Any teachers here?

pbkelley wrote: Why not sign up as a substitute teacher and see what its like on the "inside"?

Thought about this. I don't have enough time to take off of my current job, which was honestly the thing that got me thinking about teaching in the first place. Usually when an idea strikes me like that, it dies after awhile. This one hasn't yet after nearly 2 weeks, plus this thread, plus talking with 2 teachers in real life. Not to mention that it isn't the first time I've had the idea.

I'll post more after work.

If you want to really teach, teach special education.
1. You almost never get cut; your job is paid with federal funds.
2. The standards tests are total bullE36 M3 for sped and everyone knows it..
3. Most district or admin will not even know your room exists..
4. Its a lot of fun.
5. ,You are never really told what to do by the admin team as they have no idea what your suppose to be doing.
6. it is a lot of paper work
7. You have to be very patient with adults as they often don't understand your students and most are scared of them or do that "oh, look how cut" bullE36 M3. No, Its not cute he is actually looking down your shirt and he is being an ass.
8. Parents can be fun or a pain you really choose that. If you do your job they will love you. If you coast out the year on your ass they will hate you.

You should just try it and see if you like it. public schools are always hiring,

xd wrote: If you want to really teach teach special education.

I have thought about it. I'm very patient, and in elementary and middle school was in whatever the group was for socializing special ed kids with the general enrollment. And what I hear from my coworker in the cube next to me is that male special ed teachers are always in high demand--his son in law had a job before he graduated college.

In the end though, I'm not sure that I am cut out for sped. I'll look into it some, but I think that if I take a step it will be in secondary Mathematics.

mtn wrote:

xd wrote: If you want to really teach teach special education.

I have thought about it. I'm very patient, and in elementary and middle school was in whatever the group was for socializing special ed kids with the general enrollment. And what I hear from my coworker in the cube next to me is that male special ed teachers are always in high demand--his son in law had a job before he graduated college. In the end though, I'm not sure that I am cut out for sped. I'll look into it some, but I think that if I take a step it will be in secondary Mathematics.

Highly qualified math and science teachers are usually out of play for building reductions. So, it could be a really secure job. Whatever you do don't teach history. Everyone and their brother is qualified to teach history and they are usually the first ones cut. That creates a real dog and pony show in that department coupled with ass kissing and back stabbing.

Also the stuff about teaching at a community college it depends what the subject is I have standing offers from 2 community colleges to teach alternative sped classes and my wife teaches at 3 local colleges. All you really have to do is to make a name for yourself, be good at your job and he opportunities will be endless. On the money aspect if you take side job like home bound offered and teach summer school you could clear 100k easily I know this is true for sped teachers not sure about math.

xd wrote: On the money aspect if you take side job like home bound offered and teach summer school you could clear 100k easily I know this is true for sped teachers not sure about math.

Depending on the area, it is true, although I wouldn't say "easily". I'm not sure of anything that you can easily clear 100k in though.

Teaching isn't a job. It's a calling. That's what it takes to survive. If you go in thinking about pay and vacation, you'll be out in three years.

Both my parents are teachers. College for my father, HS and then college for my mom. They're the sort that took at least 5 years to retire because they just couldn't let go. Heck, my dad might still be teaching some online classes. I've worked as a teacher of various types over the years, but not in a traditional classroom much.

I was working towards being a high school music and math teacher. I love teaching, and that's the age where a subject really takes hold of a kid and they decide it's going to be their life. Especially in music, but also in math. But a fourth-year class opened my eyes to what I could expect. "The Philosophy of Music Education" was basically a course in making sure you could justify your place in the school. I realized how much political crap and grapefruit sales were in my future to keep the arts alive, although math is always solid. I also realized how cyclical educational trends were - if you want to see how the current focus is going to play out, look back about 30 years or so. Momentarily disillusioned, I took a different tack.

But I do still wish I'd gone into teaching sometimes. What I do for a living is pretty trivial. Teachers make a difference to people's lives.

FYI, at the time I was looking into teacher's college, you actually needed higher grades to get accepted than you did for med school at the same university - and it was one of the best med schools in Canada, too. Teaching was not a fallback position, you had to go for it.

my sister taught for several years, high school level chemistry. she has a masters in chemistry from UVA, she wanted to become a teacher. She started tutoring (paid) on the side to help students out and for the supplemental income I suppose. So thats an idea if you worry about how much you'll make.

this past year was her last year teaching and she is going to attempt tutoring full time. mind you, her husband now has a pretty solid government job that pays well, and we are in the NoVA/DC area so there are a lot of schools and students that she could work with....YMMV

I dont think she disliked teaching, its just that it is a lot of work. maybe more than she realized?

Keith Tanner wrote: Teaching isn't a job. It's a calling. That's what it takes to survive. If you go in thinking about pay and vacation, you'll be out in three years.

+1000!!!!!!

This is the simple truth, and the most important thing said so far in this entire thread.