currently doing.
Most people who choose to teach adults have already had a career for several years in a particular subject area, and wish to impart their skills and knowledge to others. Some training organisations might employ you without a teaching qualification or a specific subject qualification if they feel you have the necessary knowledge and experience. This will depend upon what type of organisation you work for and which country you are in. It might be possible to work towards a teaching qualification once you have started your teaching role, this is known as in-service. However, you could work towards a teaching qualification while you are still working in your current job role, known as pre-service. You could consider partaking in some voluntary teaching practice to see if it’s a career you would want to move into.
Teaching qualifications
In 2013, the Government (in England) removed the requirement for teachers in the FE and skills sector to be qualified. It’s now the responsibility of the individual employer, college or university to make the decision as to what qualifications their staff should hold. However, most people in a teaching or training role will want to hold a qualification, and organisations will want to give a quality service to their learners by having qualified staff. There are many countries which do require their staff to hold a teaching qualification and you will need to find out what is applicable to you.
Awarding organisations offer different teaching qualifications ranging from those for new teachers at level 3, to those for more advanced teachers, at level 5 and above. You can find out more about levels in Chapter 4. Some qualifications for teachers are quite short, perhaps a few days for a train the trainer course, or a few weeks for an introductory teaching
