I coached for over 10 years. 4 years of jr high, the rest HS. Yes, I got into teaching so I could coach. Now that I have a family, I have taken a hiatus to raise my family. I don;t know if I'll ever go back...extra, free time is a luxury that coaches don't have.
i got certified to teach high school, but never taught. after doing my student teaching i realized that it was not for me at the time, though im sure at some point i will teach. i student taught 9th grade geography and for the most part the kids were pretty cool, but its those 3 or 4 a-holes throughout the day that can weigh you down. and the fact that what you teach becomes so much based around standardized testing. in alot of ways, the teachers dont have alot of control over what they can teach. the bueracracy aspect is a real pain. the kids are the fun part (again, except for the occasional a-hole) im sure the first couple years would be the hardest. once you have developed your lesson plans for the year, i bet it gets to be pretty routine and you dont spend all night planning for the next day. first year you are working from scratch, so you will definately be a busy one. second year, you are refining and improving your lessons. by year three, it should be much smoother. also, the whole idea of having 3 months during summer becomes irrelevant when you work 12 hour days the other 9 months.
My mother in law teaches English in high school and is really mean and strict. She doesn't have a hard time at it. Maybe that's the trick. Act like a mother in law. My sister in law teaches fourth grade and loves it.
sorry... I feel your pain. I thought I could get out of that by teaching college level, but even then sometimes it happens. The over-work; the treading water; and little snots (even if those little snots are older than you are). Ferdinand tried teaching at the sixth grade level without a whole lot of experience and instruction in discipline. He didn't last and it was very stressful. This parallels the experiences of many, if not most, people I know who have tried teaching. Usually the system and the administration aren't running things in an effective manner. Today's society and the problems the kids bring from home also doesn't help. Finally, even good kids can give the teacher a hard time at certain ages.
Yes, I coach, but I taught 2 years before I started coaching ( I got into it as a favor to a friend who was a coach). I have coached at the Junior High for 8 years. During football it is a lot of hours but the stress is less than at the HS. I plan on moving to the administration building to do technology within the next couple of years. Once I do that I will probably cut back to only coaching football or basketball.
I am the only person in my family who does not teach. My dad taught junior high school social studies and was the guidance counselor off and on for 30 years (he retired in '95 and was SOOOOO ready to get out of it). My mom teaches junior college math and has one more year before she can retire (she got a late start teaching due to raising my sister and me). My sister teaches high school French, just outside of Nashville and loves it (but I think it more has to do with being close to Nashville than anything else, lol). I actually tried teaching after quitting my banking job and I didn't last a week - seriously. It just takes a special type of person to do it, especially in this age with the restrictions on paddling and other forms of discipline. I just couldn't do it no matter how enticing it is to get off at 3:15 and have 3 months off in the summer. Besides, I make more money doing what I do now than I ever would as a teacher.
i got all the appropriate state-mandated instruction and i feel they did a very poor job in teaching methods of class management and discipline. in general, there was alot more focus put on the curriculum aspect and developing that, than basic classroom management techniques. the best class i had in the education school was one that a high school principal came in to teach 2 nights a week. he didnt bother us with alot of "projects", but just sat with us and discussed the philosophy of teaching, his experiences as a teacher, coach and administrator and what he sees day in day out. he had us keep a journal of our teaching, kind of a diary and we shared those with each other in class. i learned more from this guy than any one else.
Yep...college classes and the real world are very different in the educational profession. Embrace Student teaching...it'll make or break you.
I recently heard that you no longer need an education degree to teach, just a college degree in what ever you're going to teach. Is this true? I'm currently a chemistry undergrad and have thought a little about teaching at the high school level.
It's true. They will make you get some sort of emergency or alternative certification. Ferdinand took a couple of classes over the summer and was going to complete his alternative certification by taking exams, etc. later - if it had worked out. Some people are put in "emergency" situations with no training at all. That happened to one of my college chemistry graduates last year. She was living down in the Valley, where they really need teachers, and was considered an attractive candidate even with no experience. Schools were fighting to hire her and begging me to give them names of people who might be interested in teaching. She ended up with 9th grade physical science and didn't last very long because they were little brats. (Same story for most of the people I know who have tried teaching without going through a lengthy student teaching type program first.) This individual is quiet and nice and they probably walked all over her from day one. Your mileage may vary. So the jobs are there... but they're not always easy.
Just out of curiousity. Have any of you done the Kinesiology Major. If so, how was that? I only ask because people tell me i should go into something sports related and that has come up. I've got 2 weeks to send in an application with a major on it and still don't know what to do.
My g/f teaches and coaches and for all the work and hours put in, its seems like its so not worth it...It's obviously not for the $$$, and in the end, its just a job... However, if I were independently wealthy, I'd love to teach...
I got my BS in Kinesiology (Exercise Testing) at UH With Kinesiology at UH, there are three routes to take: 1) Kinesiology, Exercise Testing - This is like program planning for athletes. Training and testing athletes based on there physical ability and performance to various stress tests. 2) Kinesiology, Sports Administration - As it sounds. The classes for this area teach the business side related to sports. From what I remember from other classmates, it was more of a sports PR class approach. 3) Kinesiology, Pedagogy and Professional Development - This essetially teaches you to become a PE teacher. A degree in Kinesiology at UH is through the Education Department, so transitioning to teaching isn't too bad. Then, most Kinesiology major's need a minor. Most pick Nutrition or Health. My minor was in Biology. Right now, I am finishing my certification plan to teach middle school science. And from the observations I have made in the classroom the biggest area for direct concern is management. If you cannot manage the class = TOTAL CHAOS. Plus, most people I have talked to say that one out of three teachers leave within the first three years and the biggest reason is classroom management issues/concerns. From the teachers I have observed, their best advice is to document everything so that when admins and parents come at you, there is a paper trail to cover your tracks. Needless to say I am still keeping my fingers crossed, because I begin student teaching in the Fall.
I want to become a teacher soon. i never planned it this way, but as the director of an after school program, i am drawn towards molding minds... i am looking at my options: teach for america ny teaching fellows going back to grad school "those who cant do, teach, and those who cant teach.... teach gym" any suggestions?
