O/T Any Teachers Out There or Retired Teachers?

I have a question. What is the first step to become a teacher, then after that? What schooling does a person need? Such as Bachelors or Master Degree!

Thanks to all who reply!

A lot depends on where you are. Different states have different requirements for teachers.
I live in upstate new york and am a 9th grade history teacher. I got a bachelor's degree in history and then got a master's in education before I started teacher. If you are up for it, it is a great career.

Thanks Steve



John in Illinois.

Daughter is a Teacher, in Pennsylvania, Bachelors Degree, FBI background checks,your state may vary. Some states credintials are not good in another state.

Hey John

Don't know what it takes now with the way some kids are but Dad started teaching with an associates degree after he got back from WW II and Korea in the early 50's. Intially taught in a one room school, moved up to teach 6 grade and then started and developed an Industrial Arts program near Lincoln, Illinois.

During that time, he got his bachelors and masters degrees plus additional hours from ISNU (remember that) and then Illinois State University. He retired in the mid 80's and the program only lasted a couple of years before they did away with it (small school). Mom also taught elementary school after we kids were in school and recieved her bachelor's plus hours.

Yep, you probably figured it out - my brother and I had Dad as a teacher for 6 years in Industrial Arts. Drafting, woodworking, brazing, smelting, etc with a little common sense thrown in on the side! Really enjoyed it: but if you got in trouble in school - you really got in trouble at home!

Kinda wish he would have turned to farming as all of my 5 uncles were farmers from the family farms. Don't regret things too much though as they are still going in their late 80's and raised an engineer, pharmacist and registered nurse. Well, I'm not the nurse and don't ask me about presciptons but I do like my old Olivers!

Jim

Requirements will vary from state to state, and sometimes even from district to district within a state.
After deciding WHAT you want to teach, and to what grade level, check with your local school system. Generally, you'll need a 4-year bachelor's degree for most subject areas. If you are retiring from another career, you may be able to move into a teaching license with less coursework. Folks with a lot of science-related job experience may be able to teach chemistry or physics on an temporary permit while pursuing the college coursework.
Someone with enough trade experience may be able to move into a vocational-education position without a bachelor's degree.
If you're a youngster, think long and hard about the career direction you really want to go. Recent trends in public education indicate that you'd better be prepared to be a life-long learner, as you'll have to keep taking coursework to maintain your license in most states. That coursework will almost always be at your own expense and will be on your own time. (The teacher who only works 8 or 9 months a year and has the rest of the time off is becoming a thing of the past.)
Some areas of education are going to be around for decades, or forever. Math, science, and language arts are going to be here. Areas such as art, music, and industrial arts are being dropped by many systems due to budget concerns. Special education is a ripe field, but the burn-out rate is high. In some places being able to speak a second language is a plus.
I'll finish my 42 year next week as a middle-school technology education teacher, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I'm already looking forward to August 10, when school starts again. When I started, it was called industrial arts, but those days are gone. I'm teaching almost NOTHING that I was teaching 20 years ago. If you can't change and keep up with change, don't consider a teaching career. If you want a job where no two days are ever the same, it may be just what you want.
It's a little like farming, in that you start over ever year, make changes based upon what did and didn't work in the past, and you never know how the "crop" will turn out - sometimes for years.

The ability to not do bodily harm
to the little house ape"s!!!!!!

It all depends on what your state laws require. Here in MN you need a 4 year degree with a valid Minnesota teaching license to teach full time. (You can substitute teach with any four year college degree if the local school district chooses to allow you to do so. My district does not allow this since we have plenty of licensed teachers who want to sub in the classrooms.) Your license will certify you to teach in specific areas. For example, birth through 3rd grade, K-8 with an area of specialty, or secondary (high school)level like Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, etc.

I have had a teaching license since 2001 and have taught since 2003. First thing I did was to obtain an associate of arts degree from a local community college. Took two years. I then went on and got my bachelor of arts degree in education. Took two years. I am licensed to teach 1st-6th grade, I have no minor, and to be quite honest, I am not very marketable. (Have been with my district 6 years and have no interest in ever teaching anywhere else anyway. Have no worries about cuts either since I have enough seniority at this point the whole district would have to fold before I'd loose my job.) Most schools will require you to have the endorsement to teach kindergarten and will also want you to be licensed to teach up through 8th grade. MN changed it's whole teaching requirements the year after I graduated from college. Now elementary education students are licensed to teach in K-8 programs and have to declare a specialty area such as math, social studies, etc.
Hope this helps answer some of your questions. If you're thinking of choosing this as a career, it sure works out nice for a farmer's schedule. I have the summer months free to make my hay for the winter.

My daughter just graduated with a Bachelors Of Arts degree in Secondry Education (History). In PA you have to take a Praxis test to recieve your Teacher Certification. You also must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.

In my area to get a teaching job it is a known fact that in a lot of districts you have to pay to play. The FBI is now investigating school board members who have taken bribes. Two school board members from one district have resigned and a Superintendent from another district has resigned and there are more to come.

John B

I completed 32 years as a high school Biology and Physics teacher. Due to health problems with Lyme disease (over sensitive nervous system) plus a lot of other health issues related to Lyme, I took the early retirement option. Teaching is demanding and stressful, and many administrators make it even more stressful than the job needs to be. Because I demanded honest work from every student (and most appreciated that fact), I got to visit personally with a bunch of laywers from the NAACP. Of course the administrators wanted me to cave in, but I held firm and the lawyers backed off...I had well documented evidence that I was prepared to present in court. So said administrators were very happy to see me retire.

For the most part I loved the job! I set my daily goal to find some humor with the kids every day, and I told them so. We had a very heady academic course to teach, but that didn't mean it had to be boring. What I miss most is the positive interaction with the kids. I had some very successful students in AP physics, and a record for that big suburban school district of having 2 kids score a perfect "5" and 1 scored a "4" on the AP physics exam in the same year. The 5 gets the student a full year college credit for calc based physics. The 4 will get at least a full semester of college credit.

Some colleges are requiring a 5 year program for new teachers. The 5th year includes a semester of monitored student teaching. All teaching licenses in MN require the student teaching experience. Many programs require 2 student teaching experiences. Life as a college student is relatively "on easy street" compared to the prep time, paper correcting, phone calls, planning, actual teaching, and related after hours requirements while student teaching. My student teachers said they had NEVER worked so hard in their lives. If you want to be successful, you need to set firm goals and never quit until you have achieved them.

Unfortunately there is a huge pool of "popular wisdom" that believes the teaching profession is a very easy, lazy man's career. Do not believe it!! Yes, I know that we all can cite some teacher who is or was a slacker, but most of the people I knew were very hard working, dedicated and talented teachers. I was proud to be among them. I have run a farm, a residential construction and remodeling business, have been a construction forman and found that I worked hardest at my teaching career.

You should go back to talk with some of your most respected teachers and get their perspective before investing your time and money in the teaching career. They will probably enjoy your visit and will probably give you a perspective that you never had as a student.

Best wishes in making the right choice.

Paul in MN

I taught ag and ag shop for 14 years. Each state will have its own set of rules for licensing. I got a BS in ag education, Kentucky requires a MA or MS within 10 years. You can go further, it adds to what they pay you. One consideration is how the state funds its salary schedule. In states where the district or corporation has to fund a manadated scale its to your benefit to not get an advanced degree before beginning. In states like Kentucky where the state increases its salary contribution for an advanced degree no point in not getting it. Also, a lot of our high school teachers came through a Masters in Certification program. Its for people who have a degree in their teaching subject and they get their initial certification with a masters program.

Soon to be retired teacher. All good sound answers.

My sister has been a high school science teacher for 15+ yrs. The system makes it hard to be an effective teacher. Parents expect you to raise their kids for them, teach them morals, etc.

As said below, its hard and demanding. By the end of the school year, she's exhausted.

Its also very rewarding to see a kid begin to shine.

Best advice was given below. Go talk to some teachers.

John,

As someone else mentioned, you should consider a specialization that will open more doors for you (high demand areas where no one else wants to work). There are thousands of elementary ed "teachers" out there looking for work. My wife is a special education teacher and after 15 years is beginning to burn out, and is holding on because she knows that there simply don't have anyone available to fill her position if she leaves and she doesn't want to do that to the kids. So if you want an almost guarenteed job once you graduate, go into special education (there are many sub-specializations in that category).

Be ready to work hard, my wife spends an average of 15 hours a day at her job (then she has to put up with me, no wonder she's getting burned out).

Good advice- my nephew is a special ed teacher, and about the newest teacher in the district (started last fall). District is laying off 14 teachers- figured he'd be first on the list to go. Not so- he got a "king's X" because of his special ed certification.

Paul, what kind of prolific symptoms did you have with Lyme, sounds like it advanced before you were able to have it diagnosed. Reason I ask is that I have been nailed by ticks a few times in the last few years, but never once got the red circle/bullseye, or symptoms. I was checked at least once but have heard it can be difficult to diagnose and I get aches/pains + fatigue at times, sitll makes you wonder, that and any effects on your heart, I know it can be bad if let go. I had always assumed with Lyme, you would know if you had it, with the aches/pains in the joints, fatigued, + the initial tell tale signs with the bullseye, going to get re-checked again, but good to hear from someone who has dealt with this.

PS - my mother taught phys-ed for 39 years at the same school, her mom was a school RN at another for about the same, not an easy job by any means, I think she thought it was rewarding, lot of good students remember her and ask how she is doing since retired, think the masters is a requirement now, but if a person is cut out for it, good career, though you have to enjoy it and be willing to sacrifice, she did great with a NYS tier 1 retirement.

My wife retires next month after 35+ years in MN. Says she would never get hired again....our district is one of the top in the State, typically gets 300 job apps for an open slot, but district throws out all in the first cut who do not have a coaching certificate. Hiring history reflects that for as long as I can remember. Daughter has an elem ed cert, told her to get either coaching cert or Special Ed if you want a job. One year in Metro school was enough for her.

Technology Education is a fine place to be. Many job openings. Incentives for tuition, and scholarships are available. THere are 35 or so Universities teaching Technology Education. St. Cloud State Univ. In Minnesota. is one of them. (I teach classes in T.E. there.
120 units of credit are needed. Including an Education block with methods courses, and principles of teaching/grading/discipline (classroom control) and lesson planning.
A Technology Block with curriculum in Design and solid modeling. Manufacturing, Electricity/Electronics, Transportation/Energy, Technology Education Curriculum, and student teaching.
The third content is General Studies, including Language arts and social studies courses.
Our Website www.stcloudstate.edu can be accessed for linkage to Technology Ed courses. Go to the Environmental and Technological Studies department in the College of Science and Engineering. JimN

Niether a Teacher or a Retired Teacher. Have a brother and sister who are now retired teachers. They have all kinds of programs trying to get people to go into the teaching vocation. "Troops To Teachers" is one of them. My advice is go find something else. I deal with a lot of the right out of high school product everyday. Have thanked GOD many times over the years that he gave me enough challenges to keep me from becoming a school teacher as I was planning to do. If the Horror Stories I've heard from friends and family members are half true then it's best I wasn't apart of the teachers corps.