[Sandwich]

Considering a career change to teaching...something science related, probably late middle/early high school. I like being a lab rat, and the money is good, but I can't see myself hanging out in the lab all day in 25 years. I find myself caring more about my children and some level of day to day reward than career progression and money.

Any advice out there? @TreeSaw ? Any other teachers here?

 

[Adventurous]

I thought this was going to be about a hot lady teacher having relations with her student(s).





If you can swing it I'd imagine its a very difficult but very rewarding profession. I've considered going the same route at points but I don't know if I have the patience to deal with asshole kids in a non-fireable way.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

My son was wearing his Pink Floyd onesie the other day.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> I don't know if I have the patience to deal with asshole kids in a non-fireable way.

This. And (surprising, I know) there are GOBS of asshole kids between the ages of 11 and 19.

 

[jstuhlman]

Considering a career change to teaching...something science related, probably late middle/early high school. I like being a lab rat, and the money is good, but I can't see myself hanging out in the lab all day in 25 years. I find myself caring more about my children and some level of day to day reward than career progression and money.

Any advice out there? @TreeSaw ? Any other teachers here?

my bro in law took his phd in aerospace engineering, decided he didn't want to work on shit that was most likely going to be used for military applications, and moved to asheville to teach at a private school and fly fish to his heart's content.

This. And (surprising, I know) there are GOBS of asshole kids between the ages of 11 and 19.

100 percent concur.

 

[stevew]

This. And (surprising, I know) there are GOBS of asshole kids between the ages of 11 and 19.

street smart....they are not.

 

[Sandwich]

there are GOBS of asshole kids

ftfy

 

[boostindoubles]

My wife teaches 8th grade science. 8th graders are little shits. But she has summers off... The trick is to have the education to start at the high end of the pay scale and make that money.

Seems like 8th grade has little kids and also other kids ready for adulthood. So some are playing with dolls and others are poking each other in the bathrooms during class.

I'd take a job teaching no problem, I think it would be a satisfying position.

 

[Sandwich]

I'd take a job teaching no problem, I think it would be a satisfying position.

that's my thought. summers off, work hours conducive to raising a family, but with a large pay cut. I'm not a teacher, however, so I have no doubt that there are things I'm missing. I have high school friends who both are teachers and were teachers. before I start bothering them, I'll bother you people.

 

[Westy]

A buddy of mine is a teacher. He was encouraging me to apply to an open position at his high school. It was a new program to try to start teaching kids about robots/automation type stuff. It started at the higher end of the teacher pay scale and didn't require some of the "non teaching" duties that teachers have to do like wrangle kids during lunch. I strongly considered it, but after spending a few hours with a friend's middle school aged kid trying who wanted to learn about how I fuel injected my car I realized it wasn't for me. I do not know how to communicate complex ideas to kids. Fuck, I don't know how to communicate basic ideas to adults. I certainly don't have the patience to deal with the douche baggery that a fucking group of them would bring to the table.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> work hours conducive to raising a family,

I think you may be optimistic with this part of it...

 

[jimmydean]

I have stayed in touch with my 6th grade teacher because he was a huge impact on me. I was also in his very first class, so it is interesting to hear how his career and life has evolved. He has been in the same room the entire time. He and I have spoken at length about the pros/cons of it.

After the .com crash and some time unemployed, I was evaluating going back to school and considered teaching for many of the benefits. My father was a professor for like 40 years, I have 2 sisters also professors who love what they do. Public school, especially middle/high school is another animal all together. Bottom line while the work might be personally rewarding, I could never sustain my crack habit on $35k/year.

So if I was independently wealthy, maybe do it as a hobby, But trying to make a living while not choking someone else's kid out every day is not possible.

 

[6thElement]

there are GOBS of assholes everywhere

No need to narrow your focus to just one part of the spectrum.

I couldn't do teaching because I have zero patience if someone can't understand basic concepts, let alone complex ones.

It always used to amaze me when I moved to the US (and before meeting my wife) that teachers had to buy classroom supplies for their kids because the schools didn't have sufficient funding...

 

[Pesqueeb]

So, not a teacher, but married to one.

My wife loves her job, in ways I can't even begin to fathom. If I had half the enthusiasm for my job that she has for hers I'd probably be way less of an asshole at work. That said, I'm also making slight over twice what she does a year. The stress can be real. My wife teaches Kindergarten so the kids aren't total douchebags yet, but the parents do not have this issue. My wife had a real bad class last year. Multiple kids involved in various stages of dealing with CPS, some probable abuse and/or neglect, kids without lunches, etc.. and by the end of the year she was a wreck. School started two days ago for her and this years class is already MUCH better. She has also come home both days over teh moon because the now 1st graders are coming by to say hi and give hugs, parents have been saying how much they/their kids liked her last year and so forth.

I think you may be optimistic with this part of it...

Also this. I work a 10 hour shift but only "work" 4 days a week. My wife is at school 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, minimum and often brings work home, especially at report card time. She was at school a week before they had to be there just to set up class room and prep. I was there helping out.

There is clearly a huge amount of personal fulfillment and joy from teaching, but it requires equal amounts of dedication and self sacrifice. I don't think I could do it, myself.

 

[KenW449]

Kids individually can be cool, but having only been out of public schools a few years and hating the masses since i started middle school, i could never be a teacher. If i were to ever go out of my mind and be a teacher, it would be to early elementary school aged kids. There are a few exceptions to the rules but they haven't turned into little douche dicks yet.

 

[Wingnut]

Heard this song on the commute today. Still makes today's popular music sound as terrible as it is..

 

[canadmos]

Move up here and be a teacher... There are a few in our riding group. One teaches kindergarten and makes six figures. The public and catholic school boards are union shops too, so you'll have a full pension and benefits out the wazoo. They love their jobs and enjoy having July and August off to do whatever the hell they want.

 

[StiHacka]

 

[maxyedor]

My wife is a HS Spanish teacher, and is encouraging me to get my credential, thinking I should as well.

She mostly loves it, but hates the politics. Between union shenanigans, asshole parents and asshole kids, there's a lot of assholes around. Shes also a coach, and has practices along with her normal teacher workload, so it's not unusual for her to work 15-16 hour days.

Check the salary table before going down the road, some States are pretty decent, some are absolutely terrible. A friends of my brother was making a whole $27k in NC with a masters and a coaching stipend, my wife makes nearly triple that with a masters and a coaching stipend, and yeah cost of living here in CA is a bit higher, but not nearly 3x as high.

I would be taking a slight pay cut if I became a teacher, but still have all summer to get my side hustle on if I need more cash for bikes. Having recently switched jobs and taken a significant pay cut in exchange for reasonable hours, I'd say anything beyond a good middle class pay check is pointless if you either don't enjoy it, or don't have any free time as a result. The thought of summers off to actually go see the world is super enticing, especially with kids somewhere on the horizon.

 

[Sandwich]

thanks for all the feedback so far.

pay in one of the better school districts around here hovers at 51k, that's with a masters and zero experience. Bachelors is a bit less. Coaching looks like it adds 9k. One of the great things about teaching would be that I'd be free of daycare in the summers and potentially free of pre and post school care, especially if I get in at my children's school district. That represents a large chunk of change that I don't have to pay, but I suppose it decreases as the kids no longer need post school care and such.

It also depends a lot on whether the company I'm with is successful or not. If it gives us a little fall back cash, then the choice is easier, but that doesn't change what the profession is about and whether its rewards are worth the stress.

Out here in MA, schools are pretty good and taxes are high, so i expect I won't be buying colored pencils for WASPy suburbanite kids, but hours are potentially longer. I still can't imagine that my hour commute and 8 hour day would be surpassed, but that's why I'm asking.

 

[dan-o]

This. And (surprising, I know) there are GOBS of asshole kids between the ages of 11 and 19.

GOBS = all of them

 

[Jm_]

Think long and hard. You spend a lot of time pre and post class in the schoolyear and there are often still requirements in the summer, of course most are now on or closer to year round schedules. There's a lot of time that goes into teaching, way more than most figure IME. Mom taught all her life and I was a university professor for a little while, in addition to flight instructor. It can be rewarding, but it takes way more time and energy than most seem to expect...

 

[Toshi]

Like 'squeeb I'm married to a teacher. Music education undergrad, clarinet performance masters. Note that she hasn't been teaching full-time since 2009... not sure she'll ever go back to full-time since we can afford not to.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

The few classes I taught showed me that teaching is a skill unto itself, and a difficult one at that. I have much more respect for teachers now.

You could always try being a substitute teacher to see if you like it.

If you want to avoid asshole kids then I suggest a private school. When tuition is $10-20K and students have to maintain a certain gpa or get kicked out, they tend to be better behaved. Wealthy parents on the other hand...

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
If you want to avoid asshole kids then I suggest a private school. When tuition is $10-20K and students have to maintain a certain gpa or get kicked out, they tend to be better behaved. Wealthy parents on the other hand...

Ima call shenanigans on this. I'd wager private school pupils are MORE asshole-ish on average.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

Ima call shenanigans on this. I'd wager private school pupils are MORE asshole-ish on average.

Private school kids tend to be more well behaved which means teachers spend more time actually teaching and far less disciplining students. The kids can still be assholes of course, but they can get kicked out with no tuition refund.

 

[Westy]

Ima call shenanigans on this. I'd wager private school pupils are MORE asshole-ish on average.

A friend of mine taught in one of the sketchier school districts in Seattle. 7th grade I believe. She claims to have enjoyed the students, there were some behavior problems but the kids genuinely looked up to her. She now works at a fancy private school outside San Francisco. She says the kids are more polite and behaved but snobby and dismissive. The true nightmare however are the parents. Anytime one of the kids gets something other than an A she gets a call from the parents who complain that it is her fault. She had to set up specific office hours to interact with parents or she would get harassing calls at all hours.

 

[Jm_]

The few classes I taught showed me that teaching is a skill unto itself, and a difficult one at that. I have much more respect for teachers now.

You could always try being a substitute teacher to see if you like it.

If you want to avoid asshole kids then I suggest a private school. When tuition is $10-20K and students have to maintain a certain gpa or get kicked out, they tend to be better behaved. Wealthy parents on the other hand...

I'd say it's the other way around, to be an effective substitute teacher, you'd have to have exceptional teaching skills to "pick up" where another teacher left off and actually do something useful towards the goal that teacher had set out. From how well you know the students and what to expect, to the intricacies of your lesson plan, it's always harder to step in for someone in my experience. The training has to be highly highly structured for that to even start to make sense. Obviously, they can't just have the kids stay home when the primary teacher isn't available, but in my student and teacher experiences, it's a hell of a lot harder nut to crack,being an effective substitute.

 

[SkaredShtles]

I'd say it's the other way around, to be an effective substitute teacher, you'd have to have exceptional teaching skills to "pick up" where another teacher left off and actually do something useful towards the goal that teacher had set out. From how well you know the students and what to expect, to the intricacies of your lesson plan, it's always harder to step in for someone in my experience. The training has to be highly highly structured for that to even start to make sense. Obviously, they can't just have the kids stay home when the primary teacher isn't available, but in my student and teacher experiences, it's a hell of a lot harder nut to crack,being an effective substitute.

Who said anything about "effective"??

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I'd say it's the other way around, to be an effective substitute teacher, you'd have to have exceptional teaching skills to "pick up" where another teacher left off and actually do something useful towards the goal that teacher had set out. From how well you know the students and what to expect, to the intricacies of your lesson plan, it's always harder to step in for someone in my experience. The training has to be highly highly structured for that to even start to make sense. Obviously, they can't just have the kids stay home when the primary teacher isn't available, but in my student and teacher experiences, it's a hell of a lot harder nut to crack,being an effective substitute.

Lol

You don't need to be a trained teacher to be a substitute in a public school, just have a college degree. I was told I could pick up some work if I wanted to do it. I passed.

He could be a sub a few times just to try it.

 

[Jm_]

Lol

You don't need to be a trained teacher to be a substitute in a public school

Yeah, that's probably one of the problems

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

Yeah, that's probably one of the problems

Yeah, well at least teachers in NC are paid poorly...

Teachers in your state are often recruited from other states, paid well with benefits and provided with free housing. North Cackalacky ain't so good to it's teachers.

 

[Jm_]

Yeah, well at least teachers in NC are paid poorly...

Teachers in your state are often recruited from other states, paid well with benefits and provided with free housing. North Cackalacky ain't so good to it's teachers.

This is true, but if you had to live in a village for 6 months with no connection to the outside world, you better be pretty well paid too. Either that or take up sniffing glue and riding snowmachines drunk.

 

[TreeSaw]

I'd say it's the other way around, to be an effective substitute teacher, you'd have to have exceptional teaching skills to "pick up" where another teacher left off and actually do something useful towards the goal that teacher had set out. From how well you know the students and what to expect, to the intricacies of your lesson plan, it's always harder to step in for someone in my experience. The training has to be highly highly structured for that to even start to make sense. Obviously, they can't just have the kids stay home when the primary teacher isn't available, but in my student and teacher experiences, it's a hell of a lot harder nut to crack,being an effective substitute.

As an experienced teacher (who has also Ben a substitute) I can definitely say this is true!

 

[N8 v2.0]

My wife is a teacher and after 12 yrs of schooling 2d graders she switched to high school in COSprings. She says the kids in hs are basically large, unengaged, 8 year olds with harmons.

But summers off and $45k/yr might make it kinda worth it?

 

[jonKranked]

If you wanna be a teacher, don't do it in America.

 

[kazlx]

One of my buddies is a teacher. He takes 3-4 weeks every year during summer, gets a season pass and basically lives in Whistler. He genuinely seems to enjoy what he does during the school year as well. He's also probably one of the most mellow people I know.

Bonus points: he shows MTB vids to his classes for projects and whatnot, like having them write essays about Life Cycles...so there's that. He said the kids always dig it.

 

[TreeSaw]

Private school kids tend to be more well behaved which means teachers spend more time actually teaching and far less disciplining students. The kids can still be assholes of course, but they can get kicked out with no tuition refund.

Yes and. I. My college roommate teaches at a private school. Many of her students are well behaved, but others have this entitlements attitude and are shits. Also, the parents can be more awful when it comes to sticking up for their little angel when it comes to grade questions and/or behavior.

 

[TreeSaw]

Considering a career change to teaching...something science related, probably late middle/early high school. I like being a lab rat, and the money is good, but I can't see myself hanging out in the lab all day in 25 years. I find myself caring more about my children and some level of day to day reward than career progression and money.

Any advice out there? @TreeSaw ? Any other teachers here?

Career progression in teaching? Sure..you start out with MS and progress to HS but that's about it in terms of progression unless you plan on becoming a principal or something like that.

Multiple certifications are almost required at this point to make yourself marketable. Every science teacher that I have worked with holds certificates to teach multiple sciences (earth science, chemistry, physics, etc. and some have math certifications).

I absolutely love teaching and working with kids. Most recently I was 7-12 and yes, the 7-8th graders can be little shits but you can learn to deal.

Time is definitely under represented when people think of teaching. When you're first starting out it's lots of hours/days/weeks spent creating materials and lessons and settling into your curriculum and classroom routines. Many hours spent in professional development on a yearly basis too (atleast for me). Summers off are nice but I have also seen many teachers do a lot of work setting up their classrooms and doing professional development etc during the summers too. On a day-to-day basis, I would get to school early to have everything ready (arrive at 7:45at the latest for 8:15 start) teach until 3:15 then pick-up/reset for the next day until about 4pm. In the evenings, I would grade, plan, contact parents, etc. for an hour or so. So a long-ish day.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Much respect to the teachers out there. I could not do it.