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You are told lawyers in big cities make $150,000 a year and they're "desperate for lawyers". Then you discover that your choices are to move to a small town and make $40,000 a year or be a lawyer in a big city representing people who don't pay or doing pro bono work pursuant to the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
You might re-consider going to law school, right?
Your introduction is key.
If I want to be a lawyer, then the choices you present would be sufficient for me to be a lawyer.
I want to be a teacher. During the 6 years in which I could not find work teaching, I worked in high tech. And I taught classes 'pro bono' and worked with the kids of the engineers.
I would not re-consider going to law school. I would start making sure that my electives fit my career goals/best chances.
But I understand that not everybody is the same, and that you and I are very different.
When people said "we are desperate for math teachers" they didn't qualify the statement to read "we are desperate for math teachers in rural school districts that pay state minimum salaries". Otherwise I could have saved myself $640 and a bunch of time.
Yes, I would like to teach but I AM NOT GOING to move away from family to do so! There are 1.75 million people in Tarrant County, with student populations that range from all white in snotty Trophy Club to 99% non-white in ghetto Fort Worth. Unlike some people, I'm not picky, and actually I prefer inner-city.
Let's say you want to be a lawyer. You are told lawyers in big cities make $150,000 a year and they're "desperate for lawyers". Then you discover that your choices are to move to a small town and make $40,000 a year or be a lawyer in a big city representing people who don't pay or doing pro bono work pursuant to the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
You might re-consider going to law school, right?
Yet according to some people on this forum, you are clearly not meant to be a lawyer if you aren't willing to go to great lengths to be one.
Here they said they were desperate for chemistry teachers but they didn't say that they would only interview candidates who hold the lesser general science certificate because they are more flexible when it comes to scheduleing classes.
I wrote a letter to the state board of education on this. Their reply was that I needed to push, in interviews, that I'm the more highly qualified candidate. They know that. They also know that I can only teach the subjects I'm certified in while holders of a DI or DX certificate can teach all science from 6th grade on up including my disciplines.
I asked that the state please warn people coming out of industry who will have single subject certification of this hurdle in getting a job and that they consider making the DI required for all science teachers to even the playing field. While I never would have gotten my teaching degree had I known I needed a DI (I have zero life and earth science credits and you need 12 life, 12 earth and then 12 between chemistry and physics (originally, you weren't supposed to be able to teach these on this certificate hence the low number of credits)). Unfortunately, the DI is what school districts want. Can't say as I blame them. Why hire someone who is considered an expert in a few subjects to teach only them when you can hire a jack of all trades who can teach those subjects and lots more?
When people said "we are desperate for math teachers" they didn't qualify the statement to read "we are desperate for math teachers in rural school districts that pay state minimum salaries". Otherwise I could have saved myself $640 and a bunch of time.
Yes, I would like to teach but I AM NOT GOING to move away from family to do so! There are 1.75 million people in Tarrant County, with student populations that range from all white in snotty Trophy Club to 99% non-white in ghetto Fort Worth. Unlike some people, I'm not picky, and actually I prefer inner-city.
Let's say you want to be a lawyer. You are told lawyers in big cities make $150,000 a year and they're "desperate for lawyers". Then you discover that your choices are to move to a small town and make $40,000 a year or be a lawyer in a big city representing people who don't pay or doing pro bono work pursuant to the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
You might re-consider going to law school, right?
Yet according to some people on this forum, you are clearly not meant to be a lawyer if you aren't willing to go to great lengths to be one.
Maybe you can stop taking what 'they' say at face value and do a little research on your own. btw, $640 and a few weeks are not a huge investment compared to what most teachers go through to prepare themselves for the classroom, so put on your grown up shorts and stop whining. You wanted something without working for it, you didn't get it, so move on. We don't need teachers like you.
Maybe you can stop taking what 'they' say at face value and do a little research on your own. btw, $640 and a few weeks are not a huge investment compared to what most teachers go through to prepare themselves for the classroom, so put on your grown up shorts and stop whining. You wanted something without working for it, you didn't get it, so move on. We don't need teachers like you.
It was only $640 because I didn't get to the point of having a teaching contract. If I did, the cost would be much higher.
For example, I'm not bothering with the Pedagogy exam if I'm not a first-year teacher.
Like if you wanted to be a doctor so you go to pre-med and find that there are no jobs for you, you are not going to spend ($100k? something like that) on med school.
The comment that 'we don't need teachers like you' is uncalled for and is indicative of a teacher cartel that wants to keep out people like me who point out the hypocrisy of this system.
It was only $640 because I didn't get to the point of having a teaching contract. If I did, the cost would be much higher.
For example, I'm not bothering with the Pedagogy exam if I'm not a first-year teacher.
Like if you wanted to be a doctor so you go to pre-med and find that there are no jobs for you, you are not going to spend ($100k? something like that) on med school.
The comment that 'we don't need teachers like you' is uncalled for and is indicative of a teacher cartel that wants to keep out people like me who point out the hypocrisy of this system.
*sigh*
1) If I want to be a doctor, then I want to be a doctor. The problem you are having is that you think that "if you want to be a..." has to equate to the money involved. "If you won't make $X, you won't go to law school." "If there are no jobs for you, you won't go to med school."
If *I* want the training so I can practice law, practice medicine, teach, etc., then I will get the training.
2) The comment that "we don't need you" has nothing to do with calling the system on its hypocrisy. Most of us are quite prepared to agree with you that the administration and management of schools are corrupt and broken processes - you just happen to have chosen to present your reaction to its corruption in such a way as to engender far less sympathy than you would have appreciated.
When I was 'unrenewed' at my public school position, I was the only person in the system trained in a particular math series that was working well with a very bright elementary student. I offered to train another teacher in it during the summer, and was declined. I offered to come back for a bit in the fall, free, to do so, and they said no. I offered to find a volunteer from a nearby college whom I knew could handle it. Nope. They were just going to jump her into the 8th grade math class - a complete waste of the girl's time (based on the combination of what she knew already and how that teacher dealt with really bright kids).
So, I told the principal I would let the parent know what their plans for her daughter were for the fall, and the principal accused me of not being a team player.
Yes, the school hiring process is often broken.
This does not change the fact that what we are hearing from you is that you seem to be dismissive of some of the student population and their families (even if you are not the person your mother was) and you seem to be into it for the money and have suggested that others are out to get you.
"Teacher cartel"
Last edited by jps-teacher; 08-28-2009 at 07:55 AM..
It was only $640 because I didn't get to the point of having a teaching contract. If I did, the cost would be much higher.
For example, I'm not bothering with the Pedagogy exam if I'm not a first-year teacher.
That may have actually contributed to your not getting interviews.
Most principals want teachers that have completed all exams, certifications and actually graduated (if they are still in school), before they will even consider them for a teaching position. Additionally, most cannot offer a contract until those have been completed.
Think about it. If a principal has before them 2 applications for a position and one is fully ready to start right that minute and the other still has exams they haven't taken or passed, who are they going to want to interview?
One thing that keeps coming up is the topic of the shortage for math and science teachers. The statement is true as long as you understand what it means.
30 years ago you only needed 2 years of math(and think science each time I type math) in high school to graduate while you needed 4 years of english. Today students need 4 years of math, while english is still the same 4 years. The amount of math courses available has probably tripled in those 30 years while english has stayed fairly steady.
So, logic dictates there is a much higher need for math teachers than english teachers today compared to before.
Add to the increase in demand for math teachers that the fact that the vast majority of those majoring in math did so to go into fields other than teaching and you come up with an inadequate supply to meet that demand increase. Schools used to have to move teachers not certified to teach math into that subject just to get the job filled.
With the requirement that teachers must be subject certified, the need for math teachers increased even more, yet the supply didn't increase enough to meet it. So then the schools opened up to allowing alternative certifications for those in math related careers to be able to come teach math in lieu of not having a graduate with a teaching degree in math.
Today, there is still not a large pool of candidates to teach math compared to those candidates to teach english. So there is a still a large shortage of candidates, which in turn makes a shortage of teachers....compared to english and other basic subjects that haven't changed much.
Logically speaking....if you have 100 applicants for an english position you will likely get a top notch teacher out of that group. If you only have 5 applicants for a math position then you may just end up settling for the best of the group instead of finding a top notch teacher. So yes, there is a shortage still...in comparison.
So you're unwilling to invest in your career until you have landed a job? Well, that's a good way to get ahead in life. Do you really think a week as a volunteer in a school qualifies you for a teaching job?
On second thought, you can't possibly believe what you are saying. Congratulations for getting people to respond for five pages to a bogus post.
Did it ever occur to you, you might stink at resume writing or something on that resume said they shouldn't let you get near any kids, you know, especially "hick" kids?
When people said "we are desperate for math teachers" they didn't qualify the statement to read "we are desperate for math teachers in rural school districts that pay state minimum salaries". Otherwise I could have saved myself $640 and a bunch of time.
Seems like researching the reality of the situation a bit better could also have saved you the time and money (neither of which really amount to much, compared to most teacher prep, BTW), no?
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Yes, I would like to teach but I AM NOT GOING to move away from family to do so!
Then you'll have to take what jobs are there. If there aren't any teaching jobs, or there aren't any teaching jobs for you, then you'll have to come up with a Plan B to tide you over until there are some. That's how it works...if you can't/won't/don't go where the jobs are, you take some other type of job that is where you are. Or, alternately, you could just spend your days crying about how you were lied to.
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Let's say you want to be a lawyer. You are told lawyers in big cities make $150,000 a year and they're "desperate for lawyers". Then you discover that your choices are to move to a small town and make $40,000 a year or be a lawyer in a big city representing people who don't pay or doing pro bono work pursuant to the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.You might re-consider going to law school, right?
I think I would research specific employers in specific cities I was interested in living in and likely to apply for jobs in, rather than take vague bromides about "Oh, people in x career make x amount routinely," to heart. I certainly wouldn't build my future around nebulous word-of-mouth generalizations rather than actually doing my homework.
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Yet according to some people on this forum, you are clearly not meant to be a lawyer if you aren't willing to go to great lengths to be one.
I don't see where this is inaccurate, in regard to law or any other profession. If you want it badly enough, you do what it takes to make it happen. You don't seem to be particularly dedicated to the idea of becoming an educator, and that probably stands out to potential employers.
When people said "we are desperate for math teachers" they didn't qualify the statement to read "we are desperate for math teachers in rural school districts that pay state minimum salaries". Otherwise I could have saved myself $640 and a bunch of time.
At least you didn't pay for an entire education degree and work your way through college. I have learned not to pay attention to any article that says we are desperate for_________. I totally agree that the public school system is corrupt.
Yes, I would like to teach but I AM NOT GOING to move away from family to do so! There are 1.75 million people in Tarrant County, with student populations that range from all white in snotty Trophy Club to 99% non-white in ghetto Fort Worth. Unlike some people, I'm not picky, and actually I prefer inner-city.
I moved away from my family to teach. I didn't like the area but learned some very valuable lessons from moving away from family.
Let's say you want to be a lawyer. You are told lawyers in big cities make $150,000 a year and they're "desperate for lawyers". Then you discover that your choices are to move to a small town and make $40,000 a year or be a lawyer in a big city representing people who don't pay or doing pro bono work pursuant to the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
You might re-consider going to law school, right?
I would reconsider, but I want to go into something where I can make a decent living. If I were desperate to be a lawyer, I would look into something like bankruptcy law. I don't want to be a lawyer though.
Yet according to some people on this forum, you are clearly not meant to be a lawyer if you aren't willing to go to great lengths to be one.
My comments are in bold.
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