Why learning to teach is good for your health (and your business)

Being a teacher is a great job. But it’s not for everyone. Dealing with disruptive pupils, marking homework, long hours… it’s easy to see why so many dismiss it as a potential career choice. And that’s fine.

But if you run your own business, and you want it to grow – maybe one day you’d like to retire and pass it on to the next generation – then learning to teach could be the answer.

Maybe that sounds a little confusing. Allow us to explain ourselves.

Teaching is a key skill in the workplace

Many businesses start off as a one-man or one-woman enterprise, with that one person taking care of absolutely EVERYTHING – admin, marketing, finances, the work which needs doing… Non-work work, we sometimes call it.

It’s an exhausting job. Perhaps you’ll start to think about passing some of that non-work work onto others. You can  outsource admin to a VA, finances to an accountant and the marketing to a marketing agency to leave you with enough time to get on with the actual stuff that you started the business to do.

But eventually, if things go to plan, there will be too much for you to do on your own. And if the business is going well and you’re bringing in new clients on a regular basis, maybe it might be good to take some time off occasionally, and enjoy the success that you’ve worked so hard for.

That all sounds fairly logical, doesn’t it? But where does teaching fit in?

Teaching will help you expand your business

If you want your business to grow, or you want to walk away from it one day, then you’ll have to consider the fact that others will need to do what you do.

Whether you’re a beautician, a web designer, a mechanic or a plumber, then you have skills which others can learn.

And the best way for them to learn is for you to teach them, right? That way they will learn to do things the way you would like them done, as well as doing that work on the job rather than in a classroom.

It also means that you don’t have to recruit people who are already trained in the industry – you can bring in people with next to no knowledge and get them before they’ve had time to learn any bad habits.

Teaching someone to work alongside you is massively satisfying. You are teaching someone a new skill, which they can develop and hone while doing work which actually needs doing.

Your new apprentice then develops under your tutelage and eventually grows into someone who can take over the business or help it expand.

But I know my industry. Why do I need a teaching course?

If you’re looking to bring in apprentices or one or more young people, then having a qualification in teaching will help.

Your status as a qualified adult teacher will also give your business a certain gravitas that other organisations might lack, but, on top of that, believe us when we say that the skills you will learn will actually help you teach.

There’s more to teaching than knowing your subject. Passing that knowledge on requires patience, understanding and method. That’s why many mediocre footballers make brilliant managers, while some seriously gifted players struggle to make the transition from player to boss.

We are all different types of learners, but a teaching course under your belt means you’ll be much more ready to deal with whatever is thrown at you than you would be otherwise.

Your new apprentice will learn faster, too.

At Authentic, we’ve worked with beauticians who want to turn their salon into an academy for young aspiring aestheticians, and other industry professionals who want to train up junior members of staff and need help with the teaching side of the task.

We’re professional teachers with a lifetime of experience in teaching others how to teach. We’re good at what we do.

What course do I need to do to teach adults then?

You may have heard of “PTLLS” or “Petals” or  Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector – the original and still popular name for the Level 3 Education and Training Award.

PTLLS is like a teacher training course in miniature, equipping you with different approaches and the skills you will need to make sure that the teaching and learning experience is a good one for all concerned.

We offer several different ways of taking and passing the award – an online course with pre-arranged classes via Zoom you can dip into if you wish, and tutor support over the phone or by email.

Click here to find out more about the distance learning option.

We know that after what felt like an eternity in lockdown where we weren’t allowed to meet up with anyone, it’s good to be able to get out and about again.

We also know that not everybody is good at virtual learning.

That’s why we also run an intensive five-day cause at our training centre in Kirkby. You’ll receive four days of intensive instruction from one of our specialist tutors before completing the micro-teach on the final day.   Your coursework can be completed at your leisure.

Click here to find out more about the five-day course.

If you’ve got more questions, we’re here to help.

We’d love to talk to you about the Level 3 Award in Education and Training course.

To give us a call and speak to one of our expert trainers, ring 0151 546 5151 and ask for John or Kris.

Alternatively, send us an email at info@staging-authentictraining.grid-dev.co.uk and we’ll get back in touch as soon as we can.