Parents with school age children can see the obvious attractions of a career in teaching. Often they don't do anything about it because they worry that:

• they're not cut out for it. Who is?
• the job may take up too much time. How many hours do teachers work?
• they don't have the necessary qualifications. What are the entry requirements?
• there won't be any vacancies locally
• the job is poorly paid. How much do teachers earn?

Whatever the worries, no one need doubt that there's a desperate need for more teachers. Visit the website hosted by the Teacher Training Agency to discover how enthusiastic the government is to recruit more people, from as wide a range of backgrounds as possible, into the profession.

The one sure way to discover if you're cut out for teaching is to try your hand at it. You could:

• volunteer to help out for an hour or two in your child's school
• help out with a Scout or Guide troop
• become a Sunday school teacher
• supervise at a youth club

You'll soon decide for yourself whether you're the sort of person who feels at ease in the company of a bunch of high spirited kids. If you don't enjoy the experience, you'll almost certainly hate being a teacher. But if it leaves you even more eager to teach, find out as much about the job as you can.

• Talk to practising teachers.
• Enrol on a taster course - for more details phone the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991.
• Spend some time at the various DfES websites devoted to the profession. And for a different perspective visit the National Union of Teachers.
• Keep up-to-date with the latest developments by reading TES Online and the Education Guardian.

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