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Hello all,
I'm currently finishing up my teaching degree and student teaching across the pond in Colorado, USA. It has been a dream of mine for quite while to move over to Scotland and teach there. I'll have my degree and license to teach history/social sciences (which i believe is modern studies?) also geography etc.
I'm wondering if there is any advice for a new teacher hoping to make the crossing over there?
Thank you!
Thanks for the reply-
I'm looking at applying for summer jobs as a tour guide over there, or maybe working in a museum. Do you think that would be a better situation then just a cold turkey move?
I'll have a chat with a GTCS person later today. I was curious about the requirements since they do seem iffy.
Not married but he's the reason for the move! :)
I go to Scotland every summer for at least a month the past 6 years, and I've been in autumn and ireland in winter etc. I love that more timid weather as I usually dislike the extremes that we get in Colorado anyway.
I think I qualify under the HSM programme last time I checked, I would just need the school to sponsor me. Teaching jobs are hard to find over here as well, so either way it's slim pickings I guess!
Thanks for the advice! What programs do you sign up for for that option? And how do you know if a certain school offers that kind of program?
Thanks for the reply Emily.
In Colorado the jobs are also super scarce, as they are everywhere. I'm going to be in contact with a GTCS person this week to hopefully see if my degree qualifies me to be over there with my license.
Was it hard shifting to the different system over there?
If I were you I would seriously consider teaching in England first. Perhaps based somewhere in the north of England so you could easily travel into Scotland for weekends/holidays. It is much much easier to get a job in England and the pay is better.
With the imminent demise of the GTC in England it will also be easier to get your qualifiactions/training recognised by individual schools or authorities than with the GTCS.
A few years of experience in England will make it much easier to move to Scotland if that's what you want to do.
One word of warning - if you do start teaching in England you might, after a few years, find that the better pay and conditions south of the border might make you reluctant to make that move into the Scottish system.
Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback Emily.
Where and how did you get retrained? Did you have to go back to college and for how long?
Emily,
I did re-check the payscales.
Scotland: starting salary 20427 rising to maximum of 32583 (chartered teacher scheme no longer running)
England (outside London): starting salary 21588 rising to maximum 36756 (Upper Pay Scale 3).
So still less than England then?
Apology accepted.
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