So the summer thread about the teachers being off for 3 months got me to thinking about pursuing a teaching career. I've thought about it for a while now as opposed to keep on going in the accounting path I have set out for myself. Yea the money may not be as great as say teaching but I believe I would enjoy the perks of it. To me it would seem less stressful than accounting and I would probably enjoy it better. Any who I've been thinking about possibly being a spanish high school teacher considering they're in high demand nowadays. I am bilingual and was born in Mexico so the language comes easy to me. Any idea on the salaries these people make and how far in college I have to go (ie. bachelors, masters, phD?) Just general things like that of course if anyone can point out the negative aspects of it please do so as well. Thanks guys.
Didn't quite think about that. Don't know how difficult that would be but I think it would be challenging getting my degrees to do that. I did think about teaching algebra/spanish in high school though.
Become a college professor and enjoy the fringe benefits of hot co-eds with crushes. If you enjoy teaching, you have to move up in the field to get a good salary.
My wife is a teacher and if you think being a teacher is not "stressful" you could not be more wrong. HISD teachers make a whopping $42K the first year. I think then you get an even more amazing $500 raises a year.
Considering this economy and people getting laid off that's not half bad. It could be A LOT worse like getting paid 40K to be a cop.
Here's the salary schedule for HISD. You can see how much they make based on how many years they've taught and what degree they have. And keep in mind that you're not actually working for a few months every year. http://www.houstonisd.org/HumanResources/Home/Pay & Benefits/Teacher Salary Schedule 08-09.pdf Different school districts have different schedules. You can usually find them fairly easily if you go to the school district website. I wouldn't say teaching isn't stressful. I know many teachers. Some love what they do and some hate it. And a few hated it until they realized they liked teaching elementary school instead of middle school or high school. There are different kinds of BS you have to deal with at each level so you have to give some thought to what grade level is most suited for you.
Cops get paid lots. In the Bay Area, the base pay for starting cops straight out of the academy is $97k After bonuses, OT, etc. the average cop takes home more than $150k/yr. There are some regular street patrol cops in San Fran pulling down almost 200k.
That's pretty good for 9 months of work on the 1st year. She get a summer job and bump that annual salary to the $50-60k. My UT friends got jobs as entry level analysts at energy companies and got paid only 40k for their first year for 12 months. Raises are better though, $2-4k/yr and eventually started getting bonuses.
Do you already have a degree? If so, all you have to do is go through the alternative certification process. I know bilingual teachers are in HUGE demand, so you're already ahead of the curve. But.... If the only reason you want to teach is to get summers off and you don't think there will be any stress, you may be in for a very rude awakening... My wife is a 4th grade teacher and she says those kids walk all over the ACP teachers. One of them got so stressed out, she just up and quit without giving any notice. Many ACP teachers just think it's going to be a cakewalk and they only have to work 9 months out of the year, etc. Those are the ones that never last. EDIT: I see you don't have your degree yet. If you want to do this, just get your bachelors and then look into ACP.
if you're going to be a bilingual teacher, you can write your ticket. every school district in the area will line up to bring you in....i know someone who had the second half of her college education paid for when she committed to bilingual ed by the state.
Wrong place to ask your question if people here don't have any experience in the teaching field. Best is to go out there and communicate with them see it in person for yourself. I think the application to get into teaching might be a bit tough. But that all depend on how many schools there are in your City. I know people usually have to move to another city to get the teaching jobs.
Job security?? When the state government is over budget the very first thing that gets cut is education... massively.
I've taught 4th grade now for 8 years. Like others have mentioned, there are plenty of pros and cons. First of all, it's a heck of a lot more stressful than you think. Pressure from parents, administrators, crazy women working around me that can't just get fired easily! Conversely, I do enjoy the work. I like making a difference in the lives of people, and the breaks are nice. My wife teaches, too, so we get spring break, summer and christmas break off at the same time. Definitely a perk. Pay isn't horrible, especially since you can teach summer school or find a part-time job over the summer. But, by just teaching, your pay won't substantially increase over time. Regarding job security- if you have a job, and you do a good job at it, you are in pretty good shape. But I wouldn't want to be looking for a job right now. Districts are trying to find where they can cut costs, and many are doing so by removing positions where they can. If you have something that everyone wants (bilingual/ ESL certification, GT certification, Special Ed. background) then that will put you in much better shape. Regardless, good luck. If you love working with kids, I recommend it. If you are enticed by the long breaks and "less stress," please, for your sake and the kids' sake, don't do it!
I know there will be stress with the job as with any job but I feel like working with people I would be better suited for than in a cubicle as an accountant crunching numbers. I still want to pursue my CPA and whatnot but still hold on to the teaching thing just in case it doesn't work out. I plan on getting a minor in Spanish or should I just get a double major? Not really sure how this works. Either way my first objective is to work for the IRS or some government firm and see how that goes.
