Opinions on Teaching?
 

This is going to be slightly long-winded with a lot of background info!

I graduated in December (with a non-education degree) and spent the first half of 2006 in training for the Army Reserves. When I got home, I posted my resume on Monster and Careerbuilder.com, looked for local listings, and started interviewing. Non-teaching jobs, might I add. A huge issue seemed to be my lack of work experience! Most positions that required a college degree also wanted 3+ years of work experience as well. I didn't expect it to be so challenging to find a job out of college... but the only relevant work experience I had prior to this was 4 years as a student worker on campus and a barista at a coffee shop. LOL. I never did an internship (which I regret) and actually explored the possibility of interning down here, but nobody seemed interested in a college graduate. Big surprise!

When I was still in school, I didn't have a solid idea of what I wanted to do, so I got a degree is in Economics. The field fascinated me and I felt like it was a "safe" degree-- part business, part social science. So when I began my job search, I decided to look for "office jobs" first. I interviewed with 2 insurance companies and submitted my resume to several banks in the area... but after each interview I went home with the same feeling of dread... that "I can't believe I am trying to work here" feeling. Nothing felt right and I declined an offer from one of the insurance companies because I couldn't imagine being happy in that job.

My husband is in the military too, so I went to the spousal employment office on post to see if I could find anything else. Aside from some "office job" openings, they knew of an opening for a gymnastics instructor in my town. It was something different... and I have a background in gymnastics... so I called on a Tuesday, interviewed Wednesday, and started on the following Monday. I started in early July...I like my job and I will stay here until my husband finishes flight school (probably early 2007), but when we get stationed somewhere else I would like to move on. I would like to go back to graduate school for a more relevant degree, and I am wrestling with what to do. Working at the gymnastics academy has opened my eyes to the world of teaching. I love working with children... I love designing the lesson plans, setting up my classes, seeing their progress and watching their faces when they finally "get" something they've been working on for a long time. I know it's not nearly the same thing as being in a real classroom, but I am considering doing some observations and perhaps getting a masters in Elementary Ed if I do decide it's for me!

So with all the background info out of the way, you know my story now. Those of you who teach, do you still feel like it was worth it? Have you changed careers and gone back for another degree in order to do it? What about some of the different ways to "break" into teaching? I know you can go back to school for it, but I have heard of people with other-than-education degrees going to teach. How do you do this? By writing to the school board and telling them you want to teach? I have also heard of the "Teach for America" program but I doubt I will be able to take that route. Just interested in hearing some perspective and advice from anyone who knows or has "been there." Thanks!:p

Hey, I'm not a teacher but one of my good friends is one. Check this out. Her and I were the same major in college (marketing). Then our last year she tells me, " oh my god bobby, i dont want to to this crap" and changes her major to liberal studies. Gee.now I'm a drug dealer. I deal cocain to the likes of Robert Downy Jr., Charlie Sheen, Dave Shula, Barry Bonds and Enrique Iglesias. While she is a pre school teacher and she LOVES it.

I never thought she'd be the kind of chick who would like kids, but apparently she does. She was telling me about their lesson planned as if I cared. I just went, " uh huh, yah. uh huh oh ok cool". But it floats her boat.

Don't worry about changing careers. You're young I assume. You sound like you like kids. So go for it.

i am NOT a teacher so take my advice with a grain of salt.

most states have Alternative Licensure programs to get non-educators into teaching. check with your state department of education to see what you qualify for.

you can also look at your county or city's school district job openings to see if there are any opportunities available for you BEFORE going to school pursuing a masters. if you can get your foot in the door, maybe they'll pay for you to continue education?

you have a college degree and experience with kids, so it sounds like you're on the right track!

Good luck!

Hi Orchid,
I'm not a teacher, but I thought I'd chime in with my two cents worth!

I think you should go for it if you really want to go back to grad school for education. You're young, you don't have a family yet- the timing is never going to be better to go back to school. If you don't, five or ten years will go by and you'll regret not going in the direction you really want to.

Good luck!!!

PS What stage is your husband in in flight school? Does he know what aircraft he'll be flying?

I am a teacher. My advice is if you are going to get a degree, don't get one in elementary ed. Elementary ed teachers are one of the few areas where most places have a supply rather than a demand. It is difficult in most parts of the country. I would say go with special ed instead of elementary. You can still work with younger children, but you'll be much more in demand.

As far as alternate routes go, they are great programs. BUT if your husband is in the military, then I'm going to assume that you will be moving around alot. I got my license through an alternate route program and now I'm trying to move to Hawai'i, and because I don't have 3 years of experience, Hawai'i won't recognize my license. Other states have the same requirements. It would be much better if you got the masters in education, because then it is much more easy for you to get licenses in other states. Right now, it looks like I'll have to apply to UH for yet another year long program in education, Le Sigh. And if I went with my orginal plan of getting a masters in education instead of envrionmental science, I wouldn't have any of these problems.

I love teaching. I truly do. There are many down sides to it, but at the end of the day I love my job. It doesn't feel like a job. I have fun almost every day. I was out of school a year before I realized it was what I really wanted to do.

Teach for America is a pretty competetive program, and it isn't in every community either.

Amen to what she says! I myself am an early childhood teacher and I just started my 3rd year of subbing in Ohio. Let me tell you....Ohio is not the place to be if you are in my shoes. Go to NC, VA, MD, FL, GA, or Las Vegas. They are always in need of teachers. Thankfully I have been kept very busy and had 2 long term positions last year (3rd and Kindergarten) and just started another this year (4th grade), but there is a big difference in having a classroom and having your OWN classroom.

The smartest thing that anyone can do is the following.....if you want to get your degree in Early Childhood, tack on a Special Ed degree also! If I would have known that 5 years ago....I probably would have done it and I would have a job by now!

I am a teacher and I am in the exact same boat as Hannahgirl in Ohio. This year I'm teaching middle school art and doing some reading speciality work too..with my early childhood license. I agree with the special education thing. This is the "hot" field right now, along with math and science education. Good luck though with whatever you decide to do.:)

I got my bachelor's degree in Journalism. Then I decided I wanted to "save the world" and teach. When I called the Univ. of Miami to find out what classes I needed, the advisor said, "Why don't you just get your master's degree? It's more classes, but it'll be worth it."

And so I did. And I saved a few lives (educationally speaking) in the 10 years I taught.

:)

Thank you for all the advice! I've read lots of valuable information here!

KillarneyRose, my husband is in the instruments phase of Blackhawks! They found out their aircrafts a little over a month ago. He just passed a checkride today. :)

Kdonline-- "save the world and teach," good way to put it... one main reason that I decided to try the gymnastics stuff because I felt a pull to make a difference in kids' lives. That's still a really important ideal to me in my career search...

DolphinChicaDDD-- I had no idea of the "supply" issue with elem ed teachers! Thanks for the info, it is much appreciated. Special ed is a field I never considered before, but perhaps it is worth looking into.

Big, Big thanks to everyone else who is chiming in on this thread.

If there are any Montessori schools in your area,maybe you can see if you can get a job as an assistant.

That's what I'm doing now. I'm a assistant teacher at a Montessori school (I work with toddlers:eek: :p ) I love it. I can take Montessori training so I can become a certified Montessori teacher. I'll make more money and I can get a job anywhere.

But only go into Special Ed if you really want to; those classrooms can be extremely challenging, not only because of the students but because of parents' attitudes and, in some areas, lack of adequate resources. If you go into it without a real interest, you could burn out rather quickly.

(two relatives who work with special ed. students, one an administrator)

Orchid -

I was in hotel management for 5 years and absolutely hated it. My brothers and sister were teachers and I really enjoyed visiting their classrooms and helping out. Like kdonline, I went to University of Memphis to ask what classes I needed to take - they had a Master's program in curriculum and instruction that fit my needs (my undergrad is in Political Science). I taught elementary for 9 years and switched to middle school last year. If you can specialize in an area, it helps, too. I can teach reading, history, and English as a Second Language up to 8th grade. Look into ESL. It is being needed more and more due to the amount of immigrants into school systems. (And if you are moving to Texas, we have a shortage of elementary, ESL at all levels, and just about everything else you can imagine.)
With your gymnastics, a lot of middle and high schools would kill to have you as a cheerleading sponsor.

And, I still love teaching. Some of the kids will be rotten. Some of the parents will be crazy (literally). But, most of the kids and parents are great. And, a plus, if you are at a school you end up not liking, you can always transfer to another school or district.

LaneSig

You can do what I did and get a Master's degree with initial teaching certification. A lot of colleges have programs for this now, and even though it's an "alternative certification" route, you end up with your Master's as well so it's nice. Check with the colleges you're interested in and see what their requirements are--most of the ones I contacted had restrictions on what specialty field you could enter. For example, I couldn't just choose to enter the English master's program, because I have a bachelor's in fashion merchandising. If you wanted to teach English, you had to have a degree in either English, journalism, or something related. It was the same with math, science, and social studies. If it just so happened that you were hell-bent on teaching something totally unrelated to your bachelor's, though, you could do that...but you'd have to take some more undergrad classes to compensate for your deficiency in that area.

A word of caution, though--make sure it's what you really, really want to do. And make sure you choose a subject area that you could actually find a job in, because as some others have mentioned, there's an oversupply of certified teachers for certain areas. Be aware that teaching is more of a lifestyle than a job--you don't put in your 8 or 9 hours and then leave. There's faculty meetings, parent-teacher conferences, professional development, and other "extra" responsibilities that will require your time. Those summers off that you hear so much about are usually spent doing professional development, and if you need to take a sick day, you still have to make sure you have all the sub plans ready. I knew all of this going in because I have family members in the school system, but one thing I wasn't prepared for was the school environment--mainly, how teachers really have to watch what they say and do, and often aren't supported by the administration when something goes wrong. Those are things you have to be prepared to deal with. I've often heard it said that teaching is a "calling"--you really have to be dedicated to pull it off, and I completely agree. That is why I am a claims analyst now instead of an educator. :D I'm not saying all this to put you off--by all means, if you've thought it through and truly believe that teaching is what you want to do, go for it! Many of the Master's programs for teaching are designed to take less than two years if you go full-time, and with some (like the one I went through) you are eligible to teach after you complete the first two education courses so you could be in the classroom in a relatively short time span. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you choose to do.

Hey Orchid!

I am a teacher in NYC and I am always excited to hear about someone else who wants to go into the profession. First of all, there are tons of different ways to get into the teaching profession, depending upon your area, or where you are willing to teach.

Personally, I did a brief stint in a program called the NYC Teaching Fellows (which I hated because of what I viewed as incompetent administration in the schools), a program much like Teach for America, then started working in the private school sector.

Unfortunately, the first school in which I worked closed in June, so now I am in my second Catholic school, and I love it!!! As far as programs to get into, there are programs in various cities (like NYC) that have co-ops where you can get a subsidized master's--I just didn't like the atmosphere in the NYC public school system personally.

In the majority of private schools, you don't need a master's degree in order to teach. I personally do not have one, but do plan on getting one within the next few years (my school encourages its teachers to get one, although it is not required for an initial hire).

Teach for America, which I also have experience with (they offered me a position when I first graduated college) is only for individuals just out of college, and only for those who plan on going into the governmental sector. The program is designed to allow young graduates the ability to see what it's like in the classroom before moving on to another arena. There are some other areas you may want to look into, such as the Knowledge Is Power Program (an offshoot of alums of the Breakthrough Collaborative Program, where high school and college students teach middle schoolers during the summer), before you decide to go back to school and obtain a masters.

Good luck to you!!! Feel free to message me if you would like to ask me anything!:D

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention--check with the state you plan to teach in to see what criteria must be met for certification. In some states, you can teach with just a regular Master's degree. There are also states in which you can just take a test, and if you pass it, you can teach. (I think one is called Passport to Teaching, or something similar to that. One of my education professors did it just for the heck of it so she could see how easy/hard it was, and she said it was a breeze.) The state I live in (Kentucky) is stricter than a lot of others concerning certification, but if you happen to live in a state that's more lenient, it'll be easier for you. :)