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I'm considering becoming a biology teacher...

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,653
7,329
Colorado
I could live like a KING on $44K a year.
$70K a year and Imma gonna make it RAIN!
:D

No seriously...
Again, adjust for cost of living based on that amount. I could live like a king on half my current income in Portland or 1/4 in Oklahoma. It's all about CoL adjustments.
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
Again, adjust for cost of living based on that amount. I could live like a king on half my current income in Portland or 1/4 in Oklahoma. It's all about CoL adjustments.
Its also about what you consider "living like a King".
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Something something Costa Rica...

Hell, I'd teach mathematics and econ in public school if they paid $70k/year, gave me a 401k option, and competetive healthcare (ie PPO option). It would be no more than I was making when I was selling software and bringing in revenues of $1mm/year. It's a huge pay cut for guys like me, but seriously worthwhile to everyone to have individuals with real-life experience teaching.

Seriously, if teaching paid anything remotely close to open market, you would get so many well educated (in real-world scenarios) individuals willing to teach that there would be an over supply of teachers. But that will never happen because our country doesn't believe in education...

*note: that 70k is based on col in Bay Area. That should be adjusted based on where the school is located, ie. Central Valley pays less than San Diego, which pays less than SF, etc.
Volunteer dude.

Volunteer.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,274
13,389
Portland, OR
I've said this before, we need to dump huge amounts of money into education. Run it like a private entity though. Dump the teachers unions, dump tenure, pay by performance. Stop the testing of kids, as knowledge isn't about tests; it's about critical thinking. Pay teachers competitive wages as the open market. Competitive wages means you will get people who want to teach and can afford to live a life they are willing to live based on a teachers wage.

Will it cost a lot? Yes, but it's one of the few things I am very much in support of the government funding.
This.

I also finished Freakonomics, also very interesting.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,274
13,389
Portland, OR
Abort them. Abort all the criminals!

[something something minority report...]
The stat's don't lie. As crazy as it seems up front, there is no other way to explain nearly half the drop in crime otherwise.

But the University of Chicago study on incentive was more my point.
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
24
SF, CA
Didn't read the other posts, but go for it. Even if you hate it, you'll be a better person for having experienced two years of teaching in American public schools, and if you love it you really can shape futures. You will have to get used to the fact that in a class of 30, 10 don't need you, 18 won't change, and you'll make a difference for 2 of them. But that's pretty ****ing rewarding, once you get over writing off more than 50% of them.

Just spending a summer teaching was one of the best things I ever did (for myself. the kids didn't learn ****).
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Ive got a few months before my current contract's up, but I'll keep you all updated on what Ima do.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
dayum shirley.... from the early RM day, you have turned into quite the granola eating hippie!

cheers for that... and the teacher thing.

i taught for a couple months (not kids exactly, more like teenagers who barely read and didnt know much math). my dad also taught to read and write spanish for a few months, way back in the day, and says, in hindisight, it was a very wise decision to do so...

funnily enough, my dad taught my maternal grandmother how to read and write...
 
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Andyman_1970

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2003
3,105
5
The Natural State
Well, at least in TN you dont NEED a masters to teach, but you need a teaching certification. In my situation, since I already have a grad degree (or will have in may) I can get a job, and take classes for the cert. as Im working. However, since i already have the grad degree, it's just as easy for me to get a masters in education as it is to get the simple certification, so I may as well do so.
Were you going to do the “teach Tennessee” program?

Volunteer dude.

Volunteer.
Interesting thread. My dad did that. 3 years ago my dad, who recently retired, approached the local school district (Lenoir City, TN) that he would volunteer to teach one class of high school algebra. They told him there was some bs state law that prevented “teaching” by a volunteer, so they paid him $1. Now he runs the only high school pre engineering program in East TN. He got several $100k grants for 25 PC workstations, rapid prototyping machines, industrial robots, CNC machines, tech sharing programs with UT and UT Chatt, etc. It’s really ground breaking stuff for such a depressed school district…..all from a “volunteer” teacher.

I saw a screening of this documentary this weekend.
Race to Nowhere
Very interesting and really not eye opening for our family. The whole “benchmark” testing and all that is crazy here. If you’re interested in teaching it would be worthwhile to see that.
 

BikeMike

Monkey
Feb 24, 2006
784
0
Teaching science would be a noble engagement indeed. Not easy, but increasing the number of people with at least a basic understanding of science would be quite worthwhile.

It seems to take really good teachers an average of two tough years to figure out how to kick ass.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,274
13,389
Portland, OR
Teaching science would be a noble engagement indeed. Not easy, but increasing the number of people with at least a basic understanding of science would be quite worthwhile.

It seems to take really good teachers an average of two tough years to figure out how to kick ass.
Then once they make tenure, they don't have to do anything until they retire.