Any teachers out there care to comment? I'm considering studying to become a teacher.

[mahina]

Our School of Education at UH offers some interesting programs, and it's time for me to prepare for another line of work.

Thanks in advance.

[The Wielding Truth]

1. It doesn't pay very much and you must be very dedicated, but you can make a difference.

[NYC_SKP]

2. See if you can qualify as a substitute, then if you like it a 30-day position.

This varies from state to state, but in California I took a CBEST, one day test, to qualify as a sub, then subbed a little, then took two 30-day positions.

I did that in 1998 and it became a new career.

And I was hooked, I loved it, went on to become credentialed, highly qualified, got a masters, etc.

Now I coordinate educational programs and get to work with teachers and sometimes students.

Good luck!

[mahina]

3. Thank, that is really helpful.

Good to hear that you love it, and that there's a way to peek in before committing to a two year program. Mahalo!

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Just want to mention that working as a sub or even a long-term sub can obviously

be a bit different than running your own classroom. And you might not have skills or techniques available to you yet that you would have after being trained in college and mentored in a student teaching program. Thirdly, there are all kinds of teaching possibilities ranging from the general classroom to special ed and special classes like Art or Music. And finally there's the difference in teaching different age groups.

Those are just some thoughts to keep in the back of your mind as you try to assess if teaching is right for you. :) (I did go to school for it, but afterward decided I'm not meant to be a classroom teacher. I love volunteering and coaching, though. :D)

[NYC_SKP]

11. All true, GPV, but subbing is also a good way to test different grade levels and programs.

I agree that it would be best to see as much as possible before committing, not all districts are the same, or schools, and within each are different programs and specialties.

In my case, I subbed in a couple of traditional schools but fell in love with a county-operated alternative program setting, I couldn't have handled a big high school or middle school.

:hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Yeah, finding the right setting and situation makes a ll the difference, I think. :^) My mom

moved from Jr and Sr High School Art to subbing at all levels, to teaching in Middle School classrooms full-time, to finally teaching Sped in an Elementary school which she loved and stayed with right up until she passed away. :hi:

[virgogal]

4. My son ( in his 40's) just started teaching last year. He loves it. He had been

in the trades for years but decided it was time to put his education to good use.

Go for it !

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

5. It can not be outsourced

[DebJ]

18. except to a charter school

[lutefisk]

21. If it's an "on-line" school it can be outsourced. We have on-line colleges, so is online K-12 next?

What a great way to save money to pay for tax cuts to the rich- just hire low cost workers to monitor pre-packaged course modules.:sarcasm:

[southerncrone]

22. It's happening now. I "monitor" our "virtual high school" during my 1st period.

Students do all sorts of classes online. Some are classes we don't offer at our school, others are in there because they transferred in & the core classes were already full, others are "behavior problems" (may drop-out). I see it as a beta testing. Good thing kids like computers....they'll be stuck on them in the future, instead of interactive classrooms. Good-bye social skills.

[southerncrone]

23. Delete

Linked to wrong post.

[sarge43]

6. I'm not a teacher, but I'll say bless you.

You can inspire a child to love learning and you can. That is one of the finest things any person can do.

Go for it. :thumbsup:

[Uben]

7. I lasted 3 days, nervous breakdown, multiple contusions.....

Ha! Just kiddin, of course. My niece is in her second year and loves it, but she really has a sweet deal where she's teaching. From talking to her, teaching in the right school system and even the right school can be the difference between loving the job and hating it.

[JuniperLea]

8. That goes for just about any job...

There's good and bad everywhere, I suppose.

Several teachers in my family... all but one loves it! The one is just too cranky... he should have never even entertained the idea... all he does is complain. But that's all he ever did, before teaching even.

[Yupster]

10. I taught for 10 years

Best things --

Many days off, lots of vacation.

Master of your own domain.

Get to be with kids all day.

Get to talk about stuff that you probably love talking about.

Incredible benefits package.

Worst Things --

Getting insulted by 12 year olds

Administrators who think they're helping you when they're not.

Seeing people at their worst. -- not being able to choose who you see.

Best wishes to you.

[femmocrat]

13. The job market is terrible right now....

lots of lay-offs and anti-teacher sentiment out there.

But if you are really dedicated, there is no more rewarding profession.

[Smarmie Doofus]

14. Kids need great teachers , so I will NOT dissuade you...

... for that reason alone.

But my reality is that it's all about paperwork and pretending. Both get worse every year.

Checkout the Mr. Teachbad thread by Starry Messenger. Esp. the "Differentiation" video. That's my reality.

It may be better where you are. I'm on the way out so I'm beyond jaded.

Good luck. Whatever you decide. And, to repeat: Kids need... and will always need... great teachers.

[southerncrone]

25. Your perfectly reflect my experience, Smarmie.

I'm on my way out, too, because of the ridiculous amount of paperwork & the ineffective leadership. I no longer have any type of personal life to speak of...it takes so much time to deliver lessons & required paperwork associated w/them. I simply want to have a personal life again....my family wants that, too.

[tortoise1956]

15. I'm not a teacher, but my mom was

and I remember many occasions when someone would come up to her on the street and tell her how much she did for them as a teacher. I think that is what kept her in the profession until she was 75. (That and the fact that the district kept begging her to stay another year, and then another, and so on...)

Having said all that, bear in mind that in many ways teaching is a thankless job. I also remember the long hours she would put in most evenings grading papers, and the time she spent every summer attending classes and seminars. She retired well-off because she made some excellent investments in real estate, not on her teaching salary.

I recommend that you find a way to be a substitute teacher in order to see if you like it. Another idea would be to volunteer to tutor kids, or get involved with some type of youth program. That way you can get a taste of what the job is like. If it still appeals to you, then go for it!

[LWolf]

16. If you are willing to invest $$$ to make $,

continue to go to school the rest of your life, be a source of derision and attack from the general public, from corporations, and from politicians, including democrats, work long hours beyond your contract for free while fending off accusations of being over-paid, of "easy" work schedules, and of incompetence, attempt to make positive things happen in a climate that insists you are a failure if you are not regularly producing statistical miracles, give over your life to unending mountains of paperwork to sort through before you ever give or collect an assignment from students, find a way to have constant meetings outside of classroom time and still create effective lessons and give prompt feedback to students, face threats to your career based on your students' test scores, and still feel called to teach,

welcome.

[CRK7376]

17. I love teaching and will

return to the classroom in 4 years. I spent 13 years teaching high school history. Unfortunately, teacher pay sucks and my wife and I could not survive on the salary and raise and support 3 kids so I left. I will be retiring from the military in 4 years with 20 years of active duty time under my belt and will immediately return to the classroom. Army retirement pay and teacher pay will allow us to be alright, including college for the 3 kids, one already a college junior.

Pros
Great subject matter to work with.
Long summer vacation unless you teach summer school which I did for 2 years
2 weeks Christmas vacation
Opportunity to coach Cross Country and Track and Field
Fun working with young adults
Health Care

Cons
Poor pay
School boards
NCLB
End of Year testing
Dismal incentive pay in my rural county

Have fun and good luck! I survived 3 days as a middle school sub and realized I was not meant to teach middle school.

[nofear]

19. Becoming a teacher

Don't.

[sea_dream]

20. Just ended the 10th week of my 33rd year

This is not a good time for public schools. Politicians regularly attack the schools in order to have a platform of some kind. People who have spent little or no time in the classroom have all the answers about how to fix the schools. Testing has become a unwieldy monster that helps few and, I truly believe, harms many. Some really good investigative reporters need to look into the cost of standardized testing and the money trail involved. Texas would be good place to start.
However, I do not regret becoming a teacher and I am proud of my service to the children of Texas. I know beyond a doubt that I have made a difference in the lives of some of my students and that pleases me. So if you have the courage and desire to work hard, go for it!

[southerncrone]

24. Do some deep investigation before you make this leap.

I did this 8 yrs ago. I regret it now because of the changes that have come about in the last 3 years. I thought it was just my system at first, but after speaking w/other teachers across my state & in other states, I realize it is not a local phenomenon. Most of my days are 10+ hours long, plus more grading at home; I am at the HS level, the buck stops w/us.

Perhaps HI is different, you have more $ to spend on education & perhaps your parents value education more.

If you are considering teaching, subbing will give you a partial view. The responsibilities of certified classroom teachers are infinitely more demanding. I'd suggest talking seriously to teachers of all ages & all different levels, too.
Today's schools are not the schools of your youth (unless you are under 21).