Teaching- Afraid to ask but give me the scoop

[TxZen]

It's something I have always been interested in. I know teachers do not make a lot and that they basically have become not only the one's in charge of education children but sometimes the 3rd parent and disciplinarian.

I also understand meeting state requirements and those pesky tests are somewhat of a headache and your performance review is based on these.

So what's the skinny? Good, bad, ugly, whatever? Thanks. :)

[mschrisgo2]

I'll come back to this when I have time to write a long...er...comprehensive answer LOL

[mschrisgo2]

Ok, I'll make a start on this tonight. IMHO teaching has to be a "calling" if you really want to make a career of it. The current national (US) statistic is that, on average, 80% of new teachers quit in the first 5 years. I do believe that is true, and in fact, I know that it is more like "in the first 3 years" in California.

I believe there are a number of reasons for this. First of all, the initial training is grueling, usually full-time course load with full-time "student" (read: unpaid) teaching, amounting to about 70 hours a week. But that is really good training, because if one survives, you will put in at least that many hours your first "real" year; in fact, many people work more. Classroom teaching is a series of sprints and marathons- sprint to the next weekend, marathon to get thru to the next "break." Did you make it thru the year? Good, you have a few weeks to recuperate. Seriously, most teachers say it takes them 2-3 weeks to relax. It's a high-stress job.

In California, (and probably other states that I don't know the details of) the state has continually set up new hoops for teachers to wade through, on their own time and at their own expense, test after test to prove "competence." Really, it has gotten quite tiresome. Many teachers opt to quit, rather than pay to take yet another test to prove once again that they really can perform elementary school math, for instance.

Teachers often are the elementary school child's only "parent" figure, spending 6 hours a day with them; the kids probably only see their own "real" parent(s) for about 3 hours a day, and some of that is in the car on the way to and from daycare and going thru the drive-thru to get dinner.

So a LOT falls on the teacher. There is a page-long list of roles that teachers provide daily: nurse, mentor, confidant, referee, and the list goes on, finally ending in "instructor." You've got to be comfortable with all of it, and have clear boundaries firmly in place.

As far as actually teaching, the "curriculum" changes every few years (3-6), mostly at the whim of political leaders, fueled by publishers eager to hawk the "newest and best" materials. Teachers are expected to push aside everything they've been doing, whether it really worked or not, and happily embrace a whole new set of-- sometimes shear nonsense! But the veteran teachers will nod wisely and may be heard muttering, "can't wait till this is gone, too." But it's always a steep learning curve for the teachers. And just about the time you get comfortable with it- poof! It's gone and something "new" appears.

Because you see, we're expected to teach Programs, and most of us went into teaching to teach KIDS. We genuinely care if they can read or not, if they learned their grade level math, if they can tell you the differences among cities, states, and countries- heck, even name a few and show you where they are on a map. We care if they can write in such a way so as to actually communicate what they intended; that punctuation makes a world of difference! We care if they are learning any scientific concepts, and if they can use a computer for research AND communication. We care if they have original thoughts- the world needs New Solutions. And the KIDS are our future, not programs, and certainly not test scores.

Kids need teachers who care. And society as a whole needs teachers who care. But the system we work in is not designed to nurture us, so that we can nurture the kids. it is designed to squeeze every last ounce of energy, patience and good will out of us. But those who have the calling keep coming back, year after year.
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I'm happy to entertain further questions and comments...

[Float On]

Are you considering going this direction?
There are some specialized areas of education that I've really noticed seeing a lot of notices for on local education job postings one is "reading recovery/early literacy teacher". You wouldn't be over one classroom but have a variety of students you'd work with every day. You might glance through all the school websites in your area and see what pops up in job postings. I imagine that postings for special areas this close to the new school year must have quite a demand and not enough applicants.

mschrisgo2 - do you know if the turnover rate is higher among elementary teachers compared to jr high/sr high levels? That is something I've noticed just among the educators in our church.

[fidgiegirl]

I'd agree with FloatOn. Some areas are much more in demand than others. Elem is hard because you have to do a lot of prep for different subjects; secondary is hard because most often you see a lot of kids. A lot of what mschrisgo writes is true, but if you want to do it, I'd say choose a preparation program wisely (DON'T spend a ton of money!!!), choose a specialization wisely so that you have a better chance of landing a job, and go for it! You'll never know if you don't try.

Another idea for how to get a feel for what the school environment is like before you do a preparation program is to work as an aide or a substitute teacher. In MN some districts will hire individuals with a bachelor's degree who have done a few hours of training and have what's called a "short call sub" license - basically, daily subbing to cover teachers who are ill, etc. and need last-minute coverage. Other districts will only consider subs with a teaching license. It's a way to get to know the students and get a glimpse of how the system operates.

[Gardenarian]

Most of the teachers I know have kids either in the school system or in the private school where they are teaching. I think a big motivator is that they can stay close to their kids while at work.

I agree with Kelli about trying substitute teaching; in California they are quite flexible about who they hire.

[Packratona!]

I agree with fidgiegirl; try to get your education for practically free, as you only have a 20% chance it will be worth it as 80% of teachers drop out within five years. Do community/state college, and skip the unpaid student teaching by either getting even a private school to hire you after you have done everything except the student teaching, or signing up at your college for a paid student teaching program. Public school principals if there is a teacher shortage and they are motivated, can hire you without the student teaching and if you work there a year that will count with the state as your student teaching experience.Also, keep your regular job while you are taking classes; most large colleges have online, evening and weekend classes for from some to most of the classes. Also you could take a few of your required classes at more than one university by doing the online route.

[mschrisgo2]

As far as preparation goes, every state has their own requirements for obtaining a teaching certificate/credential, so it would be wise to explore those requirements. Some have separate Department of Education websites, some are under the general state listings.

Also, as some have mentioned above, check to see what specialties are in demand. For California, you can check on edjoin.com to see what jobs are still not filled- mostly math at every level, and special education right now. (and Special Education requires an additional credential) The overall numbers of openings are a bit misleading/inflated, because all the part-time coaching jobs have just been listed, and those can only go to someone who already has a full time position in the school.

There are some placement companies for substitutes, and working for them will give you a good feel for what it's like to work in private schools. Here in California the demand is high enough that they can place you every day of the school year if you're willing, and sometimes people get job offers from that experience. They often use craigslist.com to recruit.

[fidgiegirl]

GreenMama, are you willing to share what state you're in? And what age/subject/speciality are you initially interested in pursuing?

[julia]

I teach English for Academic Purposes to 18 year old first year international undergraduates in the UK, so it's very likely a completely different situation to teaching younger children in the US. Some things are probably the same the world over - that rapport with the class, when you know you have connected with them and moved them forward in some way that day. It's priceless, and as others have said, keeps you coming back year after year in spite of all the other stuff which is really hard. For me it's the marking (another set of exams next week) and my horrible boss, but I still wouldn't do any other job. Once I'm in that classroom I come alive.