Teacher training applicant numbers are up 40%, according to recent research carried out by the:

Training and Development Agency for Schools

As the credit crunch bites, many are facing redundancy and teaching is seen as a stable secure job.

This forum is designed for anybody who's thinking about going into teaching - whether you're jumping from another career, or you're straight out of school or university.

Stephen Hillier of the TDA will answer your questions at the end of each week about whether or not teaching is right for you. He cannot reply via personal message (PM) as the advice may be of benefit to many.

If your query relates to further education the TDA will be unable to offer any assistance. You could try contacting Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) or Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) to see if they can offer you any advice.

The TDA cover England only. Anyone wishing information regarding Scotland should get in touch with Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS).

Before you ask your question why not check out our Thinking about Teaching frequently asked questions file.

FAQ

In addition, our new section offers info on routes into teaching, where to find funding, and stories from career changers plus lots more:-

Teaching as a career choice

Please start a new topic and include 'Dear Stephen' in the subject line, or your question may be missed. You may also wish to add your question/topic to your Hotlist which will alert you when your question has been answered or you may prefer to add the whole forum to your Hotlist.  

Stephen Hillier will be picking up questions at Noon on Mondays and will aim to have responses posted by the end of the week. If you post after Noon on a Monday, your question won't be picked up until the following Monday.

Find out what teaching is like on Facebook

If you're thinking about a career in teaching you can visit the Get into Teaching page on Facebook. Application experts and three Facebook teachers can offer further help and advice on how to go about it - and let you know what to expect when you get there.

Best wishes

Gail Robinson, Community Producer



[edited by: TES_Bev at 11:42 (GMT 0) on 4-4-2012]