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And I feel like this just like it is many reasons not to be teacher anymore, there are I'm sure many that can tell you numerous reasons why teaching is a good field. You need to hear both sides. Good and bad. You can find negative and positives about ANY job not just teaching.
Can anyone here give me a reason(s) why teaching might not be for me?
In all seriousness, this question cannot be answered without knowing you. A lot of teachers knew they wanted to be teachers for a long time. Even if they are career changers, they knew that they were interested in teaching. You have to seriously ask yourself why you want to teach.
If possible, see if you can get a job teaching in a private school. They will let you teach without being certified. Then you can see if you like teaching. If you like it, then you can get your teaching liscense.
There is a dark side in teaching--it comes from the realization that children are not the focal point of public schools. Case in point: No Child Left Behind. Almost 7/8 of the way through this act is the requirement for schools to report high school student contact information to the Pentagon. What does this have to do with education? This is just one example, but the theme is repeated in almost every aspect of public schools. Test companies that benefit from NCLB also hire lobbyists. This isn't about educating children, it's about profit. There are many influences that impact the classroom and what you try to do in it, and few of them have the interests of the children at heart. I've never liked unions as I felt they were associated with people like Jimmy Hoffa. Once I had a couple years in as a teacher, though, I saw the sad necessity for them. This, to me, is the dark side--like realizing that there are dentists who drill into healthy teeth. For some insight into why our system functions as it does, check out some authors like John Gatto, John Holt, James Herndon. Despite this, I still recommend teaching to see if it agrees with you. There is enough satisfaction that I have put up with the frustrations... so far.
In all seriousness, this question cannot be answered without knowing you. A lot of teachers knew they wanted to be teachers for a long time. Even if they are career changers, they knew that they were interested in teaching. You have to seriously ask yourself why you want to teach.
If possible, see if you can get a job teaching in a private school. They will let you teach without being certified. Then you can see if you like teaching. If you like it, then you can get your teaching liscense.
While I agree with what you are saying Sam, getting a job in a good private school may be harder then a public. When my daughter went to a job fair just for private schools they all wanted the state certifications, experience and a masters degree. Crazy, since they pay less then public's, right?
While I agree with what you are saying Sam, getting a job in a good private school may be harder then a public. When my daughter went to a job fair just for private schools they all wanted the state certifications, experience and a masters degree. Crazy, since they pay less then public's, right?
I totally agree with your first paragraph.
Maybe it depends on the region. I worked in a private school before I had even applied for my liscense. None of the other teachers were certified. If the OP is very strong in her subject, it's possible that she may find a job. I don't think that she should spend time and money getting liscensed if she's not sure. Just my opinion.
This might not be very helpful, but ... you won't know until you try. On top of that, you might have to try a few times! I am a high school English teacher in NY and I love it, but when I first started, I was not so sure.
My student teaching experience was a breeze because I was in a great district, but my first job (end of year leave replacement teaching 8th graders in another district) was a nightmare. I was regarded by the kids as a substitute and I had very little support from the administration. I once cried in front of my class. Now I am in my 5th year in another district. It was tough in the beginning. It seemed they put the most challenging behavior problems all in the same class my first year. I cried a few times then too, but only after I got home. (You'd be amazed how intimidating a room full of teenagers can be).
Now it's a breeze. I learned the tricks of the trade. I can silence a kid who is out of line with a simple "look."
It takes practice and patience, the latter of which you said you had. That's a good start. A sense of humor is GREAT. You will also need "stage presence," if you will, to hold the kids' attention.
To answer your question, the dark side is as follows:
1. Standardized Testing --- I don't know what the exams are like in Ohio, but in NY, we spend a lot of time teaching "formula writing" and that goes for History as well as English. There is not as much room for creativity as there was when I was in high school. I expected things to be the same and was disappointed in that regard.
2. "Bad" Kids --- In most cases, classroom management is the most difficult part of being a new teacher. You are outnumbered and the kids know when you're new and take advantage. It is difficult to get administration to back you up because they are so busy (and you don't want to draw attention to yourself in the first place). In college, we were taught as if we'd be teaching in a perfect world: "If your lessons are engaging, the kids won't act up." Classroom management takes practice, but read up on it too. There are some simple and effective techniques.
3. Student Loans --- In NY you must get your master's degree within 5 years of receiving your certification. It's expensive and teaching is, from what I hear, (and don't quote me on this) one of the lowest paying careers that requires a master's degree.
The good outweighs the bad, in my opinion, though there are those occassional horrible days where I fantasize about having a job with which I have no emotional connection, where I do the work while I'm on the clock and then forget about it. With teaching, this is not so. You will create lesson plans in your mind while you're driving, trying to get to sleep, etc. You'll fret over whether you said the right thing to a parent or whether that kid really deserved to be sent to the discipline office. However, this all gets easier with experience.
For me, the paperwork is easy and in response to another post, there is plenty of time to use the bathroom (at least in my district). You have prep periods to plan and grade -- and pee, if need be.
Feel free to ask if you have more questions. I've only been doing this for 6 years total, but I have experienced the best and worst that teaching has to offer. Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck!!
Actually a bachelor's does not quality you to teach, you need a masters, unless you plan on teaching in a catholic or private school, many of which do not require a Master's Degree, but the pay is very, very low.
I don't know where you are, but teachers don't need Master's Degrees here or anywhere else I've taught. If a person already has a Bachelor's they just need to get a teaching endorsement in their field, not a Master's.
In our district in PA, teachers usually start out with a bachelors but need to keep taking college classes and since the district will only reimburse those classes that are heading towards a degree, AND because your salary increases the higher you go, most teachers get masters.
This thread really bothered me after reading it yesterday. I've been teaching high school for the last 6 years, and there are days when I wonder if it's all worth the aggravation, stress, and seemingly infinite amounts of energy that it takes to do the job 'right'. I've hopped from district to district, looking for greener grass, but haven't found it. The real irony in all of it is that I absolutely love the kids, I love working with them and none of my bad experiences have come from the kids. I have had an itch to teach in an inner city setting for a few years, but wonder if I'll put myself in a situation where it would be the last nail in the coffin for teaching.
For those of you who have left and have found yourselves happier, there is one thing that I have to ask-did you find that you have more time with family after you left teaching? That's the one thing that is highest on the priority list for me. I want more time with our son, and our kids to come.
Many administrators tend to view discipline problems as the teachers fault. There is a teacher at my school who has an autistic kid in her class. My assistant principal even views this child's discipline problems as the the teachers fault.
Most administrators I have worked for hate children. I worked with one teacher who had a child with cancer in her class. She went and asked the principal if she could let this child take some books home over the summer to help her catch up. The principal said that the kid doesn't need to catch up because she is just going to die anyway. The administration that I work for now doesn't even want to try to help the kids.
Kids are viewed simply as empty vessels and not human beings. The only thing that matters is if they can produce a number on a page so the school can get more funding. If the child is unable to produce a number, then the teacher is blamed. Schools do not look to improve the child's quality of life or encourage the child to attend college someday but only to improve his or her test score. After teaching, I don't even know if I would want my own child to attend a public school.
Lastly, the job market is terrible. I know that there are even math, science, and special ed teachers who are being laid off. I am an elementary teacher. Many schools I have interviewed with say that have around 300 applications for one position. In Arizona, teachers can't even sub because so many teachers are being laid off.
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I worked with one teacher who had a child with cancer in her class. She went and asked the principal if she could let this child take some books home over the summer to help her catch up. The principal said that the kid doesn't need to catch up because she is just going to die anyway. The administration that I work for now doesn't even want to try to help the kids.
