Teacher/Training/Academics

Bookworm55

Hi everyone,

I'm doing some research into where I want to take my career and I'm considering going towards teaching accounts rather than practicing accounts. I'd like to hear from the teachers on this board: how did they get into it?

I spoke to my old lecturers yesterday. (I'm currently on a break before doing CIMA in the new year) They're more academic/research focussed, and came into it from having worked in the profession for a few years after doing their bachelors degrees. Most of them are older and don't have doctorates, because few younger people are willing to become accounting academics. (It's a pay thing: partners in accounting firms and finance directors make much more than professors)

Of those that do, most do a 3+1 PhD programme: taking a 1-year MRes (Master of Research) to prepare them for a research based PhD. It's something I'm considering in 5-10 years, but not until becoming professionally qualified. Which makes me unusual among those seriously considering academia, who are an unusual bunch to start with! I don't like the idea of teaching or researching in an area I've never worked in, plus I need to build up finances to fund my way through the programme.

Which is why I'm wondering if I can move towards teaching/training with BPP/Kaplan or a FE College. But I'm less sure how that works.

Has anyone else here seriously considered the academic/reseach route? How about teaching/training?

(Just to emphasise- when I say teaching, I mean teaching adults on professional or academic courses, not high school teaching)

Steve Collings

Hi,

I do freelance teaching for AAT's DFS paper and next year will be lecturing qualifieds for various training companies. It is extremely rewarding but it can also be absolutely exhausting. You are stood up for most of the day and have to be on absolute top form and prepared for all sorts of technical questions - so the ability to "think on your feet" is crucial. If you work in practice then you should be able to handle this aspect because clients will often ask "off the cuff" questions. You also need to have good communication skills - stood up talking about earnings per share or financial instruments for any length of time can detract students attention so you need to have an ability to make the lecture "fun"! I teach auditing and financial reporting, which are not exactly renowned to make the average student jump out of bed doing cartwheels around the house at 6am because they have a day of consolidations/auditing ahead of them so you need to be conscious if you specialise in a subject which is predominantly dry.

I have never been employed at BPP/Kaplan but was given the chance last year but wanted to "do it myself" rather than be given a lecture deliver which Kaplan/BPP do (their days are structured) - I also had the opportunity to combine lecturing with my full time practice role so that swung it for me. BPP/Kaplan recruitment process is quite rigorous. You will have to decide on a specialism (such as tax/FR/audit/management) and be prepared to attend an assessment day. This will involve doing a presentation in front of tutors for them to assess how good you are at lecturing. You would start off at lower level papers and eventually work your way up to senior papers.

Lots of students want to progress into teaching (either part or full time) on completion of their studies, but it is incredibly demanding. BPP and Kaplan also require weekend work/bank holidays so you must be able to make sacrifices!

Kind regards
Steve

teakay25

Teaching

Hi,

As well as trying to set up my own book-keeping business as a MIP I started teaching nearly a year ago and absolutely love it although I agree it is demanding! I work in accounts during the day and teach an evening class the International Association of Book-keepers qualification to adults at an FE college.

I am hoping to eventually teach A level accounts and AAT as well. I am currently studying a two year diploma in teacher which gives you qualified teacher status to teach age 16+ (this was formally the Certificate in Education or Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and you need at least 75 hours teaching per year to be able to complete this.

I would definitely recommend teaching - never in a million years would I have thought I would enjoy it so much

Good luck

elging

Teaching

Hi,

I am currently doing a PTTLs course (Preparing to teach in the Life long Learning sector), which is 12 weeks and will become mandatory soon for anyone teaching in FE. This will get you in the way of knowing how to do schemes of work and session plans and give you an intro into teaching and clarify if this is really what you want to do.

Either way its useful to have and relatively quick to complete (1 aftermoon for 12weeks plus short assignments)