Are you wondering if there are any benefits for a teacher working in a private school?
A private school teacher plays a significant role for students, parents, and society. These individuals nourish the minds of our children, molding them into responsible, knowledgeable adults.
The teaching profession is often referred to as a “calling.” As a teacher with a passion for teaching, your desire might be to impart knowledge to your students in the best way possible, and a private school might provide you with a very suitable environment to do so. If you are new to education, your transition could prove to be more challenging.
Difference Between Public and Private Schools
School Administration
Unlike public schools, private schools are not limited by bureaucratic systems. Private schools operate as independent entities, as opposed to public schools, which are part of a large administrative group. The thin management structures in private schools create ideal teaching conditions. The teacher is not required to go through layers of bureaucracies to deal with issues, and there is also a quick response to these issues when raised. Communication channels are also clear due to these simplified administrative structures, thus making a teacher’s work more simplified.
Class size
Private schools also have smaller classes when compared to public schools. Research indicates that a typical private school class has 10-12 students while a public school has closer to 25-30 students in a class. This small class size allows teaching to be more effective, as the teacher can concentrate on the individual needs of his or her students more readily. A large class is less organized when compared to a smaller class, as students tend to be harder to manage when in large groups. This forces the teacher to become more of a “policeman” than an instructor.
Flexibility
Private schools allow for flexibility on the part of the teacher as well. Teachers in private schools are not required to adhere to strict curriculum guidelines; they have control over course content and topics to be taught. These teachers have greater control over the choice of instructional materials and textbooks to be used. This flexibility allows teachers to focus their efforts on teaching content to their students instead of spending a lot of time preparing them for state-mandated exams, as is the case with most public schools.
Parents pay large sums of money to get their children into the “best” private schools. Thus, the focus in private schools is on learning, and for a teacher who loves to do their job, this becomes a winning formula for success. These schools require parents to become involved in their children’s education; most will have contracts signed by parents committing to this. When you have the parents’, students’ and school’s support, then teaching becomes easier.
Student Discipline
Some teachers believe there is more discipline in private schools than in public schools. This discipline is a result of enforcing codes of conduct that students are required to abide by. Discipline is a prerequisite for teaching, as it allows the teacher to spend more time teaching their students and less time trying to control them.
Private schools offer a suitable environment, and the much-needed support needed to help you do what you like doing — teaching. Hence, in your career advancement, you should consider teaching in a private school.
Have you taught in a private school environment before? How was it different than a public school? Please comment and share below! We’d love to hear your thoughts.
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I have a friend who teaches at a private school and she really enjoys it, especially because the communication channels are simpler and she feels more supported by the administration. She also really likes that her classroom size is very small, because then she is not as overwhelmed as some of her friends who teach in the public sector. However, more than anything, a smaller amount of students means that she can teach more to her students’ needs on more of an individual basis. She has gone into great detail to explain to me how that benefits the kids she teaches and it makes me wish that all kids had access to that type of education.
Thank you for your message Faylinn – there are definitely some positives to teaching in private schools, it seems like your friend has found a wonderful one. Stay in touch.
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that private schools tend to have smaller classes. I’m going to start teaching soon, so I’m trying to decide where I want to apply. I think it would be nice to be able to work more closely with students because of smaller classes, so I’ll definitely look into some private schools. Thanks for the great post!
Your welcome Lillian – thank you for reading and commenting. Wishing you the best with your job search.
Enjoy your day!
Thanks for explaining some reasons to teach at a private school. I actually didn’t know that many class sizes are about 10-12 students. It seems like a great way to get to know students while learning their needs, probably improving the relationship between them.