Any Teachers on the forum?

This seems general enough but a bit off topic. Are there any active or retired teachers on the forum? I've had a lot of time to think about my future in the past few months and I am gravitating towards becoming a teacher.

I am 34 so I feel like I am a bit old to constantly be changing career paths, but I'm just not happy. My background includes sales, management, IT, food service, and retail. I thought that I was going to love IT because as a hobby it was rewarding. As a job it wasn't fun or exciting for me, just more headaches.

As a bartender the pay is or shall I say, was great, but not rewarding. I've always wanted to help or give back to kids in some way because of my background. I was heavily bullied by kids and adults when growing up and I really had no where to go or anyone to turn to. I thought about DCS but I've heard horror stories about how it is managed. I've also thought about starting a community group for bullying but that requires money to rent a place to hold meetings.

This brings me back to becoming a teacher. I feel that it is a nurturing role but also a tough path to walk. I've read horror stories on Reddit from teachers who regret becoming a teacher because their students were horrible. I've seen that first hand as an 8th grader. Everyday our class made our teacher cry. It was awful. I felt so bad for her and she ended up quitting.

I stopped working on my Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science last year because of this inner battle. I need to make a decision soon and I am looking for feedback. I love History so I was thinking of transitioning into a BA in History. I am not sure if it needs to be education related though. I am in Massachusetts and there are also exams to take for a lincense to teach.

Any and all input is welcome and appreciated.

 

I am 34 so I feel like I am a bit old to constantly be changing career paths, but I'm just not happy. My background includes sales, management, IT, food service, and retail. I thought that I was going to love IT because as a hobby it was rewarding. As a job it wasn't fun or exciting for me, just more headaches.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt because I'm only 20 with precisely zero experience in any of the fields you have been in/plan to be in. I won't be exactly helpful in that area.

You're not too old to change careers at 34. One of my dad's friends is in her mid 50s and has changed her career about half a dozen times. She has four masters degrees in wildly different things, just because she likes to change it up every now and then. She is one of the most independent, successful, and happy people I know.

My grandfather owned every business you could imagine throughout his life, and learned ten lifetimes worth of skills before he died. He could play any instrument he put his hands on, formally trained to shoe horses, owned a gym, owned an ice cream stand, worked as an artist (one of his paintings auctioned for a couple thousand dollars at his funeral), ran a locksmith business, ran a music/instrument shop.... Every time he got bored, which was usually every few years, he dropped everything and picked up something completely new. Of course, this was not necessarily a stable lifestyle, but I never saw him have a bad day. Even in his last few days, he was flirting with the nurses at the hospital and joking with the doctors about giving him more drugs - silly old man who took advantage of every day of his life.

Do what makes you happy. If you go into it and find you're not happy, you can change again! I've heard over and over again that the age group you teach makes a huge difference on what your classroom experience is like. If you don't have family relying on you, you don't need to feel responsible for anyone but yourself if something goes awry.

Now I will step aside and let actual teachers give you some input!

 

Hi,

I would start with a career interest inventory. If you are in college, there should be a student services department that can help you. That will give you a good idea about your general area of interest if you are unsure.

I have been in education for a number years. Every place is different, and every state requires different things. ( Where I live, the history spots are mostly taken by coaches.)

The money is not great, but once you are sure and are committed to the job, you will see that the benefits aren't so bad. You will never get rich being a teacher (that's for sure!).

If you are a male (like your moniker implies), there are places that are desperate for male elementary teachers. Younger students need good male role models, and many male teachers want to be at the junior high or high school level.

Education is changing, and the more you know about technology, the better off you will be. So your time in IT would help.

Most teacher prep courses don't do a good job with classroom management. That's why a lot of teachers struggle with student behavior. That's not for every case, or course, but it does apply to many. I know in some places, behavior is horrible. But I have seen some pretty tough places be turned around by some very determined teachers and administrators.

Many people go into teaching because they love the material. Some love the material and the kids. Some want to teach school, and not kids. I would do some research about your state to find out exactly what is required of teachers in your state and area. What is the workload like? What additional responsibilities will you have? I would advise that you do some substitute teaching if you can to see firsthand what things are really like.

If you want to help in a way that goes beyond the classroom, you could look into becoming a school counselor. Some times these jobs are hard to come by because the people who get these jobs tend to stay until they retire. But they do come open.

I hope this helps!

 

Take everything I say with a grain of salt because I'm only 20 with precisely zero experience in any of the fields you have been in/plan to be in. I won't be exactly helpful in that area.

You're not too old to change careers at 34. One of my dad's friends is in her mid 50s and has changed her career about half a dozen times. She has four masters degrees in wildly different things, just because she likes to change it up every now and then. She is one of the most independent, successful, and happy people I know.

My grandfather owned every business you could imagine throughout his life, and learned ten lifetimes worth of skills before he died. He could play any instrument he put his hands on, formally trained to shoe horses, owned a gym, owned an ice cream stand, worked as an artist (one of his paintings auctioned for a couple thousand dollars at his funeral), ran a locksmith business, ran a music/instrument shop.... Every time he got bored, which was usually every few years, he dropped everything and picked up something completely new. Of course, this was not necessarily a stable lifestyle, but I never saw him have a bad day. Even in his last few days, he was flirting with the nurses at the hospital and joking with the doctors about giving him more drugs - silly old man who took advantage of every day of his life.

Do what makes you happy. If you go into it and find you're not happy, you can change again! I've heard over and over again that the age group you teach makes a huge difference on what your classroom experience is like. If you don't have family relying on you, you don't need to feel responsible for anyone but yourself if something goes awry.

Now I will step aside and let actual teachers give you some input!

Your grandfather sounds like he has the same personality traits that I do. With most positions that I've held I became bored and wanted to try something new. However, it is a bit more tricky now that I have a fiance and two children. A bit more risk involved, but It may just be worth the risk. Either way I am paying for a degree. May as well shoot for something that I will hopefully enjoy doing!

 

I'll be 59 Thursday, and got my present job when I was 48, so it's certainly not too late to decide on a career.

The best advice I can give you is to accept that in any situation, regardless of whether it's work or personal, there'll be good things and bad things. How happy you are depends on which ones you focus on. If there are 10 things in your life going well and 1 that isn't, and you focus your energy on the 1 bad thing, you'll be unhappy. The reverse is also true. If there are 10 things going badly and 1 going well, if you can focus on the 1 good thing, you'll be pretty content.

I know that doesn't directly answer your question, but I hope it helps.

 

Hi,

I would start with a career interest inventory. If you are in college, there should be a student services department that can help you. That will give you a good idea about your general area of interest if you are unsure.

I have been in education for a number years. Every place is different, and every state requires different things. ( Where I live, the history spots are mostly taken by coaches.)

The money is not great, but once you are sure and are committed to the job, you will see that the benefits aren't so bad. You will never get rich being a teacher (that's for sure!).

If you are a male (like your moniker implies), there are places that are desperate for male elementary teachers. Younger students need good male role models, and many male teachers want to be at the junior high or high school level.

Education is changing, and the more you know about technology, the better off you will be. So your time in IT would help.

Most teacher prep courses don't do a good job with classroom management. That's why a lot of teachers struggle with student behavior. That's not for every case, or course, but it does apply to many. I know in some places, behavior is horrible. But I have seen some pretty tough places be turned around by some very determined teachers and administrators.

Many people go into teaching because they love the material. Some love the material and the kids. Some want to teach school, and not kids. I would do some research about your state to find out exactly what is required of teachers in your state and area. What is the workload like? What additional responsibilities will you have? I would advise that you do some substitute teaching if you can to see firsthand what things are really like.

If you want to help in a way that goes beyond the classroom, you could look into becoming a school counselor. Some times these jobs are hard to come by because the people who get these jobs tend to stay until they retire. But they do come open.

I hope this helps!

Awesome! Thank you! I started talking up some teachers that would come into my bar every Friday. A bit of brain picking. It was going well and I learned some things, but then the lockdowns began and who knows when they'll be lifted. I'll contact my school tomorrow and grab some more info.

I'll be 59 Thursday, and got my present job when I was 48, so it's certainly not too late to decide on a career.

The best advice I can give you is to accept that in any situation, regardless of whether it's work or personal, there'll be good things and bad things. How happy you are depends on which ones you focus on. If there are 10 things in your life going well and 1 that isn't, and you focus your energy on the 1 bad thing, you'll be unhappy. The reverse is also true. If there are 10 things going badly and 1 going well, if you can focus on the 1 good thing, you'll be pretty content.

I know that doesn't directly answer your question, but I hope it helps.

It helps and I completely agree!

 

I am 100% behind teachers, I have family that are retired educators.

I highly recommend to talk to as many current and retired educators as you can before going forward with that career path.

Learn from them as much as you can about pay structure, retirement, current politics, State testing requirements (not sure what emphasis Mass has on it compared to Texas) and how it relates to admin/classroom dynamic, Unions, current situation with parents/kids etc etc.

Wanting to be an educator is a life long career and lifestyle. Very noble profession for which I have a deep respect for.

Personally, I always tell people to look into becoming a Firefighter with a paid Dept (nothing against Volunteers, but a good paycheck and a pension is nice to have).

You can't beat the schedule, most Dept's are a traditional 24 on - 48 off shift rotation.

For example, with that type of rotation having 2 days off 10x a month gives you plenty of time to persue other interests or secondary sources of income.

Ask any FF and almost all of them will tell you it's the best career ever.

 

I am 100% behind teachers, I have family that are retired educators.

I highly recommend to talk to as many current and retired educators as you can before going forward with that career path.

Learn from them as much as you can about pay structure, retirement, current politics, State testing requirements (not sure what emphasis Mass has on it compared to Texas) and how it relates to admin/classroom dynamic, Unions, current situation with parents/kids etc etc.

Wanting to be an educator is a life long career and lifestyle. Very noble profession for which I have a deep respect for.

Personally, I always tell people to look into becoming a Firefighter with a paid Dept (nothing against Volunteers, but a good paycheck and a pension is nice to have).

You can't beat the schedule, most Dept's are a traditional 24 on - 48 off shift rotation.

For example, with that type of rotation having 2 days off 10x a month gives you plenty of time to persue other interests or secondary sources of income.

Ask any FF and almost all of them will tell you it's the best career ever.

Thank you for the advice! Both my brother and I wanted to become police officers in our younger years but politics played a huge role in that. He ended up on a waiting list for years and finally moved on and became an electrician. That deterred me and I moved on to...well this. Lol.

As I currently understand it, the situation in MA or at least in my area is much the same as it was years ago. Even for firefighters. Long waiting lists. Someone has to pass away or retire. That won't stop me from looking into it though!

 

I am a teacher in adult education, question is, whether my experiences help, as I live in a different country.

I first studied history and archaeology with focus on celtic cultures, then - thanks to depression and burnout - I switched to history and culture (german, scandinavian and celtic studies), where I got my Bachelor of Arts.

Before the BA my "carreer" was quite bare of direction. My main job for years was nightwatchman in an underground parking garage, after I quit due to physical health problems I worked in a stationary store and during season I worked as a musician on medieval markets (kinda like a renaissance fair but earlier historical period) for ten years in total. I also did a lot of minor jobs and freelance on the side: Line cook, book editor, studio musician, translator, stagehand, roadie, bouncer ...
Well, then I got my BA in 2015 and by accident I got a job as a teacher for German as a foreign language, as back then we had hundreds of thousands of refugees entering the country. I originally applied for a job as a language assistant, which would not have included teaching. Well... worked out differetly. I freelance to this day, but started studying for a master's degree, since without one I'll be stuck in freelancing until I kick the bucket in this economy. Finally found a quite comfortable client in a University Hospital, that hires foreign nurses in the dozens.

Last year I looked into primary education as funding for foreign language courses for adults is generally on the decline, now with Corona it is anyway. Found teaching kids would rather not be my thing, although I had an offer to teach history. But honestly... 3 lessons a week don't pay my expenses so I stayed in adult education.

 

Im a teacher and honestly i cant wait to stop. Ive been doing it for 17yrs now and while it does have its good days theyre no where near enough. Ive never had a problem with students my problems have always been with admin and co workers. I hate walking into the office with a dozen women all wearing a dozen different perfumes and you cant open a window because its freezing outside.

 

Im a teacher and honestly i cant wait to stop. Ive been doing it for 17yrs now and while it does have its good days theyre no where near enough. Ive never had a problem with students my problems have always been with admin and co workers. I hate walking into the office with a dozen women all wearing a dozen different perfumes and you cant open a window because its freezing outside.

lol. I do not intend to laugh and it most definitely is not directed towards you but I can imagine that situation being terrible. I cannot stand over-cologned men and over-perfumed woman. I cant even walk down the soap and detergent aisle at the grocery store. The smells kill me. What subject(s) do you teach and why havn't you decided to take another path?

This is where I am torn though. Lets say I do switch my major and I become a teacher. If I do end up hating it because of admin, colleagues, students, or a mix of all three, what can I do with a BA in History. I am terrified. I love biology as well, but again..what to do? I can handle a lot of garbage from all kinds of different people, but at some point you've just had enough.

BTW. To everyone else! I did talk to an advisor at my school but apparently I owe $1500 before I can resume courses. That might take a bit to come up with. No work and such.

I am a teacher in adult education, question is, whether my experiences help, as I live in a different country.

I first studied history and archaeology with focus on celtic cultures, then - thanks to depression and burnout - I switched to history and culture (german, scandinavian and celtic studies), where I got my Bachelor of Arts.

Before the BA my "carreer" was quite bare of direction. My main job for years was nightwatchman in an underground parking garage, after I quit due to physical health problems I worked in a stationary store and during season I worked as a musician on medieval markets (kinda like a renaissance fair but earlier historical period) for ten years in total. I also did a lot of minor jobs and freelance on the side: Line cook, book editor, studio musician, translator, stagehand, roadie, bouncer ...
Well, then I got my BA in 2015 and by accident I got a job as a teacher for German as a foreign language, as back then we had hundreds of thousands of refugees entering the country. I originally applied for a job as a language assistant, which would not have included teaching. Well... worked out differetly. I freelance to this day, but started studying for a master's degree, since without one I'll be stuck in freelancing until I kick the bucket in this economy. Finally found a quite comfortable client in a University Hospital, that hires foreign nurses in the dozens.

Last year I looked into primary education as funding for foreign language courses for adults is generally on the decline, now with Corona it is anyway. Found teaching kids would rather not be my thing, although I had an offer to teach history. But honestly... 3 lessons a week don't pay my expenses so I stayed in adult education.

I've just realized that also because of Corona, many school systems are implementing virtual classrooms. That includes handing out chromebooks and such. Maybe I chose the wrong time to pursue something different. While I was in IT we had a few school systems contracted to troubleshoot and repair devices that were given to students. This was a migraine to deal with but a monetary blessing. I can only imagine how much business my former employer is going to do now.

I've also thought about doing in house IT services for individuals and small businesses until I figure out what I truly want to do, but Corona put a mountain in front of that. Regardless, thank you for your input. It is truly appreciated!

 

lol. I do not intend to laugh and it most definitely is not directed towards you but I can imagine that situation being terrible. I cannot stand over-cologned men and over-perfumed woman. I cant even walk down the soap and detergent aisle at the grocery store. The smells kill me. What subject(s) do you teach and why havn't you decided to take another path?

This is where I am torn though. Lets say I do switch my major and I become a teacher. If I do end up hating it because of admin, colleagues, students, or a mix of all three, what can I do with a BA in History. I am terrified. I love biology as well, but again..what to do? I can handle a lot of garbage from all kinds of different people, but at some point you've just had enough.

BTW. To everyone else! I did talk to an advisor at my school but apparently I owe $1500 before I can resume courses. That might take a bit to come up with. No work and such.

I teach business and managent classes to uni students in china in english. I quit the last uni i taught at 8 yrs ago because of problems and swore to myself this one would be my last and it was great for the first 5 yrs until we got a new headmaster and its gone down hill since then.

I did plan on leaving at the end of this year and going back to aus to by a little motel but because of the virus i dont know when i will be able to get a flight home and the people who are selling it dont want to sell it until the end of next year now. so i might be teaching here for one more yr.

Theres plenty of jobs here for qualified teachers and even more for just teaching oral english.

 

I think teaching can be very rewarding intrinsically if you really love educating but if you are going to teach you need the patience a of a saint ! If you worked retail for any long stretch you probably have that lol! I was a retail manager for many years, at least kids have an excuse for poor behavior! So blessed to not be in corporate retail now, I worry for all those people having to enforce these corona virus rules and the aggression that comes back at them. Seriously they deserve as much support and recognition as they can get.

Teaching in a public facility is going to come with a lot of politics and teaching a curriculum or in a way that may or may not be eye to eye with what you think is best. There are some wacky ways of teaching Uncle Sam has come with

If you find a private institution that matches your values that would probably be more rewarding on all fronts ( these positions are hard to find )I know where I live the demand for teachers is in big cities and under served public schools.

I’m not a licensed teacher but I teach preschool and have thought about teaching elementary. Now with Corona virus I wonder if there will a demand for online teachers in a more permanent capacity ? I’m currently working through online school with my daughter who is in forth grade, it’s been fun but also challenging.

You could always try volunteering working in school as a support professional first . If you have Bachelors could substitute teach in some areas. Depending on where you teach you may not even need a degree in education but to just pursue teacher certification l. I know every state is different.

Oh and the pay and benefits aren’t always great, especially where I live!

good luck deciding!

 

I teach business and managent classes to uni students in china in english. I quit the last uni i taught at 8 yrs ago because of problems and swore to myself this one would be my last and it was great for the first 5 yrs until we got a new headmaster and its gone down hill since then.

I did plan on leaving at the end of this year and going back to aus to by a little motel but because of the virus i dont know when i will be able to get a flight home and the people who are selling it dont want to sell it until the end of next year now. so i might be teaching here for one more yr.

Theres plenty of jobs here for qualified teachers and even more for just teaching oral english.

Definitely some obstacles to overcome. I do wish you well! Thank you for the insight!

I think teaching can be very rewarding intrinsically if you really love educating but if you are going to teach you need the patience a of a saint ! If you worked retail for any long stretch you probably have that lol! I was a retail manager for many years, at least kids have an excuse for poor behavior! So blessed to not be in corporate retail now, I worry for all those people having to enforce these corona virus rules and the aggression that comes back at them. Seriously they deserve as much support and recognition as they can get.

Teaching in a public facility is going to come with a lot of politics and teaching a curriculum or in a way that may or may not be eye to eye with what you think is best. There are some wacky ways of teaching Uncle Sam has come with

If you find a private institution that matches your values that would probably be more rewarding on all fronts ( these positions are hard to find )I know where I live the demand for teachers is in big cities and under served public schools.

I’m not a licensed teacher but I teach preschool and have thought about teaching elementary. Now with Corona virus I wonder if there will a demand for online teachers in a more permanent capacity ? I’m currently working through online school with my daughter who is in forth grade, it’s been fun but also challenging.

You could always try volunteering working in school as a support professional first . If you have Bachelors could substitute teach in some areas. Depending on where you teach you may not even need a degree in education but to just pursue teacher certification l. I know every state is different.

Oh and the pay and benefits aren’t always great, especially where I live!

good luck deciding!

I'm right there with you. I worked for Kellogg as a sales representative for 8 years. From there I moved on to management within an IT franchise. All of it as you can imagine being customer focused. Pretty much retail.

I am about 20 minutes from Boston so there would probably be some opportunities to jump in. However, I do feel that I am getting the same vibe here that I did on Reddit. It seems to be hit or miss, no happy medium. My struggle still exists.

I did a quick Indeed search for environmental science and a decent amount of opportunities popped up. I like Science and History, but fel that I have more options with a degree related to anything under the scope of science. This particular job was just taking samples of dirt and water and recording the information. I wouldn't mind that and I could switch my degree to a geoscience degree. Unfortunately that would kick back on my credits so I would be in school longer.

Adult decisions are tough.

 

I was a teacher for around 10 years but have since switched. The reason for the switch was I moved to a different state with different requirements (got married) and would have had to go back to school for a couple of things.

I definitely miss it somedays, as it was very rewarding. But most days I don't miss it at all. I taught high school students, individuals that should know how to act in a social setting. (I don't know how middle/grade school teachers do it, they have my complete respect My parents were both educators with my mom being a special ed teacher for many years.) Ironically, especially now a days, my hardest workers were immigrants/refugees. Working with these kids has been some of the most rewarding things I have ever done. It can be frustrating when you see children wasting opportunities or not acting appropriately. I hated having to be the disciplinarian for many students who weren't taught/don't care enough to act appropriately.

This is more of a evaluation of my personality more so than the field itself, however I though tit might be helpful if you have similar traits.

 

All I am going to say is if you persue this career please teach and do not make your opinions or views fact.
Too many teachers today I feel have indoctrinated our youth with falisy and are setting a tone for an ignorant uneducated generation to come so be true to yourself and the craft and do not mix your views with your work

 

My mom is a fifth grade teacher and I would like to caution you to research which county you would be working for before taking a job, as some places are better to work than others.

My mom does hours of unpaided overtime every day not counting grading, so essentially works 10hrs minimum, 12hrs maximum during weeks (8 paid), plus weekend grading. Not to mention buying some classroom materials with your own money without refund. Lesson plans are teacher-designed and altered on a week to week basis (unlike someone counties that give a book of set lesson plans to their teachers) and must hit upon things done in standardized testing. Her county also requires teachers to get a master’s after working a certain number of years, but the pay increase after getting it is not substantial. Here, she would make more money folding shirts at retail than teaching.

 

That unpaid-overtime-thing is internationally the same. Unless you work as a teacher in Finland or Norway, the work conditions and pay are a joke everywhere. People tend to only pay the classes, not the whole bulk of work in preparation and corrections.

 

I was a teacher for around 10 years but have since switched. The reason for the switch was I moved to a different state with different requirements (got married) and would have had to go back to school for a couple of things.

I definitely miss it somedays, as it was very rewarding. But most days I don't miss it at all. I taught high school students, individuals that should know how to act in a social setting. (I don't know how middle/grade school teachers do it, they have my complete respect My parents were both educators with my mom being a special ed teacher for many years.) Ironically, especially now a days, my hardest workers were immigrants/refugees. Working with these kids has been some of the most rewarding things I have ever done. It can be frustrating when you see children wasting opportunities or not acting appropriately. I hated having to be the disciplinarian for many students who weren't taught/don't care enough to act appropriately.

This is more of a evaluation of my personality more so than the field itself, however I though tit might be helpful if you have similar traits.

Thank you! These are the things that I need to hear to help make a decision. It seems that the job is rewarding but that is trumped by stress, politics, regulations, etc.

All I am going to say is if you persue this career please teach and do not make your opinions or views fact.
Too many teachers today I feel have indoctrinated our youth with falisy and are setting a tone for an ignorant uneducated generation to come so be true to yourself and the craft and do not mix your views with your work

I agree. Keep your political, religious, and other personal beliefs to yourself when working in a neutral environment. We say the same thing to the patrons at our bar if the conversation becomes a bit heated.

My mom is a fifth grade teacher and I would like to caution you to research which county you would be working for before taking a job, as some places are better to work than others.

My mom does hours of unpaided overtime every day not counting grading, so essentially works 10hrs minimum, 12hrs maximum during weeks (8 paid), plus weekend grading. Not to mention buying some classroom materials with your own money without refund. Lesson plans are teacher-designed and altered on a week to week basis (unlike someone counties that give a book of set lesson plans to their teachers) and must hit upon things done in standardized testing. Her county also requires teachers to get a master’s after working a certain number of years, but the pay increase after getting it is not substantial. Here, she would make more money folding shirts at retail than teaching.

That sounds grueling. I am no stranger to long, hard worked shifts but I also enjoy my down time. I have children so they most definitely need me to be around and not completely immersed in my career. However, most jobs want you to work 60 hours anyway. So many struggles. Thank you for the insight!

That unpaid-overtime-thing is internationally the same. Unless you work as a teacher in Finland or Norway, the work conditions and pay are a joke everywhere. People tend to only pay the classes, not the whole bulk of work in preparation and corrections.

The image is becoming more clear and I'm thinking that until a lot changes within the field more people like me will be frightened off. After comparing responses from here and Reddit, I am leaning towards the geoscience degree.

 

I agree. Keep your political, religious, and other personal beliefs to yourself when working in a neutral environment. We say the same thing to the patrons at our bar if the conversation becomes a bit heated.

I'm just seeing more if it than ever before.
My 13 yr olds teachers have brought home some of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen come out of a school environment

 

I'm just seeing more if it than ever before.
My 13 yr olds teachers have brought home some of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen come out of a school environment

I can only imagine!

 

I can only imagine!

Dude she had to play a game through her history teacher were you are a slave...and literally have to escape a plantation then write a 1 page essay on it afterward....????? Like....why...

 

Dude she had to play a game through her history teacher were you are a slave...and literally have to escape a plantation then write a 1 page essay on it afterward....????? Like....why...

That sounds like a terrible video game from an independent developer. All teachers arnt created equally? Side step here, but in high school I took Spanish 2. The teacher was horrible. He would briefly explain the new material, tell us to read a chapter, and then he'd sit down for the rest of the class. I failed every quiz and test. Halfway through the year I moved to a different high school. I had to take Spanish 2. I thought, "well..this is going no where." My new Spanish teacher was amazing. I got an A in the class.

Some teachers just suck or have given up I guess...

 

I graduated with a teaching degree at 45 with a degree in K-12 Spanish. College education classes were useless for classroom management. The first year was rough. I felt like quitting, but didn't. Second year was better; I had learned a lot. I watched every teacher that was good and I stole ideas from them about classroom management.
I found middle school most challenging. Young teens are walking hormones. By the time I retired, I looked back on a rewarding career that I loved and kids that I loved. I agree with an earlier poster about administration. A bad administrator is torture. i had three excellent ones and about six poor ones.
Being with elementary kids is wonderful; sweet and loving for the most part. My HS kids were great for the most part, with the exception of a few turkeys. Middle school was a tough crowd for me. Follow your heart and don't give up.
PS. History (and art) teachers are a dime a dozen; teach math, science, or IT, Much better job prospects.

 

I'm a teacher from the UK and I was part of the last generation to get my degree without paying any fees. Times have changed considerably since the joyous 1990s, and I would catagorically say without any reservation... do not put yourself in financial debt to become a teacher. If you can find a way to do it without taking on loans, fine. Otherwise, don't.

 

Wow, Education paid for? Amazing. Not here in the states. It's a scramble to try for scholarships to help with the incredible cost of university. Even state schools are so expensive that it's tough to get through without debt. I graduated in the 90's and my university tuition was $5,000. Now it's three or four times as much and that's considered cheap.

 

In Europe the UK (and there in Scotland Uni is still free) is the only country where you pay for higher education. I haven't paid tuition fees ever.
It's harder to get in though, as we have different schools here, each preselecting and qualifying for entering the workforce immediately, for apprenticeship or for higher education, respectively. I was lucky to get in, if it had gone as my parents wished I had gotten an apprenticeship and would be working in a completely different field today. Glad I got a chance to study. Getting qualification later in life is hard to achieve.

 

Well, if it counts, my mum is a teaching assistant at a middle school, where she’s very popular and liked by the students. The year 8s recently left the school for good, so they wrote goodbye cards to my mum, full of their social media accounts and addresses. Lol.

 

Currently where I live there is a huge shortage of certified teachers. Our schools have a ton of "long term substitutes"; some do good jobs, others are just biding their time until something better comes along. Having warm bodies in classrooms is really not a good thing for students, but what can you do when no one wants to go into the field? Ultimately, the students are the ones who end up paying the price in the long run. I can remember a number of students who went on to college and had real trouble with basic freshman-level classes. They were not prepared at all. But until teacher pay/benefits is addressed, I don't see a lot of people going into the field.

 

My school regularly experiences staff shortages. This year’s roster of staff will be drastically different to that of last year, as teachers only stay at my school for a few months on average, sometimes a couple years. They essentially hop from school to school.

Why do teachers join my school and leave after a short period of time? Not sure. I have to guess because it’s simply not a nice place with not nice “students.” Either that or economic reasons.

 

Staff shortages in teaching... Let's close this can of worms again, this ultimately ends up getting very, very political.

 

I guess all I could really comment on about staff shortages has been said already. Can of worms closed and thrown in the bin.

 

As this thread was over a year old before it was resurrected I think it’s run it’s course, thread closed.