Poll of the Day > I want to move into teaching; actually I am going into the field, what do I need

(+) Yeah! (+)

I decided to leave $$$ and go for something where I can wake up everyday and not feel like corporate scum, it's just I can kiss having a big family/Man cave goodbye as I cannot afford it :(

Massachusetts has a rule in place where I have to go back to school and get a Masters. They say/recommend history or english but I read all over that it's Math/Science STEM teachers that are more in demand, I wouldn't mind teaching something like Physics but not sure I can handle a jump into that level of field

The more I read the more I get annoyed at the education system all together where teachers have to follow plans and document, document document... it seems like administrations are pushing for every little thing to be written done which interestingly enough was my last job and now current.

I don't want to change the world or anything, but if I'm going to stress out over a job and work ridiculous hours I at least want it to be for a good cause. It's just one side of the teacher argument makes it seems like administrations are out to get you
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A clean background check.

WastelandCowboy posted...

A clean background check.

Kinda easy, well I mean a lot of people from this board may have issues but for us good folk this is an easy req
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if you're going to be a teacher, the only advice I have is to do it in a state where they pay teachers a lot more than they pay them in florida. I think jersey pays teachers well.

my wife certainly doesn't make enough for the amount of work she does both at work and at home

ReggieTheReckless posted...

my wife certainly doesn't make enough for the amount of work she does both at work and at home

I'm ready for this, I know they tale advantage of people who trudge through this; teachers should definitely get paid more for all they do that is a fact

I am afraid of burnout though, which would be due to not getting compensated well enough whether it be materially or just a "thank you"
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I can also probably do afterschool programs too; a side gig type of thing and even volunteering from another job

Now you got me doubting >={
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Don't doubt yourself

Teaching is amazing and a great career. It's just a lot of work depending on grade level and they deserve a bit more money

Teaching is a lot of work. Expect at least 55 hours a week of work. My province pays teachers extremely well, but I know that most of the US pays teachers very poorly.
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Isn't that green dragon bloke some kind of high school teacher? Maybe you should ask him for tips, or something.
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I went into teaching, specifically at public schools to make a difference, and I did.

That being said, it's NOT easy to do so at this point, especially depending on where you live.

Every classroom I taught in California had 40+ students and at least 3 special needs students in the class.

That may not seem like much, but you are 1 adult with over 40 kids, and 3 that need either constant attention or more attention then the other students.

The job can be very rewarding, you will grow to love your students by the end of the year, and many of them will come back to see you in the years that follow. If you are a hard working good teacher, the parents appreciate you as well. I still have starbucks gift cards from them.

So it is a rewarding job, but it is also very high stress, long hours, and low pay.

I would strongly suggest volunteering, working in an after school program etc, first, before doing all the work to get your credentials (which are much harder to get in Ca then many places, but still alot of work).

There was a very high burn out/drop out rate for new teachers in my area, add to that so many schools closing and those with the least experience losing their jobs first, and it was not a good environment for new teachers at all.

You might look into private schools which do not have the requirements, as that would both give you experience and usually have you teaching with another adult. They often even pay more, but sadly, at least currently, they usually want experienced teachers only. That would not be true probably for christian schools etc though.

Seriously plan out your finances in advance though. Where I lived new teachers started at $30k and didn't get a raise for 5 years. I started at $35k because I had a masters degree. Considering rent in that area for a 1 bedroom starts at about $1400 a month, that is not enough to live on, especially not for 5 years (and factoring in many new teachers have student loans they need to repay as well).

It was a running joke that high school students with after school jobs were often making more per hour then their teachers.

I wish I could say it's all worth it, but I can't since I am not teaching right now specifically because it's too much stress for the pay. While the students are a joy (for the most part), it's alot of responsibility and stress especially when you are just starting. It's certainly not for everyone, not even everyone who really wants to be a teacher.

Don't want to discourage you though, just want to give you my experiences over the last 8 years or so.
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Yea I know newer teachers have a good time but I feel like I should see what its like personally

I am worried about layoffs tho, that would suck so much

But i agree that volunteering first just to see what to expect is the smart thing to do
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I should warn you that volunteering, while it will give you a taste, will show you what teaching will eventually be like, not neccesarily what it will be like for you at first.

Even your student teaching, which I think you have to do in most states, isn't a real example.

I did my student teaching in 2 parts, which is the way it is done in Ca. The first half was from the first day of school, so, you would probably get a decent idea of running your own classroom.

Thing is, the way at least my program worked is the normal teacher did most of the teaching for the first half, just slowly letting you take over more and more. In addition, at least again for me, they had me start with 1st grade.

I have not taught second, but 1st grade, while a step up from kindergarten, is not exactly a typical classroom experience, or it wasn't at my school. There is alot more activities, reading to the kids, songs, and just general play. I would strongly suggest that you start with a higher grade level if you decide to teach at the elementary level. The range in Ca was 1-3rd and 3-5th for the second. I had no preference so I got 1st and 3rd.

When I switched to 3rd grade I got very lucky with my student teacher, she was amazing, super hard working, very experienced (had taught forever) and very very well liked. I learned a ton from her, but...and here is the key, she had already had months of time getting her classroom organized and the kids to behave. I took over, but the class was basically on autopilot as far as following rules etc.

It is much different when you get handed your first class and have to set all the rules yourself, and that is when new teachers often have the hardest time. There is monitoring, and for the first 2 years you should be able to get help etc, but it is certainly the trail by fire aspect of the job.

A different approach you might take is to observe classrooms which is usually a requirement anyway (I had to observe for 100 hours). I tried to observe teachers with lots of experience to learn from them, and I saw some great ones.

I do suggest you do that, but, also observe NEW teachers to see what you are going to experience and get ideas from them on how they handle the challenges. Experienced teachers do things automatically, and it's hard for them to relate them to you. You can pick some of them up, but you might not even know what is important when you observe them. New teachers actually JUST are figuring it all out, so they can probably help you overcome the initial challenges a bit more.

Also, if money is not an object (and honestly the pay for teachers is so low, that its not even that much less), you might just look and see if you can get a job as a teachers assistant. Those jobs only pay around $15 an hour usually, but, considering you won't need to get another degree and have student loans, won't be working even half as many hours, and will get plenty of experience to help you if you do decide to become a teacher later, it's actually not a bad trade off.

It is much less though due to not getting paid for vacation days etc. A $30k salary for a teacher doesn't factor in that you only work (I believe it's 180 days) a year. Most people work somewhere around 250. That number is low as you often do need to go in for training etc during the summer and even during vacation time, but it's still certainly less then 200 days. An extra 60 days of not working is 1/6th of a year, so that 30k becomes a base 35k in effect (and if you were making 35k like me due to a masters, that is actually 41k or so). An assistant still only works 180 (And a real 180), but makes about $100 a day, or only $18k a year. You can get a summer job to bump that up a bit, maybe at a camp or something, but it's still significantly less than a teacher (Even a substitute teacher makes more on average).
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@green_dragon

If I'm correct and you're some kind of high school teacher, what are some tips you could offer the bloke what made this topic? <<';
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Tag for later

a burner phone for when you feel like sending pics of your junk to your students.
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With a graduate degree you can pick up adjunct teaching gigs at junior colleges. The pay isn't great, but the hours are good.
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dancer62 posted...

With a graduate degree you can pick up adjunct teaching gigs at junior colleges. The pay isn't great, but the hours are good.

Oh shit really?

I think I'm going to stick with middle/highschool, that is what my gut is telling me
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High school physics is a lot of fun to teach. My school doesn't offer it every year, only every second year given our small population, so I didn't get a chance to teach it last year. The kids that take it generally are the very academic ones, so the class becomes a breeze to teach.
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