Calling all Secondary School Teachers...

I need help!
I think I finally know what I would like to do post SAHMship. I would love to be a secondary school career and guidance counselor.

I can't find anywhere though, any information on miniumum qulaifications, general hours or pay? Could you direct me on which way to look?

Thanks!

(as a sidenote, I know how specific I'm being and the reality of finding a job. We'll always be country bumpkins, I figure that will always be country bumpkins so that works in my favour. Also, we are lucky in the fact that I don't have to work to make ends meet, so there's no hurry )

Edited by Flake

oh totally just missed that you meant school councillor in which case i wouldnt have any idea! you could probably still find something on the website anyway..

greath thing about a primary post grad is that you can work in primary AND secondary - but secondary you can only work primary.

I know the counsellor at our school was also the science teacher, so it might pay to have another subject to pursue as well - especially if you prefer country areas.

Oh, but do you have a degree already?

my laptop keyboard is playing up so please excuse the lactk of punction among other things :)

thanks bex will do! i was semi hoping i could do some form of diploma to help get a foot in the door and then cross credit to a degree extramurally further down the track

peanut my first response is easily guidance counselor however out here at least one school i know of the role is combined i guess because of the number of pupils< but it would so me fine if the roles were individual!

Peanut wrote: Lizzle - Primary can only teach to year 10 without furthur PD, or thats the way its suppose to be but we all know that it goes on. Secondary you can teach down to Year 7. .

that's interesting! I am secondary trained, with no interest in teaching intermediate (although i knew i could), but about 50% of my colleagues are primary trained...teaching all levels. haha

young....but maybe they have had extra training - no idea. but tbh, sometimes I think i need early childhood training to deal with my year 12 boys. "no joseph, we don't punch people in the class - gentle touching only please"

Peanut wrote: Yeah, its "interesting" aye. They are really not suppose to be...What age are they? I think the rules changed awhile back as the ones I know all trained about 15-20 years ago. A lady at work recently was primary trained and taught to year 10 and then had to attend workshops to teach NCEA....I personally think its crap that they teach higher than year 10.

Totally agree with this! I'm primary trained and I wouldn't want to teach higher than year 10 (actually don't really want to teach past year 6), my DP is secondary trained (he got jealous of my holidays so went back to uni) and I am suprised at the number of teachers he works with who are primary trained teaching up to year 13! Although if they already had a degree in the subject they are teaching and had done a post grad that might be a bit different as they would have the subject knowledge they need. As long as they had done NCEA PD. Still think they should be doing the papers at uni rather than just the PD though.

ETA sorry that is a bit off topic but there is a careers avisary service out there perhaps giving them a call or even your local high school to find out what they look for in those roles.

Edited by EsmesMum

EsmesMum I've looked at kiwi careers, stuff, trade me and the ed gazette for some clues lol, I'm not having much luck! I'm going to email the guys out this way over the weekend, but was hoping for a more banket general standards answer. I guess there isn't one!

I was fully shot down by the PPTA, who were finally able to give me some straight answers after I tried every other possible avenue.

Quite simply, despite how passionate I am about counseling services being available without repercussion to secondary school students, I would still need to complete a core subject bachelors degree, then my teacher training, then teach for a few years, apply for a grant, and return to do a masters. Teachers train to teach, counselors train to counsel! I don't really understand it, but the lady said it all came down to the bottom dollar, at least that's how I interpreted it.

In the meantime, while all of this research was going on, DH has decided he's off to grad school next year to do his teacher training. I must admit, I'm now slightly tempted to follow him, although it's obviously going to take me alot longer.

We are based rurally, and by choice because of lifestyle we will be forever. That means if we were to both teach, we could end up at the same rural school. Is that actually allowed? What would life be like if there were two secondary teachers in the same household? Would our family be lost under paperwork?

Thanks guys

I don't know if it's been mentioned but whenever I am in between choices for jobs etc I go to the career services Link to Job Info section of Website, it's a NZ site and has tonnes of info on Jobs such as pay, how to get into the job, the work, what a typical day is like... etc Heaps of info! And who to contact.