When I was a little girl, I had no idea that I wanted to be a teacher. I didn’t dream about inspiring generations of young minds, about seeing the spark of recognition in a student’s eyes as they grasped a tricky concept. I completed my education, gaining an Oxford Science degree and pursued a career in the commercial sector before realising in my early 30s that actually, what I wanted to do was teach.
Teaching is in my view the best job in the world. Yet in some subjects recruiting and retaining excellent teachers can be a significant struggle. I am a Physics teacher – and a headmistress – and I absolutely love teaching. Physics is a fantastic, challenging, exciting and rewarding subject to teach but sadly it is one of those subjects which is suffering a national recruitment crisis.
While we have a relatively high uptake of Physics in my own school, Headington in Oxford, and in Girls’ Schools Association schools more widely, girls are woefully underrepresented in Physics with far more boys studying the subject to A Level and university than girls. This has a knock-on effect on the proportion of girls and young women who pursue careers in STEM subjects.
The Government recognises how vital it is we attract more high quality graduates into Physics teaching, with the best trainee Physics teachers in the state sector eligible for a tax free bursary of up to £30,000. The Institute of Physics also offers generous scholarships for outstanding applicants. It’s not just about the money, however. A top drawer Physics graduate could easily earn similar salaries in the commercial sector. I have never regretted turning away from industry to become a teacher.
Here are just seven of my top reasons to become a Physics teacher.
1. Getting physical
Physics is a practical science. That means you could be making sparks with the Van der Graaf generator or experimenting with liquid nitrogen. Practical activities sharpen students’ powers of observation, stimulate questions and help develop new understanding. They are also a lot of fun – for student and teacher.
2. Location, location, location
Ever wondered what it feels like to be in demand? Become a Physics teacher! There is a worldwide shortage of Physics teachers. Wherever in the world you want to work, the chances are there will be a job for you.
3. Challenge, scope and versatility
Physics is about asking the big questions and then trying to answer them – and that means very different things for children at different ages. You might find yourself teaching Year 7 pupils about how force is a push or a pull in one lesson, then moving on to teach special relativity to sixth formers in the next. The challenge is pitching those concepts just right as you move from one age group to the next.
4. Cross-curricular links
Physics connects to all subjects, from the artistic nature of lissajous figures or fractals, to the history of the space race and nuclear technology. So if there is another subject which also piques your interest, Physics will give you a chance to touch on it.
5. It’s international
Similar Physics is taught the world over. That means not only could you find a job on the other side of the globe, you can also share ideas and resources with teachers around the world.
6. It’s ‘hard’
Physics is traditionally viewed as the most difficult subject. There are plenty of devilishly difficult ideas to get your head around. So when you help students understand something complex and they have a lightbulb moment, the reward is immense.
7. Transferable skills
Physics is not all equations and experiments. To become a successful Physicist, you pick up a host of transferable skills along the way, such as creative thinking, innovation and problem solving, not to mention practical skills. That makes your students more employable and of use to society – a great reward for you as the teacher.
Caroline Jordan, Headmistress, Headington School
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