Article

A teacher plays a very important role in society. It is these individuals who nourish the minds of our children, molding them into responsible knowledgeable adults. Thus, the teaching profession is often referred to as a “calling”. As a teacher with a passion for teaching, your desire might be to impact knowledge to your students in the best way you know how, and a private school might provide you with a very suitable avenue to do so.

Unlike public schools, private schools are not limited by bureaucratic systems.  They operate as independent entities, as opposed to public schools, which are part of a large administrative group of schools. The thin management structures in private schools create ideal teaching conditions. The teacher is not required to go through layers of bureaucracies to de deal with issues and there is also a quick response to these issues when raised. Communication channels are also clear as a result of these simplified administrative structures, thus making a teacher’s work more simplified.

Private schools also have smaller classes when compared to public schools. Research indicates that a typical class has 10-12 students while a public school has closer to 25-30 students in a class. This small class size allows teaching to be more effective, as the teacher is able to concentrate on the individual needs of his or her students more readily.  A large class is less organized when compared to a smaller class, as students tend to be harder to manage when in large groups. This forces the teacher to become more of a “police man” than a teacher.

Private schools allow for flexibility on the part of the teacher, as well. Teachers are not required to adhere to strict curriculum guidelines; they have some form of control over course content and topics to be taught. These teachers also have greater control over the choice of instructional materials and textbooks to be used. This flexibility allows teachers to focus their efforts on teaching content to their students as opposed to spending a lot of time preparing them for state mandated exams as is the case with most public schools.

Parents pay large sums of money to get their children into the “best” private schools. Thus, the focus is on learning, and for a teacher who loves to do their job this becomes a winning formula for success.  These schools also require parents to become involved in their children’s education; most will have contracts signed by parents, committing them to this. When you have the parents’, students’ and school’s support, then teaching becomes easier.

There is also more discipline in private schools than in public schools. This discipline is a result of enforced codes of conduct that students are required to abide by. Discipline is a prerequisite for teaching, as it allows the teacher to spend more time teaching their students and less time trying to control them.

Private schools offer a suitable environment and the much needed support needed to help you do what you like doing - teaching. Hence, in your career advancement, you should consider teaching in a private school.