what is a secondary teacher?
You foster high school students' academic growth and general well-being as a secondary teacher. You work with students in Years 7 to 12. Your job is to support students' progress and prepare them for tertiary education. As a secondary teacher, you specialise in one or more subjects or work exclusively with a specific group of students. Your duties involve creating lesson plans, administering assignments and assessing student performance.
As a secondary teacher, you accompany students to excursions and camps or attend other school functions. You also encourage and counsel students on various aspects of their education or life. When you observe worrying changes in a student, you communicate with their parents and guardians to ensure they receive help.
Secondary school teachers usually rely on various teaching tools to complete the recommended curriculum, like whiteboards, textbooks, audio-visual aids and other equipment. For instance, if you teach art, you require art and craft supplies or photographic equipment.
Aside from teaching students, you perform a range of administrative tasks. For instance, you keep records of students attending your classes and track their performances. Secondary teachers also participate in professional development conferences and seminars to improve their skills.
view jobsaverage salary of a secondary teacher
The average remuneration of a secondary teacher in Australia is $90,000 per year. The earnings vary depending on factors like experience and educational qualifications. For instance, trainee or entry-level secondary teachers earn a median salary of $85,000 annually. Experienced secondary teachers take home over $95,000 yearly due to the expertise they bring to the role. Some employers include benefits and allowances in the remuneration package.
factors that affect the salary of a secondary teacher
The significant determinants of your remuneration package are your experience and qualifications. When you have the basic tertiary education necessary to become a secondary teacher, your earnings are likely lower than those of secondary teachers with additional postgraduate training. Your remuneration package is entry-level when you are a trainee secondary teacher with minimal experience. However, years of experience improve your salary prospects since they demonstrate your expertise.
Your location also influences your remuneration package. Working in a metro area or a large city will earn more than secondary teachers in smaller towns. The high demand for secondary teachers increases salary expectations in metro areas.
Want to know what you will earn as a secondary teacher? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.
types of secondary teachers
The types of secondary teachers depend on the subjects they teach, including:
- secondary science teachers: you teach the recommended curriculum on various sciences. Your job is to cover the required subjects, create lesson plans and assess students. Some science subjects involve laboratory work and outdoor projects.
- secondary maths teachers: as a mathematics teacher, you guide students through the numerical work and mathematical principles recommended by the curriculum. You use various learning techniques to boost their understanding of the subject.
- secondary art teachers: as an art teacher, you train students in various art techniques and prepare them for Year 12 exams and tertiary career prospects. Sometimes, the role involves conducting competitions to boost learning outcomes.
working as a secondary teacher
Working as a secondary teacher requires patience and empathy to deal with diverse students. Read on for details on the role's responsibilities, work environments and career prospects.
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duties and responsibilities
Some of the tasks performed by secondary teachers include:
- preparing lesson plans: as a secondary teacher, you prepare for lessons in your subjects and gather the necessary teaching aids. For instance, you prepare the teaching aids you need for the class and review the learning objectives for the lesson.
- tutoring students: a secondary teacher's primary role is imparting knowledge to students. You should achieve the designated learning outcomes and help students understand basic concepts. You can use various techniques to tutor students and provide additional reading materials for in-depth knowledge. Sometimes, you tutor students outside class hours to help them catch up with the rest of the class.
- marking students' work: as a secondary teacher, you give assignments to students to test their understanding of various topics. It is your job to mark and grade their work. You also assess their performance through tests and class participation. After the assessments, you should provide constructive feedback to ensure students work towards their educational objectives.
- fostering relationships with parents: as a secondary teacher, you collaborate with parents to improve your students' performance. For instance, you organise parent-teacher meetings to discuss student progress. You also address students' issues and ensure parents know how they are progressing.
- supervising planned activities: when students have outdoor activities like school functions or sporting events, you play a supervisory role. You ensure students have the resources for their projects and oversee events.
- taking disciplinary action: when a student misbehaves in class or within the school premises, you follow the disciplinary process provided by the school. Sometimes, you speak with parents or direct the student to the school counsellor.
- reviewing curriculum changes: as a secondary teacher, you keep an eye on the changing teaching methods or updates to the curriculum. Reviewing curriculum changes helps you stay current with the secondary education curriculum.
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work environment
A secondary school teacher works both indoors and outdoors. When you are teaching students, you spend most of your time in classes. As a science teacher, you work in a laboratory environment during practical lab lessons. Sometimes, the school organises outdoor activities like school functions, sports events or seminars. The role involves minimal travelling unless you attend a seminar or professional development course.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include head teachers, special educators and school counsellors. You might also be working in close proximity to school nurses, mental health nurses, and mathematics teachers, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, primary teachers, English teachers, administration officers, and education officers.
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work schedule
The typical work schedule of a secondary teacher matches the school curriculum hours. That means you have an early start to your day and leave early. Secondary teachers work overtime if they need to grade papers or complete assessment reports. Sometimes, you may work evenings to prepare lesson plans. Most secondary teaching jobs are available on a full-time basis, but part-time or short-term contracts are available. As a secondary teacher, you can also provide private tutoring services.
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job outlook
A secondary teacher has promising career prospects, with a projected job growth rate of 6.1% in the next five years. Some secondary teachers start as trainee teachers and progress to senior roles like principals or school administrators. You could also become a school counsellor, education officer or special education teacher.
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advantages of finding a secondary teacher job through randstad
Finding your secondary teacher job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a secondary teacher is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.
education and skills
Some of the educational qualifications of a teacher include:
- bachelor's degree: to become a secondary teacher, you must pursue a four-year bachelor's degree after completing Year 12. The bachelor of education (secondary) combines practical teaching experience and theory. If you have a degree in a curriculum-recognised subject, complete a two-year master of teaching (secondary) degree.
- registration: before working as a secondary teacher in any state, you should apply for registration. Only registered teachers can provide tutoring on curriculum subjects.
skills and competencies
Some of the qualities that help you excel as a secondary teacher include:
- communication skills: you rely on your communication skills to teach students, explain various topics and provide feedback on their performance. Communication skills are also crucial when preparing student performance reports.
- critical thinking: you model critical thinking skills to promote them in students' approach to their studies. You also require critical thinking skills to deal with issues and conflicts in class.
- problem-solving skills: problems often arise in schools, including medical emergencies or behavioural challenges in classrooms. As a secondary teacher, you should resolve issues promptly and minimise their effects on learning outcomes. You rely on your problem-solving skills to fix problems.
- empathy: you cater to students from diverse backgrounds and should be empathetic to provide emotional support. Empathy requires active listening skills to understand students' concerns and provide advice.
- organisation skills: as a secondary teacher, you keep track of the class progress, including lesson plans and assessment reports. You can easily mix up the papers or reports if you teach the same subject to multiple classes. Organisation skills help you navigate your tasks and duties.
FAQs about working as a secondary teacher
Here are the most asked questions about working as a secondary teacher:
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what is the role of a secondary teacher?
As a secondary teacher, you assist students in completing their Year 12 curriculum by teaching specific subjects and lessons. You prepare lesson plans and teaching aids to support students' learning. You also mark assignments and provide feedback on performance. A secondary teacher also works with parents to improve the performance of students.
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how much do secondary teachers make in australia?
in Australia, a secondary teacher makes an average of $90,000 annually. The remuneration package is usually lower for trainee teachers with minimal experience and higher for experienced secondary teachers. Some secondary teachers take home over $95,000 annually.
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is teaching a stressful job in australia?
Teaching is a rewarding career in Australia with an attractive remuneration package. However, it is also a demanding role and can be stressful. Secondary teachers juggle multiple administrative and teaching tasks, deal with adolescent students, and manage classroom conflicts.
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is secondary school teaching a good career?
A secondary school teaching career is extremely rewarding since you improve students' performance and support their individual development. The job growth rate is also promising, and you have various opportunities for career progression.
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how do I become a secondary teacher in australia?
All secondary teachers in Australia must complete tertiary education, which can be a four-year degree in education or any relevant subject. You also require a master's in teaching if your first degree is not education.
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how do I apply for a secondary teacher vacancy?
Applying for a secondary teacher job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our secondary teacher job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.
