Teaching is a noble profession that retains its appeal year after year. The demand for new teachers is high, and several institutions offer training that may suit your interests. The desire to share your knowledge has everything it takes to lead to an exciting career.
The future teacher and the CAPES
To become a teacher in middle or high school, a specific path must be followed. The National Education system is responsible for imposing a program each year. Holders of the CAPES (Certificate of Aptitude for Teaching in Secondary Education), as well as agrégés (professors), practice their profession in secondary schools. This certificate is a national competitive examination that can be accessed by meeting certain conditions. These competitive examinations are generally prepared in a higher school of teaching and education (ESPE). This type of school offers disciplinary and professional courses for a period of two years. These courses are provided within the framework of the MEEF (French Ministry of Education and Training), which specializes in preparing for teaching-related careers. Many future teachers also consider practicing their profession in private schools. Their recruitment and training are subject to specific standards set out in the Education Code. They must also pass competitive examinations, and their duties within these schools are quite similar to those of their counterparts in the public sector.
Teacher training
The CAPES can be organized in several sections, including visual arts, history and geography, modern foreign languages, regional languages, mathematics, economics and social sciences, physics and chemistry. There are three types of CAPES competitions: the internal competition, the external competition, and the third competition. These competitions are open to students enrolled in the MEEF master's program. The tests are not held every year in each discipline. The eligibility tests take place at the end of M1, while the admission tests take place at the end of M2. Once the written tests have been completed, eligible students can sign a contract allowing them to complete internships. These internships take the form of a third of paid service time. Throughout the internship, they are accompanied by a tutor. They will be prepared for the test that takes place the following year.
The ESPEs
ESPEs, as mentioned previously, are the schools that train future teachers. These schools are all accredited. The training they offer includes different disciplinary teaching modules. The modules cover various aspects of the profession. These modules are dedicated, among other things, to an introduction to research and an opening to the international dimension. One module also includes a digital component and another introduces modern teaching tools and methods. In addition to disciplinary teaching, ESPEs offer a common core curriculum that aims to create a common culture for teachers of all disciplines. Students can also benefit from specialization depending on the chosen discipline. In the Master 2 program, future teachers have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with real-life classroom situations. ESPEs are an integral part of universities.
