Pros /Cons of being a secondary school teacher? (class, teaching, profession)

[chicagoresident]

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting into the teaching profession.. I have tutored a few 6th - 8th grade students in the past and really enjoyed it. Am just wondering what it would be like to get into teaching full time.. what would you say are the pros / cons of being a middle school teacher? Thanks!

[TabulaRasa]

For me, personally, middle school aged students aren't as difficult to handle, behavior-wise, when they're one-on-one or in small groups as they are when they're in a large group. But essentially, if you relate well to that age group in tutoring, you'll probably relate to them well in the classroom, as long as you establish and enforce mandatory order in your classroom. It's a fun age group, but in large numbers, they can be a handful.

[kenk]

I don't know about Chicago but i wouldn't want to be a middle school teacher here in Los Angeles. Oh the bureaucracy.

[mostly c's]

middle school kids vary widely in how they are mature, some are kids in adults bodies, and some are adults in kids bodies, If you can find a system that separates them . some schools have attendance centers where just one grade attends each school, middle school is where they get their identity that will take then through high school and perhaps life, its also where they find out if they are "dateable"

[charz]

I teach high school, and I love it. It takes a special breed to teach middle school, and I am not one of those people. If you enjoy that age group, you may be a part of that breed. Pros of teaching are that you are in a profession of people that make a difference in the lives of students. Cons are the amount of personal money that you will spend to supplement your classroom and the amount of paperwork that comes with teaching. I firmly believe that teaching is a "calling". If you feel in your heart that you should be a teacher, then you should teach.