Educational institutions, including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and universities, seek to hire the best teaching staff who can provide quality education to their students. Poor recruitment decisions can negatively impact the students' future and harm the institution's reputation. Therefore, creating an excellent teaching job description is crucial to attract the right candidates.
A teaching job description should consider various factors such as teaching responsibilities, soft skills, practical skills, qualifications, and interpersonal abilities. Using a job description template can be helpful for recruiters or headteachers as it ensures the inclusion of all necessary information and attracts high-quality candidates while discouraging those who are not the right fit for the position.
What Do Teaching Professionals Do?
Teaching professionals are accountable for creating a favorable learning atmosphere where students, whether children or adults, can acquire knowledge while the teacher imparts their expertise on the subject matter. Teaching professionals may deliver lesson plans alone or in collaboration with teaching assistants. They are employed in various educational settings, including community schools (maintained by local authorities), voluntary and foundation schools, academies, free schools, grammar schools, and independent schools.
Teaching Positions and Titles
The teaching approach employed by educators varies based on their specific role. For instance, elementary school teachers are accountable for providing foundational education across a broad range of subjects, while middle school teachers often teach in one or two subjects. Mandatory national curriculum subjects include science, English, mathematics, history, geography, design and technology, art and design, physical education, and computing.
The various roles in teaching include:
- [Subject] Teacher
- Primary School Teacher
- Special Education Teacher
- Teaching Assistant
- Head Teacher
Teaching Responsibilities and Duties
The teaching job description outlines the responsibilities, duties, and tasks associated with the teaching role. The responsibilities may differ depending on the subject, the age of the student, and the educational setting. However, some common responsibilities, duties, and tasks that a teaching professional may have to perform include:
- Creating lesson plans aligned with national curriculum guidelines
- Preparing lessons following school guidelines
- Organizing the classroom and learning materials
- Utilizing various teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, interactive learning, and demonstrations
- Maintaining discipline and monitoring student behavior to ensure a good classroom experience
- Documenting progress and providing feedback to parents
- Assigning homework and grading tests
- Participating in school events and running school clubs
- Offering personalized instruction and showing empathy towards students
- Encouraging student participation and motivation
- Attending continued teacher training
- Meeting with professionals such as educational psychologists and education welfare officers
- Collaborating with other teachers, school governors, or parent councils
Essential Teaching Skills
In addition to outlining the responsibilities, a teaching job description should also include the essential soft skills required to create a supportive learning environment. Employers can assess these skills by reviewing the candidate's resumes, cover letter, and interview. Here are the top soft skills that teaching staff should possess:
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Confidence in public speaking
- Active listening
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Good judgement and initiative
- Enthusiasm and energy
- Patience, stamina, and resilience
- Self-discipline and dedication
- Creativity, innovative thinking, and imagination
- Time management and organizational skills
- Ability to work effectively in a team
- Strong supervision, leadership, and conflict resolution skills
- General teaching skills such as the ability to break down complex subject matter into smaller pieces
- Basic administrative skills
- Basic computer proficiency
Teaching Education and Qualifications
There are various teaching qualifications, including:
- Bachelor's degree in Education: A four-year undergraduate degree that provides students with the knowledge and skills to become teachers
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE): A one-year teacher training program in the UK that combines practical teaching experience with theoretical knowledge
- Master of Education (M.Ed.): A graduate degree that focuses on educational research and theory, which can lead to leadership positions in education
- Teaching Certification Programs: A certification program that provides teaching credentials for those with a non-teaching bachelor's degree
- Alternative Certification Programs: A program that allows individuals to become teachers without a traditional teaching degree, often by combining a degree in a specific subject with a certification program
Teaching Training and Experience
Whether a teaching job description requires previous work experience depends on the specific teaching position, subject matter, and educational setting. Relevant experience for teaching staff can include both paid employment and volunteer work.
Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching Job Descriptions
Here we answer your teaching job description frequently asked questions.