I want to be a teacher! (Any advice from experienced teachers out there?)

So I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I want to be a teacher--most likely for junior high or high school. I wouldn't mind elementary school either. haha. I just know that I want to make a difference, you know? So, my question is, for those of you already teaching, what subjects are you teaching? What do you like and what don't you like about your job? How do I know which teaching job is best for me? I'm a junior in high school, but I know to get into the University of Arizona's College of Education, I need to have X hours of time in a classroom and so on so forth. Would being a teachers aid count for that? hm, I'm really wanting to get started on those hours as soon as possible. HELP?

bump?

You want an advice? I know about 5 people in my age having/who had the same goal, the advice I can give you is...think over it...schoolkids are not really thankfull and to tell the same stuff for the next 40 years of your life...sure you want that? Beside the fact that it is a stressfull and exausting and especially desillusionating (wrong spelling blah) job...

i'm not a teacher, but i've worked in four different schools (two elementary, two high school).  if you want to be a teacher, okay, but i really recommend that you try some other things first.  the best teachers are the ones who come to it later in life and have lots of real-world experience outside of school settings.  typically, teachers are people who fit right in at school and don't particularly want to leave or change the system; they end up propagating the problems.

My advice is do some volunteer work at a local school.

Alot of people think of teaching as the career job for them. I am in England and have been volunteering since October, I absoloutly love it BUT that's me.

You have to KNOW that this is a career you want to do. It is incredibly demanding and I learnt ver quickly that patience is key.

The national curriculum is usually very similar. You teach a range depending on if you teach a specific course VS. Elementry (called primary in england) as I'm training to teach 7-11 year olds I will teach all area's of the curriculum.

So do you know what age you want to teach? It makes a huge difference. At least in England it does. It you teach younger children then you have to have a huge capacity to move with the times so to speak. If you teach a singular subject you might get bored, might need more qualifications etc.

Really think about this. The career is rewarding in some aras but despite the old saying "those who can't; teach" it's really a very demanding job, you're always marking things (which i actually fin fairly relaxing... weird i know) you will have "problem children" and you have to know how to deal with kids and make split decisions.

Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to PM me, though I don't know how much I can help because of the culture divide (not sure how much teaching in america is like in england and the qualifications etc.)

I hate that everytime someone puts up a post like this, in regards to wanting to go into teaching, almost every reply is negative. (no offense to anyone... I know most people are trying to make sure that the OP is making an educated decision)

There are positives about teaching too. Making a difference in a student's life will change yours. You'll have a chance to do great things for people who don't often get that kind of support.

As advice: Contact the school you're thinking of attending for education and see if you can make an appointment with an advisor (assuming you live near the school). If you don't, email the advisor for the program and see if you can make an appoitment for a phone conversation. See what the requirements are depending on what level you want to teach at. They should also be able to tell you all about the prerequisites that you need to take before you can get into the program,

Every state is different. I'm in MA, so I won't be able to give you any specific advice to AZ. Sorry!!

sorry, rebepi - i didn't mean to offend.  i've worked with many amazing teachers who absolutely do make a difference, and i've learned so much from them.  we need more people like them. 

i think a lot of kids go into education because it's familiar and they think they know what it means.  they'd be so much better at it if they got some life experience first, you know?  if you go into an education degree right out of high school, then get a teaching job at 22 or 23, you're not likely to know much about much.  for some people, twenty years later, the classroom is still the whole world....

pgeorgian:  I definitely understand where you're coming from. There are a lot of people who go into teaching for the wrong reasons.

What I find refreshing about younger teachers, is that they aren't quite as jaded as they might be if they started teaching at an older age. They also have a fresh look on things and may be able to help make changes to the educational system.

On the other hand, younger teachers may go in with rose colored glasses and end up hating their job so much that the students aren't going to get the education that they deserve.

Teaching is a hard road to follow.

(I'm almost done with my education program and I might start teaching in the fall.. so I'm always touchy about this subject because I'm nervous about teaching. Anytime someone says anything negative, I start freaking out. haha. I'm terrified of being a bad teacher. High School Biology none-the-less. Who ever liked bio in high school??)

re-read post #4.... good advice!!  Volunteer work is important.

I'm a teacher... but I recently quit (about 3-4 weeks ago)  I loved it, BUT I know it's not my calling.  I was teaching to save money to finish up nursing school  YAY!  I was teaching 4th-5th graders.  They're such a riot and I loved em!!  I also taught a little in high school and KNEW it wasn't for me almost instantly!!!  The older kids can be SOO hateful sometimes...

the boys..... sometimes they'd make REALLY REALLY perverted comments to me.  They made me feel dirty and violated!

the girls..... (if you're a young teacher)  sometimes they were pretty mean too.  If a boy they liked happen to make a comment about you... then some but not all of the girls start treating YOU like competition (ewwww).. then THEY start making mean comments...

just think about it.  volunteer at different schools and different grades.  You might LOVE LOVE LOVE it.... or just HATE it.  don't make up your mind just yet.  when you start college... volunteer AGAIN!  by then, you'll notice things/behaviors that you hadn't noticed the first time you volunteered.

Good luck  :)

rebepi, i'm sure you'll be a great teacher.  i hope you won't take offense if i make a couple of suggestions based on ten years working with dozens (maybe a couple of hundred) different teachers:

1. make sure you have friends outside of the profession.  teachers tend to stick together and confirm each other's beliefs.

2. read everything you can get your hands on, especially if it's not about teaching.

3. set boundaries, but be your true self.  kids--especially high-school age--have phenomenal bulls**t meters, and if you're putting on your teacher mask when you walk into the building, they will shred you.  if you're real, they might not like you, but they will respect you. 

4. get comfortable with the words "I don't know, but I'll find out."

5. have fun!  if you're enjoying yourself, chances are your students will, too.

i actually love high school kids - especially grades 9 and 10.  i know, i'm a freak.  as school-based prevention worker, i used to teach units on alcohol & drugs (and i was pretty fearless about sex, too).  it was amazing how cooperative those little buggers were when they realized they could ask/say what they were really thinking.

In terms of figuring out if teaching is really your calling, I totally agree with those who suggested volunteering.  To increase your exposure to different ages & types of kids, please consider volunteering with a scout troop, a church group, or a summer camp.  While it's less structured than the classroom experience, you can gain valuable knowledge about how to handle behavioral issues, keeping kids engaged with fun activities, etc.  Good Luck!

Ummm, sorry didn't mean to sound quite so "don't take this as a career" but you really have to be sure. Especially about age as it's very different.

I had wanted to teach English in secondary school (ages 11-16) but that changed after I did some volunteer work. (See... volunteer work imensly helpful)

You have to have different personalities for different ages I think. I couldn't imagine teaching very young children, but a girl who is also volunteering loves it.

Positive aspects: It's an amazing feeling when you realise a chlid has suddenly understood something they didn't get before.

Very rewarding as the children really look up to you.

Good holiday :)

If you like marking (which i do) it's fairly theraputic.

Your affecting a childs life and it's the most amazing feeling in the world.

Negative aspects: There's always going to be a few children that generally get on your nerves. Not all the time but children are very active and you can't expect miricles :) There's one boy i work with that sulks and cries if he doesn't get his way and it irritates me a little but you have to get on with it.

Control. PARAMOUNT!!! You need to be able to control every given situation. It can get quite messy.

Children are childish (strange huh? ;)) and you can't take it personally :)

Best positive thing: It's a job where the kids really are thankful (well the ones i work with) and you can see the effect you have.

Worst negative thing: Being "happy" all the time. If your not a person that can't let things go and just relax, this isn't the job for you. No one wants a miserable teacher.

Tips: Don't shout, it doesn't solve anything. Be thorough, be specific and set specific guidelines, be consistant.

Good luck.

i couldn't disagree more.  i think a lot of people go into teaching thinking that they're going to have "control" by virtue of being the oldest and in authority; then they're disappointed and bitter when they find out they're wrong.  you're much better off to assume that you will have very little control.  you're going to have kids with emotional, mental, physical, and behavioural problems; you'll have kids who are malnourished and abused.  if you're teaching high school, you'll have kids who haven't slept or eaten, who might not have a place to live, who come to class stoned or not at all, and who would rather be anywhere but in your classroom. 

the only thing you can control is your own behaviour.  if you're not comfortable with unpredictability, it's not for you.

I agree that control is very important. I've worked with many children of many different ages and control was my biggest problem. I've always been a pretty agreeable person (cough pushover cough) and my first year working with kids they trampled me. After volunteering for a few years I've finally perfected that balance between kind and firm so I definitely think that any volunteer work would be beneficial. Even if it doesn't help you get into college at all (though it should), it will show you what age group you'd want to teach and how to deal with kids as an authority figure.

Also, the biggest problem I'm finding right now with teaching is the parents. Keep in mind that being a teacher means dealing with the kids' tired overprotective parents also...

My advice is to make sure that this is what you REALLY want to do with your life... I was always absolutely sure that I wanted to teach - so sure that I never remotely considered doing anything else... I went to teacher's college and I passed my course and did my teaching practice and thought 'I can do this' and then I got into the real world and found out pretty quickly that I SUCKED AT IT. The problem is that teaching is an extremely hard, thankless, unsupported job... and I was soft, immature, insecure, and totally unsure of myself. It's not just helping kids to learn - that part is great - it's all the paperwork and administration and all the 'problem children' who don't want to be there and whose sole aim in life is to torture their teacher and make her life miserable... I loved working with the kids who really wanted to be there, but the fact is that most of them didn't.

I did relief teaching for five years, but I will never ever EVER set foot into a classroom for the rest of my entire life even if you held a gun to my head. One of my worst nightmares (literally - I still occasionally have panic-stricken dreams about it almost ten years after I stepped out of the classroom!) is standing in front of a class of unruly sixth-graders and trying to control them... some people can do it standing on their heads, but I just couldn't. It's not that I was a 'bad teacher', but I wasn't emotionally suited to the job at all.

PS. I had wanted to be an INFANT teacher - I never wanted to work with older children at all. I adored working with four-year-olds. My mother persuaded me that I'd be 'more employable' if I did general teaching instead, so I did what she wanted... if I'd done what I wanted to do things might have been entirely different. Please don't take my negative experience as a generalisation.