Life as a teacher can offer Armed Service leavers numerous opportunities to build another stimulating, successful and challenging career, following their time in the Armed Services.
For more information about a career in teaching and to register with us, please call our Teaching Line on 0800 085 0984 or register online
Your skills
As an Armed Service leaver, it's likely you have developed your skills in communication, teamwork, leadership and training – all of which are essential for the teaching profession.
You may be well suited to a career in teaching if you have trained other people during your time in the Armed Services. For those who might not want to become a classroom teacher, there may be other opportunities for Armed Service leavers to work in non-teaching and/or leadership roles in schools.
Your experiences during your military career will have given you a firm grasp of how to behave in unexpected situations and an authority that will help you manage a classroom and be a role model for pupils, as other teachers are. These skills will enable you to raise aspirations of the pupils you will be teaching.
You can also bring fresh, creative ideas to your classroom, and inspire your pupils through the knowledge you share. You will find life as a teacher offers variety because no two weeks are the same, and with this come new challenges and experiences.
Teacher experiences
Have a look at first-hand teacher experiences of classroom life and its rewards, as well as the paths they took into the profession.
Janet Malpass found her experiences in the Royal Navy, and the skills she gained, valuable when she started teaching:
“The communication skills I learnt in the military are easily transferred when talking to colleagues, parents and pupils. It is often necessary to adapt and adjust your planning on the spot, which is a skill all military personnel are trained in.
“I know I made the right choice. No two days are the same. It’s an interesting and challenging career with rewards to match. Many pupils will ask about my time in the Royal Navy, they are fascinated by teachers who have interesting past experiences. A lot of my students cannot believe how many places I have visited around the world and the amount of adventures I have had. I often get asked if there is anything I haven’t done! I definitely believe my past career experience earns me extra respect in the classroom.”
You can talk to real-life teachers about their experiences of teaching on our Facebook page
