Anyone here a teacher? If so - can you help me

lordxixor101

CAGiversary!
I'll try not to regail you with my life story (which is hard, since I like to talk/type).

Basically, I have had a thought for about 3 years or so that I may be in the wrong career field (accounting) and I might be better as a teacher. I won't go into everything, but this is something that supervisors I have had (more than 1) has independently brought up to me at various points, so I think there is something there.

Here are the "issues" I have (and none are the money). I have a bachelors degree in accounting (minor in psych), along with an MBA (and unfortunately, student loans). If I went this route, I would like to find a way to (hopefully) not have to go back to school for long periods of time.

Is there any organizations or people I could talk to to figure out a career path? I'm afraid to talk to a University about this, only because I have a feeling that it's in their best interest to keep me in school for long periods of time.

Thanks for whatever help you can give me.

(also since someone will bring it up. Yes, i realize I am asking for some career guildance, etc from a video game site's off topic area. However, I have posted other questions here, and there are some very intellegent people on the site that I respect. To hear from a few of them, I will gladly sift through the number of useless posts I'm bound to receive.)
 
I would recommend you contact your state's education department about alternative certification programs in your state. Or look on the education website of local 2 year and 4 year schools in your area.

I did my alternative certification in Florida and it took me two semesters to complete. It was at a community college, so the costs were cheaper than a four year university. What grades levels or subject areas are you interested in? I would also recommend substitute teaching (even just a few times) to make sure you like the grade level or subject areas you choose are really what you want to do. Good luck!
 
[quote name='lordxixor101']I'll try not to regail you with my life story (which is hard, since I like to talk/type).

Basically, I have had a thought for about 3 years or so that I may be in the wrong career field (accounting) and I might be better as a teacher. I won't go into everything, but this is something that supervisors I have had (more than 1) has independently brought up to me at various points, so I think there is something there.

Here are the "issues" I have (and none are the money). I have a bachelors degree in accounting (minor in psych), along with an MBA (and unfortunately, student loans). If I went this route, I would like to find a way to (hopefully) not have to go back to school for long periods of time.

Is there any organizations or people I could talk to to figure out a career path? I'm afraid to talk to a University about this, only because I have a feeling that it's in their best interest to keep me in school for long periods of time.

Thanks for whatever help you can give me.

(also since someone will bring it up. Yes, i realize I am asking for some career guildance, etc from a video game site's off topic area. However, I have posted other questions here, and there are some very intellegent people on the site that I respect. To hear from a few of them, I will gladly sift through the number of useless posts I'm bound to receive.)[/QUOTE]


Well from experience, I am going to give you the good and bad. Since each state is different, you will have to check with your state department of education. I know that I had to send my college transcripts in before they would tell me if I would even qualify for the teaching program. In the end I was given about 6-7 classes to take.

Anyways I have worked in the education system for 4 years, 2 as a lab tech, and 2 as an INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT, with various summer and independent enrichment programs I have taught in Computer Graphics between the two
counties I worked for.

There is more to it then just getting the requirements done. Depending on your state, you might have to get a test called PRAXIS done. I have been told it's like the SAT but harder. Then the county that you are applying for *might* be picky at the test scores.
Once you get those requirements done and if they grant you a teaching license and you are given a classroom this is where the real fun begins.

It's not just about teaching the materials to the kids. It's not like it was 10-15 years ago. There is some very weird shit out there with some of these kids and their parents. I thought as an art teacher, I wouldn't have to deal with that shit or the political bullshit, but every teacher has to, even the PE teachers :O

For every 4-5 kids you have in the classroom, 1 of them will have some sort of special needs. So if you had a class of 20 kids, expect to have like 4 or so kids who are Autistic, ED, LD, ADHD, and so on. Unless your major is in Special Education, it's going to be extremely hard on you the first year or two unless you have an assistant. I was an Instructional Assistant for Special Education (Learning Disabled) students, and believed me the teachers would constantly thank us for helping them out because without us, they couldn't do their job properly. If you have kids who have those listed problems, expect a lot of talk back/attitude. Expect parent support to be minimum/non-existent. Also expect administrators to barely get involved.

Avoid Title 1 schools or schools with low-income housing in the area. I taught at one school a few weeks ago that was title 1 and man that was a mess. Those kids were nothing but lazy, unmotivated, did not care to learn fuck heads that I had to put up with for 2 weeks. Can you imagine doing that for 10 months?!?!!?

A lot of these kids are very unmotivated and therefore you have to bribe them to get there work done. It isn't about getting good grades anymore to get into a good college that motivates them, it's the candy, pizza, and prize rewards that get them to do there work. So sad :(

Also becareful of the parents. They can be your biggest supporter or your worst enemy. They don't care if their kids have those problems listed or not. They will believe everything and anything the kids say, even if they are lying or not telling the whole side of the story. So if a kid named Marcus starts misbehaving in class and you warned him several times to get his act together and then you change is discipline card, and he has a hissy fit about it, expect him to say to his parents "My teacher changed my card for no reason!!". The parents will respond by either calling you OR your administrator. Watch out what you do with the kids these days as well. In the last 4 years I have seen some seriously fucked up shit both in the counties I have worked at and on the news and it seems to be getting worse. Whatever you do, DO NOT TOUCH THE KID with the exception of a handshake and keep it brief. Don't hug the kid or anything even if they want the hug first.

You might want to consider joining a teachers union to get your ass covered. They take some money out of your paycheck, but in the long run it's worth it. I was told that a few years ago one of my co-workers was accused by an Autistic child's parent that the guy touched his penis when he didn't do that. Of course the principal got involved and wanted to destroy this guy and not take his side. He had to go through a long investigation and use his union to protect his career from being destroyed by this incident. Long story short, it was learned that it was a scam by the parent to extort money from the county because she was getting ready to file a major lawsuit against them. The aftermath of that incident was that the child is still in that school and that co-worker still works there.

Expect a lot of your co-workers to be alcoholics as well. Believe me there is enough stress in that job to make you want to become one.

Also expect the average teaching career of a new teacher to be around 4 or 5 years before they decide to move on to something else other then a classroom teacher.

As one of my former teachers once said "Being a teacher is not as rewarding as it use to be..expect a lot of bullshit and very little thank you's, if any!"

Out of all the kids I helped out last year, only one kid came to me on the last day with a very special thank you card and gave me a boat load of gift cards to blockbuster, starbucks(I don't drink coffee) and target. Basically in the card the students said "Thank you for helping me to understand the assignments and being patient with me even though I was sick a lot this year." That was very rewarding and I hope the best for her in whatever she does.
 
I have to second what ITDEFX said about parents. My longtime GF (and 3 of my other good friends) are HS teachers and there isn't a day that goes by that some idiot parent is calling up asking why she did this or that. Parents do not support teachers anymore. Period.
That being said, she still really likes it and she does not have any doubts about what she does.
If you can get past the 3 year mark, you'll know you can hack it.
Teaching = YMMV
 
Also avoid getting involved with the PTA. It's the mafia of the school system. If one of your student's parent is a member of the PTA committee, expect an administrator to tell you that one of your students has a parent who is the president, vp, treasurer, etc and therefore pass that kid no matter what, even if he or she is a dumb shit.
 
[quote name='ninju D']I have to second what ITDEFX said about parents. My longtime GF (and 3 of my other good friends) are HS teachers and there isn't a day that goes by that some idiot parent is calling up asking why she did this or that. Parents do not support teachers anymore. Period.
That being said, she still really likes it and she does not have any doubts about what she does.
If you can get past the 3 year mark, you'll know you can hack it.
Teaching = YMMV[/QUOTE]

That's true, but also expect tougher recertifications to make you still be a teacher.
 
My two best friends (a married couple) are both in education, and I showed the wife this topic. She told me that they are dying for math teachers in most places, so if you were to become a teacher, that would be the best option for finding a job. The husband is a history-certified teacher and has a bitch of a time finding jobs. The wife is in art, and she's still subbing as she is currently still finishing her degree. Considering you're accounting (like I am, you traitor!! ;)) math probably would be the best field for you anyway. Good luck.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']My two best friends (a married couple) are both in education, and I showed the wife this topic. She told me that they are dying for math teachers in most places, so if you were to become a teacher, that would be the best option for finding a job. The husband is a history-certified teacher and has a bitch of a time finding jobs. The wife is in art, and she's still subbing as she is currently still finishing her degree. Considering you're accounting (like I am, you traitor!! ;)) math probably would be the best field for you anyway. Good luck.[/QUOTE]


You know I was going to say that too but DoK beat me to it. It all depends on what your state/county needs. You might want to do research into the counties (don't just focus on one county) to see what there demands are. In my county, they are in high need of Special Education teacher because the special education population is rising in county :O, either that or they are mis diagnosing these kids just so the school can get extra spending money. You might have one county who needs more special education teachers then math teachers, or you might have another county who needs more History teachers then math teachers. It all depends on the county test scores. That's all they care about, that and the damn No Child Left Behind Act which fucks everyone in the long run.
 
Hey thanks everyone. I will definitely sub a few times before doing anything. It seems (from some research) that you can sub with almost any degree at all. Plus, I think I would need that just to determine which age range I would want to teach.

I can imagine all the headaches. I am under no illusion that this will be easy. That being said, no job is easy (ok, very very very few, and you aren't going to get one of those). Every job has it's bad points. I'm just reaching a stage where I am pretty sure that what I'm doing now isn't for me. I like my current job, but I get jerked around for hours. I've applied elsewhere, and jobs are not plentiful here. I have reasons for why I am not looking to move, if at all possible.

So, I know, I'm sure 90% of people who have this idea is going in just hoping to slack at an easier job. I'm aware that isn't it. I'm sure I'm not aware of all of the problems there are, so thanks for all the information, good and bad.
 
oops forgot to mention...

Do not be surprised if the first few years of teaching you call out sick. Those little fuckers will bring some serious shit from home and make you sick. Some counties give you sick days because they KNOW you will call out sick. Subbing is a good way to get your foot in the door and *test the waters* of a school/county before you go in. Some places lock you into a 3 year contract that keeps you in that building for that time period. Also watch out for the principal. They can be cool or power hungry fucks who could screw your career in that county if something goes wrong between the two of you.
 
I am student in High School, and I see a lot of people reccomending that you become a subtitute, and thats of course required but expect to hear some crazy things. Its worse than XBOX live when kids are left with a substitute. Openly talking about drugs, underaged drinking, everything.
 
Yeah subbing is tough, but a great way to get experience. The students respect you even less and know that you wont be back to punish/reward behavior. They will test subs everyway possible. It does help your classroom management skills.

I don't agree with all the inclusion changes they have made, but their is no way around it now on. Someone mentioned math as a high needs area; Science, Reading, and ESE are all high needs areas too. Unfortunately Social Studies is not and is a very popular subject area.
 
You can always become a Teacher Assistant first to get a better feel for it instead of subbing. That is what I'm currently doing.
 
I am an teacher of gifted elementary school students. I teach math and science. This is my second year teaching and I am currently taking classes to get my certification. The classes are in the evenings or weekends and are at various schools in the area. (it depends on the state) I have to take 6 classes and 3 certification exams to be certified in FL. I have taken 2 classes and 2 of my certication exams and I have to finish by July 2009. (you have 3 years to complete).
The hardest part was getting hired as a non-education major. I had to jump through many hoops just to apply and a education major was usually picked over me because non-education major means extra paperwork to principals.
Thanks to the Accelerated Certification Program in Florida, I can teach while taking my classes.
 
Well, let me offer you my opinion. A lot depends on your age, attitude, and where you live. I'm 41 and just started my 4th year of teaching elementary school in Chicago. Oddly enough, I too did accounting (I didn't have a degree, but sort of ended up doing it). When my company closed in 2001, I had to make a choice, do I try and continue to find jobs in fields I wasn't all that interested in, or do I go back to what had been haunting me for the last decade.

You see, back in 1991 after I graduated college, I decided to go back to school and get my teaching certificate. While I was doing this, I began substitute teaching. This absolutely, completely turned me off to teaching. I hated it. I was too young (23 or so), too impatient, and I dreaded getting the phone call that I would be needed that day to sub....I didn't know how to handle the students, I didn't know how to handle the curriculum, I didn't know what the hell anyone expected of me.

Life's experience completely changed my perspective. As a decade passed, and I began to understand that kids are kids....I returned with an entirely new and different perspective.

You might be tempted to try an alternative certification method (there are several of these like Teach for America) where your tuition is either completely or partially paid for, you get expedited, quick classes, and you start teaching quickly....personally, I DO NOT ADVISE THIS. Unless you have an exceptional personality, you will probably burn out quickly. Many teachers who take this route are thrown into some of the most difficult classrooms with little background or experience and they end up leaving quickly.

Teaching is difficult enough when you are fully prepared. I went back to school, took out 30 grand in loans, got my masters in teaching, and spent my first year in a very difficult neighborhood in Chicago (with students who had been shot, raped, and arrested IN SCHOOL - no exagerations)....and because I was at least partially prepared, these experiences didn't dissuade me from teaching, they only strengthened my resolve.

In Illinois, we have THREE different exams to take to get certified, you have to do hours of observation at all grade levels, including special ed; and you have to student teach for a few months....though it is a difficult journey; I highly advise it. Becoming a teacher was absolutely one of the greatest decisions I have ever made....if you have any questions pm me...I'd be happy to offer any assistance or answer any questions.
 
I'd like to recommend getting your doctorate and teaching at the university level:
1) no (okay, not really no...but far fewer) parents
2) lighter courseload
3) courseload can be customized by you (either creating your own version of "into to _____", or proposing your own courses. I know I'll be able to have a "Sociology of Video Games" course in the next 5-7 years, employment willing ;))
4) better money
5) fewer maturity issues (or, perhaps "different" instead of "fewer")
6) discipline is easy: "You need to leave my class right now."
7) Did I mention the severe lack of parents?

The downside:
1) more school for you, which means
2) more student loan debt
3) having an active research agenda is not what some people desire
4) the pretension of some academic folks is fuckin' palpable

I know you aren't looking to get back into school...but teaching children's for the birds, IMO.
 
Sometimes I ponder teaching older children or going to the university level, but in all honestly, there is no greater feeling than knowing you have genuinely changed someone's life...and you really have the opportunity to do that at the middle school level.

Students will entrust their teachers with all sorts of information when they know they can trust you. Things they are afraid to discuss with their parents, things that are truly mind blowing. Knowing that you can advise, teach, and help children when they are at their most impressionable is absolutely one of the greatest responsibilities and honors that anyone can have.

Sure, they're a disrespectful, obnoxious bunch, sure they are apathetic and getting them to understand things is a lot like pulling teeth, but when you actually see them make changes in their life or when they come back to you a few years later and thank you for all that you've done...

It's a lot of responsibility and aggravation, but it is also very rewarding...
 
I am a teacher, an elementary school teacher to be exact. Just don't go into teaching because you think it would be neat or you get summers off.

ITDEFX is correct in some issues. I teach in a school that is on the verge of becoming a title 1 school, so you have a lot more restrictions.

Parents are also great, but a few are a pain in the ass. For example, I have a student named Q, who is probably a C- student. He doesn't apply himself and even failed the W.A.S.L (state test for mastery). I explained to the mother that he is unmotivated, easily distracted and will fail this year's test if he doesn't change. Well, she didn't like that and complained to the principal.

There is also conflicts with other teachers. I have had a few run-ins with teachers who think their always right. Then there are the committees and the study groups, etc.

I would volunteer in a classroom. Ask questions, not matter how silly. Ask about the PTA, parents, principals, report cards, etc. Don't be afraid about asking questions. Like I tell my kids, "If you don't tell me you need help, how can I help you?"

Also make friends with the janitor. If you spend a couple of minutes talking to them and show a genuine interest, they will bend over backwards for you. Don't forget the secretaries too. They can really help you out in a bind.

That's my 2 cents.
 
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