Teaching - student guide to getting into becoming a teacher

Taken for the teach.gov.uk site, we give you a hand into becoming a teacher. It's a path most often overlooked - but it has its perks!

Your initial teacher training (ITT) develops the skills and knowledge you need to teach effectively, laying the foundations for your future career. There are several teacher training routes, all of which lead to qualified teacher status (QTS). There will be a route to suit you.

All training routes include significant experience in at least two schools. The minimum time spent in schools varies according to your training route. It will be at least 18 weeks.

The training routes are in four categories:

• postgraduate routes: train to be a teacher after completing your degree;
• undergraduate routes: study for your degree and train to be a teacher at the same time; and
• employment-based routes: train to teach while working in a school.
• assessment-only - if you already have classroom experience you may wish to be considered for an assessment-only qualified teacher status route.

Teaching is like no other job. It is as inspiring, challenging and unique as each child you teach. It's a career that genuinely does make a difference.

No two children are the same. No two days are the same. You have the privilege of opening doors to learning, and introducing children to lifelong interests.

Talk to teachers, pick up the exhilaration they feel about creating a lesson that leaves teenagers buzzing as they leave the room and you will know that this is a job with unique rewards. As Louise Giddings, a secondary science teacher in Swindon says: "Enjoy what you are doing and be proud of saying you are a teacher."

You will be working in a collegiate atmosphere with other intelligent and like-minded people who pull together and help one another out.

Teaching is a career that offers the variety, challenge and reward that you would expect from a graduate entry job. It also has good salaries and opportunities for progression