While the institutes are organizing for the departure of the new school yeartrying to cope with the shortage of teachers to complete their staff, there are some aspects regarding the figure and career of the teacher that deserve to be explored in depth, such as the difference between chair transfer And role change. Also to provide some additional information to those considering teaching as a career development opportunity.
Two different forms of mobility
The change of chair and the change of role are two mobility paths for Italian teachers who wish to change their teaching activity. The first allows you to teach a new matter at the same level of education, the second allows you to change both the discipline that the school level, for example moving from primary to secondary school. Both options require specific qualifications and follow an annual mobility procedure, offering teachers the opportunity to diversify and enrich their professional careers. Let’s look at them in more detail.
Chair transfer
The change of chair occurs when a teacher who is already tenured (i.e. with a permanent contract) asks to move to teach a different subjectbut inside the same level of education (preschool, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary). For example, an Italian teacher in lower secondary school (middle school) could ask for a transfer to teach history in the same school level, provided that he or she has the qualifications and qualifications necessary to teach the new subject.
Requirements: the teacher must be in possession of theenablement for the new competition class. This means that a teacher who wants to switch from teaching Italian to teaching history in lower secondary schools must have the qualification to teach history.
Procedure: the request for a change of chair occurs through participation in the annual mobility plan managed by the Ministry of Education, which regulates the transfer of teachers. The teacher applies through a specific online procedure, indicating the competition class to which he/she wishes to access. The applications are then examined based on a series of criteria that include, among others, seniority and qualifications held.
Assignment: assignment is based on the availability of places in the new requested competition class. If the number of requests exceeds the available places, the rankings drawn up according to the established criteria are followed.
In essence, the subject matter changes, not the type of contract or the school level at which one teaches. The teacher must still face a adaptation period and updating, especially if the new subject is very different from the one previously taught.
Role transition
The change of role is a more substantial operation and occurs when a teacher asks to change the level of education where he works. A primary school teacher could then ask to move to lower secondary school (middle school), or a middle school teacher could ask to move to upper secondary school (high school). Again, the teacher must possess qualifications and qualifications necessary to access the new level of education. This is a change that affects the type of school and, potentially, the teaching approach.
Requirements: also for the change of role the teacher must have the necessary qualification to teach in the new level of education. A primary school teacher who wishes to move to lower secondary school must therefore have the specific qualification to teach in middle schools.
Procedure: similar to the change of chair, the change of role is regulated by the annual mobility plan. The interested teacher presents an application for the level of education and the competition class to which he intends to move. Here too, the assignment will be based on the availability of places and the ranking.
Differences between levels of education
Even the transition to a different level of education involves some substantial changes for the teacher’s activity. Here’s what they consist of.
From preschool to primary school: the teacher moves from teaching younger children to teaching the early years of compulsory schooling, with a significant change in programs and methodologies.
From primary to lower secondary school: the transition involves a significant change in the type of teaching, as we move from generalist teaching to more specialized teaching.
From lower secondary school to upper secondary school: teaching becomes even more specialized and often implies a change in the type of students, with notable differences in the pedagogical and disciplinary approach.
By changing the level of education, therefore, the teacher may find himself having to update your skills didactic and pedagogical more significantly than the change of chair, given that the approach to teaching and the contents can vary considerably from one grade to another.
General considerations
Both steps offer teachers the opportunity to change your career without having to start over. However, while the transition from chair to chair is often seen as a minor changethe role transition represents a real professional turning point. For some teachers, a change in role may represent an opportunity for professional growth, especially if they move to teach at higher levels of education, which may involve different responsibilities and, in some cases, the possibility of accessing coordination or management roles.
Looking at the timingboth procedures take place annuallywith times and methods that vary according to the indications of the Ministry of Education. It is essential that interested teachers carefully follow the indications regarding methods and deadlines for submitting applications, which usually take place in spring. It must also be taken into account that, in order to participate in professional mobility, teachers must have passed, at the time of submitting the application, the probationary year in the role of belonging.
It is also important to consider that, in the event that applications for transfer, change of chair or change of role are submitted, obtaining the change of role cancels the validity of the Transfer requests
and/or of chair transfer, as well as any transfers or chair changes already arranged. Once the role change has been obtained, finally, it is still necessary to repeat the training and probationary year.