High School Student Wanting To Become a Teacher

[Flamingarrow04]

Well hello all, this is my third post on this website! The original message was in the General Discussion section, but due to little response, I will try posting it here!

I am very glad to be here. I have been looking around at the forums and I can take it that you all like sharing your experiences, your opinions, and your advice. Anywho, enough of my babbling, off to the meat of the post.

I am a Student in High School, and I am looking to become a teacher. I would hope to become a Middle School teacher teaching English/LA. I have pros and cons for this, and my list is ENDLESS!

What I will say next is going to be embarrassing, but I HAVE to say it

I used to play school at home (I have ceased for the time being because I simply do not have enough time in my day), I was the teacher and the student. I did the work and grade it. I know it's kind of bizarre, but it's something that occupies my time. I have many many books (resource books, textbooks, etc) that I have acquired throughout the years and I used them in playing "school". Okay, anyways, on to the post.....

Like I already mentioned, I am thinking about being a teacher. I am VERY CONFUSED about what I want to be when I grow up. I used to want to be a lawyer, and now that I am back in school again, I want to be a teacher :). I also consider majoring in Computer Science and getting an MBA as well...

A few cons about me wanting to be a teacher:

*The pay. I want to be paid lots, I want to be rich (doesn't everyone LOL). So teaching wouldn't get me there. I could do teaching as a "2nd career." Who knows.....

*The kids. I have worked over the summers (for the past 3 or 4 years) at a children's summer camp. For the first 3, I worked the concession stand, so I wasn't working "hands on" with the kids.... and this past summer, I ran the computer lab. I had a LOT more stress and on some days couldn't handle the kids and didn't want to be around them :laugh:

Sorry for this long post, you may :shootme: (JK)

So, I can't really think of anything else right now, but overall, I would consider being a teacher.......

Any feedback would be appreciated and of course welcomed

Thank you all so very much :)

PS: Forgot to add this, but what do I need to do to become a teacher, If I wanted to be one?

What degrees, etc...

and What are the rewarding aspects of teaching, and the negatives?




Thanks again :)

[SS Rocks!]

If you're looking for wealth, look elsewhere. Salaries vary across the country. Find the right place, and you can make a comfortable living. I live near the PA/MD boarder and in this area salaries for a first year teacher tend to start between $40,000 and $45,000. I don't know what things are like in your area.

If you have a passion for teaching (I'll admit, I played school as a kid, too) and generally enjoy working with adolescents (we all have the days where it's challenging) I recommend pursuing teaching. If it isn't something you have a passion for you will probably wind up having more bad days than good.

I don't know how certification works in Florida, so I don't know how much help I can be. I have a B.A. in History and I returned to college to earn my certification. Up here, you can take a 4 year program and receive a B.A. in secondary education.

Good luck with your decision.

[Sphinxxy13]

Well as a current college student, I'll tell you what I found out so far.
(I'm in az so it might be a tat different in your area...but I don't think by much)

If you get your 2 year associates in education, then you can usually apply at Charter schools or as a substitute teacher. You do have to get your certification. (this is basically a test you fill out and mail in/or sometimes do online)

Then its your bachelors. If your going for middle school, then yours major will probably be elementary 1st-8th. But you can also do Secondary, which is usually high school.

If your wanting to make "decent" money. Then you need your Masters, and PHD. Which is 2-4 more years.

So that's like 8 years of school, but this will let you teach at college level. You won't be rich, but its definitely more money than the average teacher.

I suggest you think of the reason WHY you want to become a teacher? Do you think its easy? Did you think it paid well? Do like kids?

Good luck! :)

[teacher5]

There is nothing wrong with playing school. I think if more kids spend time playing school than video games, they may develop a better self concept. Slow down. You are only in HS. You have some time before you truly define what you want to do in life. Keep exploring. Teaching will not make you rich, monetarily. Teaching at times will give you a rewarding feeling that you have impacted some lives in a positive way. Teaching will not give you a 9 to 3 job as some think outside the world of teaching. Teaching will not give you the summer off. Most of us need to work another job during the summer. As you found out, every student in your class isn't highly motivated and a teacher develops a unique "bag of tricks" in learning how to deal with a variety of these individuals. Personally, I find it challenging. If you don't then, think otherwise. You will need to go to college, and get a BA or BS in Elem or Sec Ed. with a concentration of courses in your area expertise or study (i.e. computer science). This will get you provisional certification. With this you will have a license to teach. By the way it may take awhile to land that first job unless you are willing to move or go to a challenging urban area. Then you usually have 3 to 5 years to get your masters in order to get permanent certification. Hopefully, you get a job within the first two years after undergrad school. Then you can work and do your masters part time. Once you get tenure in this profession, you have job security, unless you do something really stupid like fail to follow mandated curriculum, direct orders from an adminstrator, or hurt a child. In many places you will get excellent benefits, too: health insurance, dental insurance, and other benefits via the AFT or NEA or your state union. Some states do not have unions. If you chose to marry some day or have a partner, you will can live comfortably as a two income family with one person being a teacher. It sounds like you need to explore some more, especially other careers related to computer technology. Take your time. You may change your course of study along the way, too. Good luck!

[kcams]

Hello! honestly i enjoyed reading your post. all i can advice is dont be confuse by taking up a teaching career. Its is true that teaching cant make your rich just like everyone says, yet can give you much more than wealth like being looked up by children, earn respect and a lot more. Teaching is a public service, a hard, stressful but such a very fullfilling profession. i am 3rd year BS Education student, and i just realize that when i started my demo teaching in high school students, i felt the passion and i enjoyed every moment with them especially when i know that they are learning many things from me. I hope you choose to be a teacher! :)



Krizzia Camille Sy
3rd year BSE
College of Education
University of Santo Tomas
Manila, Philippines