Career as Teacher

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What if all these roles have been taken up at my dept/level?

Open posting exercise, closed posting exercise, etc etc. Your own school is only a tiny red dot in the massive landscape that is the Education Service. Besides other schools, you can also seek greener pastures in HQ or academies, although 'chasing advancement' in HQ is a bit different from doing so in a school. It can be rewarding if you find yourself suited to the work. Why not explore? Don't confine yourself if you want to spread your wings.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi, just want to check if moe has freezed application for trained teachers to go back to MOE for next year?

They have too many teachers whom they are trying to get rid through attrition and etc.

So yes, no chance for ex teachers to come back as full time..

Even adjunct is not easy.

Hi I'm a teacher from USA and would like to know how can I get a teaching position in Singapore.
I'm amazed by Singapore education system and would like to be a part of it.

Just wanted to find out about your thoughts on my potential CEP and rate of progression.

Graduated PGDE in 2014 and was promoted to GEO4 in 2020. Along the way, have taken maternity twice and currently on secondment to an independent school.

i) is my rate of promotion considered average/slow? I’m not the sort to ask my colleagues/friends about such things so I really have no idea.

ii) Do you think my secondment will have an impact on my career progression? (Am really trying to get on the teaching track)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Open posting exercise, closed posting exercise, etc etc. Your own school is only a tiny red dot in the massive landscape that is the Education Service. Besides other schools, you can also seek greener pastures in HQ or academies, although 'chasing advancement' in HQ is a bit different from doing so in a school. It can be rewarding if you find yourself suited to the work. Why not explore? Don't confine yourself if you want to spread your wings.

What is the difference about advancement in HQ and in school?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just wanted to find out about your thoughts on my potential CEP and rate of progression.

Graduated PGDE in 2014 and was promoted to GEO4 in 2020. Along the way, have taken maternity twice and currently on secondment to an independent school.

i) is my rate of promotion considered average/slow? I’m not the sort to ask my colleagues/friends about such things so I really have no idea.

ii) Do you think my secondment will have an impact on my career progression? (Am really trying to get on the teaching track)

Your rate of progression is ok. Based on what you shared, you should have gotten your cohort promotion in Apr 2016. 4 years from geo3 to geo4 is average, although some teachers here will argue that it is still considered fast because "some people stay at geo3 forever" (the stagnation is usually the officer's own fault, or own intention).

Secondment to an independent school should not have noticeable negative impact on your career progression.

once in a blue moon you will meet a teacher who loves his career, the rest are all lamenting everyday

[booney]

Hi, very new to this forum and this is my first post.

Is anyone able to share whether there is a demand for teaching economics currently? From reading earlier posts, there seems to be an oversupply of teachers now. What are my chances if I'm applying as someone doing a mid career switch?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

once in a blue moon you will meet a teacher who loves his career, the rest are all lamenting everyday

Mismatch of expectations. I would say all of us experience it, although some of us are much less affected by it than others. We are sold the idea of fulfillment and satisfaction through teaching, which is a misrepresentation of where most of our day to day job satisfaction normally comes from. Actual T&L of academic subjects is just the tip. Below that, most of our work revolves around getting our students ready to learn. This means taking care of their multitude of non-acad related needs, and also running the school in an operational sense. Sure we have allied educators and EAS colleagues to help us with some of these, but ultimately most student-facing and stakeholder-facing non-teaching work is still done by EOs.

If one thinks such work is unnecessary or degrades job satisfaction, one should consider being a private tutor whose job is almost 100% to teach. With an NIE certification, it is easier to compete in the market and command higher fees. Teaching is a skill that every MOE teacher needs to master, but ironically (or not?) teaching of acad subjects is not the thing that takes up most of the MOE teacher's mental/physical bandwidth and working hours.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Mismatch of expectations. I would say all of us experience it, although some of us are much less affected by it than others. We are sold the idea of fulfillment and satisfaction through teaching, which is a misrepresentation of where most of our day to day job satisfaction normally comes from. Actual T&L of academic subjects is just the tip. Below that, most of our work revolves around getting our students ready to learn. This means taking care of their multitude of non-acad related needs, and also running the school in an operational sense. Sure we have allied educators and EAS colleagues to help us with some of these, but ultimately most student-facing and stakeholder-facing non-teaching work is still done by EOs.

If one thinks such work is unnecessary or degrades job satisfaction, one should consider being a private tutor whose job is almost 100% to teach. With an NIE certification, it is easier to compete in the market and command higher fees. Teaching is a skill that every MOE teacher needs to master, but ironically (or not?) teaching of acad subjects is not the thing that takes up most of the MOE teacher's mental/physical bandwidth and working hours.

i miss my sec sch teachers. they seem so on the ball.