Maths Teacher: Job Profile and Role

There are inevitably school subjects that some students love and some students just hate. Maths qualifies as just such a subject. You either have a proclivity for numbers, or you do not. If the former applies to you, you might be interested in becoming a maths teacher.

In this blog, we will look at the job of a maths teacher. You will learn everything there is to know about this profession, including the expected annual salaries, the required qualifications and skills, and potential employers (spoiler: there are more options than just schools!). 

Short Summary

• As a maths teacher, you are responsible for planning and developing a curriculum that adheres to the UK National Curriculum. To excel at this, you need to be aware of the various key concepts and objectives required for teaching maths to different education levels.
• As a maths teacher, you are responsible for ensuring that your students gain the required mathematical knowledge as befitting their individual needs and levels of education.
• As a maths teacher, you are required to not only have a proclivity for numbers and maths but also to be good at communication, problem-solving and empathy.

Job description

It is the job of a maths teacher to teach maths lessons to the students that enable them to grasp and understand the different mathematical concepts. It is also the job of a maths teacher to ensure that each student has the chance to gain the necessary mathematical knowledge, taking into consideration the fact that mathematics can pose a huge challenge for some pupils. To overcome these obstacles, a maths teacher needs to have strong empathy and problem-solving skills which ensure that pupils do not “throw in the towel”. Lastly, it is the job of a maths teacher to assess and grade the students’ performance and to discuss it with colleagues, superiors, and parents alike.

Responsibilities

• Instruction
• Safety/Well-Being
• Individualised Support
• Classroom Management
• Curriculum Development
• Incorporating Technology
• Assessment and Grading
• Promoting Numeracy Skills
• Homework and Assignments
• Parent-Teacher Communication

Different types of Maths Teachers

• Primary/Secondary School Maths Teacher
• Adult Education Maths Instructor
• Maths Outreach Educator
• A-Level Maths Teacher
• Private Maths Tutor

Salary

Maths teachers in the UK earn between￡30,000 and￡41,000 annually. These two salaries refer to full-time maths teachers with work experience. If you are thinking about working as a maths tutor, you can expect an annual salary of around ￡25,000 to￡36,000. Math lecturers are generally paid ￡35,000 per year. Note that the teaching position is one factor that affects your salary. It is also influenced by your employer and your employer’s location.

Working hours

Maths teachers working at a primary or secondary school tend to work regular school hours from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This results in 37 hours per week. However, the paid working hours of a maths teacher are added to by preparatory and after-school work which can accumulate to 10 extra hours and more. Also, note that lesson preparation and post-prep will likely take place in the evenings and at the weekends. Make sure that you still manage a healthy work-life balance that will help you maintain a balanced private and professional life as a maths teacher.

Employers

One obvious choice of employment for maths teachers are schools, ranging from preschools to primary and secondary schools. Depending on your chosen career path, you can also look for employment at universities or as a private maths tutor. The latter option can also result in you starting your own maths teaching business, for example, as an online maths tutor. As a maths teacher, you may also find a job in the corporate world, for instance, in companies that deal with digital marketing and SEO.

Maths might not be a Popular Subject …

… but it is desperately needed. Maths teachers have been in very short supply in the United Kingdom since 2012. The situation has declined even further, reaching an all-time low in 2016. Therefore, your career prospects as a maths teacher in the UK are looking fairly good – and you may even be able to “sneak” into this job as an outsider without any previous teaching experience.

Qualifications

Generally, there are three possible options to become a maths teacher in the UK: earning an academic degree, doing a degree apprenticeship, or working as a teaching assistant and doing a part-time degree relevant to teaching. All approaches require between four to five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including the subjects English and – no surprises here – Maths.

For the academic approach, you can also enter with the equivalent A-Levels, preferably, in Maths. Also, note that you will need your QTS if you want to apply to British state schools. Another possible qualification is the PGCE, the postgraduate certification in education.

Skills

Let’s start with the most obvious skills a maths teacher should have or develop: numerical skills, and analytical skills. Also, a very strong passion for mathematics and numbers does not go amiss, either. Preferably, as a maths teacher, you do not suffer from mathphobia or arithmophobia, both (extreme) cases of a fear of maths or numbers. Instead, you should focus on the following three skills which we will now take a close look at.

Communication Skills

As a maths teacher, you will be asked to talk to teach your students about maths. If you are not a passionate speaker, we recommend that you work on this skill since you will not be able to function if communication with you is hell on earth. Communicating with your students is only one aspect where this particular skill is needed. You will also have to speak to your colleagues, your superiors, and the parents, to name but a few.

Differentiation Skills

Why are differentiation skills vital for a maths teacher? Simple – because they help you to recognise your students’ educational levels, their needs, and their expectations. Based on your observations, you can adjust your lessons and teaching methods accordingly. This way, each of your students has the chance to thrive in a subject that might not be the individual’s personal strength or favourite.

Problem-Solving Skills

Be it algebra, statistics, or another mathematical field: there will always be a problem at the “root” of an equation that needs solving. Problems and solutions are basically what makes mathematics tic and so fascinating for so many people. Your students may not all agree. In fact, some of them might feel as if they have hit a brick wall when faced with a mathematical problem. Therefore, you, as their maths teacher, should have very strong problem-solving skills. These, you not only apply to mathematical equations but also help your students to overcome barriers when it comes to said equations.

Career Path

You will start your career as a maths teacher as a maths newbie, meaning that – despite all your teacher training – you will be thrown in at the deep end. Your first lessons and months as a maths teacher will be a learning curve for you which will set you up for your future career as a maths teacher.

Here, you will gain valuable experience. With a few years of work experience under your belt, you may want to consider progressing to different positions in your school, for example, as the head of the maths department or the head of the school. Equally, you may want to think about changing maths careers and start working in a corporate environment. 

Educational Background

The most common approach to becoming a maths teacher in the UK is to earn an academic degree, for example, a Bachelor of Education (BEd). Note that other Bachelor’s degrees are also possible and they do not necessarily have to be in Maths. You should, however, make sure that your chosen study field qualifies or sets you up for gaining your qualified teacher status (QTS).

If a university course does not feel like the right fit for you, you can also become a maths teacher by completing an apprenticeship, such as the Teacher Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

Another option to become a maths teacher in the UK is through work. Here, one of the most common choices is through a previous/ongoing job as a teaching assistant. By doing a part-time degree, you can eventually become a maths teacher.

Teacher Training

After you have completed your education to become a maths teacher, you should look into appropriate training courses. Typically, the QTS and the PGCE are two of the most common qualifications and certifications teachers in the UK acquire. Besides these two options, you can also look into SCITT (school-centred initial teacher training) or the FE (further education route).

Continuous Learning

As a future teacher, it will not surprise you that continuous learning plays a vital part in your career trajectory. You already have some of the most important teaching tools at your disposal which you have gained during your education and training.

However, new developments and changes are par for the course in the teaching world, naturally, also affecting you as a maths teacher. Make sure that you invest some time into researching the latest teaching methods, interesting new mathematical discoveries, and the proper use of digital technology.

A Day in the Life of a Maths Teacher

Rise and shine – your day as a maths teacher is about to start, and it is only 6 o’clock in the morning! Welcome to your future working world and working timetable. We recommend you have a strong coffee or tea, a healthy breakfast, and that you pack your teacher’s school bag for the day ahead. Because in this section, you will find out which tasks will keep you occupied in a day in the life of a maths teacher.

Teaching Several Classes

Let’s start with the most obvious task in the day of a maths teacher: teaching classes. In all likelihood, you will teach more than one class and more than one level of education, so to speak. This means that each lesson needs to be designed to meet your respective students’ needs and education levels. Make sure that you have all the teaching materials and tools you need for each class – and make sure that you do not accidentally mix them up while preparing for your classes.

Meetings and Lesson Planning

Typically, these two parts of a maths teacher’s working day take place either during breaks or after school. Meetings can involve speaking to your colleagues, the head of the department or school, and parents. Here, you discuss current and future curricula, new teaching methods, extracurricular activities, and the students’ progress.

Professional Development

Depending on the employer, maths teachers may be able or required to attend workshops and seminars in which they can improve their skills as a teacher and a mathematician. Education courses, workshops et. al will not be a daily occurrence but might be something you should include in your working day every other week or month.

Tips for Thriving as a Maths Teacher

We are fairly certain that you want to thrive as a maths teacher since that gives you the option to progress further in your career. You already know that being familiar with the latest teaching methods and helpful digital tools will ensure that you thrive as a maths teacher. To ensure that you have even more thriving tools at your disposal, we have assembled the following three tips to help you:

• Master the curriculum
• Seek feedback
• Set boundaries

Master the Curriculum

As a maths teacher, you are well aware of curricula. They define what mathematical contents are to be taught to the respective classes in a specific school year. Since it is one of your responsibilities to plan and develop a term’s curriculum, you should therefore be a master at it. You need to understand the UK National Curriculum for Mathematics which involves being on top of every objective and concept for teaching this subject.

Seek Feedback

As a maths teacher – or any teacher, for that matter – you are responsible for giving regular feedback to your students. But not only they should be at the receiving end of constructive criticism – you should be as well. Feedback helps you enormously to improve as a maths teacher, be it on a professional or personal level or both. Do not be shy to seek said feedback from your colleagues and superiors alike. In fact, we encourage you to do so since this is a good way to thrive as a maths teacher.

Set Boundaries

A good maths teacher has certain “factory settings” which ideally include an empathetic nature and the willingness to help and be there for others. As lovely as these qualities are, they also come with their own pitfalls. A lot of teachers do not know when to say “No!”, resulting in them doing every job under the sun and then some.

However, being a maths knight in shining armour will only get you so far and it might, indeed, get you nowhere. The more you take on – sometimes, against better judgement – the more likely it is that you will struggle to cope with your job. Burnout and addictions may be a consequence which you should avoid at all costs. Therefore, our third tip for thriving as a maths teacher is to set boundaries. And – to quote Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 3, line 92 – to learn how to say “no”.

Frequently Asked Questions