Just wondering if there is anyone that can give me any advice about becoming a teacher possibly? Im considering majoring in secondary education/history concentration
just looking for some real life experiences any advice/opinions would be appreciated
thnx
im an electrical instructor…does that help
currenty teaching ELE-241 Raceways and ELE-250 commercial distribution for the 3rd and 4th term students
just looking for experiences being a teacher so yea you could give your opinion on being a teacher
i am certified and got all clearences. i am secondary / math. but i drive a tow truck for a living.
PM me or hit me up on AIM flyinglow57 if you need specific questions
I taught elementary aged inner city kids in Richmond, VA. I loved it, and hated it. For one, not enough $$$ for all the work that you do. And I was probably the primary care person for a LOT of the kids b/c their parents were either crack heads or worked three shifts a day. It was very hard w/ a small budget as well. With the kids not being able to afford the proper supplies, a lot of the supplies came out of my pocket. Most of the kids came to grade-K with ZERO knowledge of numbers or alphabet. They came to school dirty and hungry. Some of them, breakfast and lunch were the only meals they got for the day. I would go home crying some days b/c the kids wanted to come home w/ me instead of going to their own home.
I did a stint as a 4th grade teacher one year, I had the mother of one of my students barge through the door, accusing me of being the reason her child at 12 years old was having SEX. :ugh: I had the mother removed from the building. The reason her child was having sex was that she was left alone w/ her 15 year old cousin from the time she got out of school until well after midnight. She was unsupervised most of the time.
But, the rewards were great too. Seeing them actually learn to spell, recognize their numbers (in grade K) was awesome. Knowing that they were becoming socially educated, being able to get along was also very rewarding. Seeing their smiling faces when they came into the classroom was great, b/c they liked being there. Knowing that for 8 hours a day that they were safe from the drug dealers and their guns was Priceless. Seeing them grow up and graduate from grade to grade, seeing them in 5th grade and knowing some of them might actually make something of their lives instead of becoming those drug dealers on the corner was great.
I quit because I couldn’t take the heartache of seeing them come in abused, starving and having to call the social services once a week. Knowing you are the reason a family was broken up is very hard to take. I quit b/c I got fed up w/ the system and the lack of resources that were available to the teachers. I quit b/c of the lack of support that the teachers got from the parents and administration.
I suppose that in a wealthier community where the resources abound and the parents care, and the kids care, and they are in a good environment for learning, that I may have had a different experience.
Choose a school system wisely, one that can pay you well and one where the support system is strong, don’t choose to do what I did, go to a poorer community to “help the poor kids” because although it might be a noble cause, you won’t get any help yourself.
^^^^insert “to hot for teacher song here”
Secondary Education opportunites around Pittsburgh are rare, especially in the history/english fields. I know of a friend that has very good grades coming out of school, all the right connections, good references, and still had to ge ta job 6 or 7 hours away. If you’re hellbent on staying in Pittsburgh and don’t care what you teach, Math/Science is a much better choice.
so far i like it, its a way to refresh your knowledge along with making a difference for others.
Secondary Education opportunites around Pittsburgh are rare, especially in the history/english fields. I know of a friend that has very good grades coming out of school, all the right connections, good references, and still had to ge ta job 6 or 7 hours away. If you’re hellbent on staying in Pittsburgh and don’t care what you teach, Math/Science is a much better choice.
Outstanding advice.
A big reason why I work in IT even though I have a BA in US history and planned on teaching.
If you want to stay in Pittsburgh and plan on teaching social studies in high school, you’re looking at 10+ years of subbing, without a long-term guarantee of permanent employment.
yea i def want to stay around the burgh was away for 7 months last year and dont really want to leave permenately again…my life is pretty much a toss up rite now and i cant decide what i want to go into ive considered teaching but as you guys have given me advice and i had heard all those things in the past it seems like a pretty shitty career field…although my career goal is to just get outta of college with a degree as fast as possible and get my comission in the air force, being that im enlisted now and i love that lifestyle i want to go that way…anybody think majoring in teaching a good backup for my air force career, cuz im def staying in the guard not going to the active duty bull shit, how is the money subbing? Most likely unless I hit the timing just perfect I wont be able to get a full time slot as soon as i get my comission especially if i get a pilot slot…or how is subbing life?
my buddy got his degree and masters from harvard on the mon, worked at a check and go for a year, moved to florida and got a job as a guidance counselor in under a week :dunno: if that helps
i started a minor in secondary education at RMU… It was not bad, a lot more work then I thought it was going to be. The thing that turned me away is when I was doing all the case studies. I just knew it was not for me
i still want to teach. i loved teaching. did my student teaching at west mifflin and the school was a lil more ghetto then TJ where i went. but the middle school was so much fun to teach in. i want to get a job at WM TJ or baldwin maybve even brentwood. but right now im making alot more money towing then i would be teaching. but come 5 years the whole story will be different.
subbing i think now goes for 75-100 a day. nothing major.
$130 in the city schools. Lory has elem ed degree. it’s all about oppertunity. she hasnt gotten her own classroom yet, but as everything else is, it’s all about the impressions you make and the connections you get to keep subbing. Subs request you, principals request you. she just got offered a position until the end of the year. and after 30 days of subbing they put you on a regular salary and pay you back the sifference of those 3o days of what the salary would be.
But yeah. education field in PA blows
my little sister’s 3 good friends went for teaching and had to move out of state to get a job, my good friend from high school went for teaching and had to move out of state to get a job, my wife’s cousin went for teaching and had to move out of state to get a job, etc…
see a pattern here 
I agree with that ^^^. So much more opportunity in these fields.
Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. Those who can’t teach, teach teachers. Thus you have it, the world as it is.
from what ive seen & heard…in pittsburgh
languages & special Ed > math/science > history/english
my wifes teaches Kindergarten and a good friend teaches spanish @ westinghouse.
My wife teaches Chemistry & Physics. Took her 3 years to land the job she’s got now. Subbing sucks, as you don’t know how many days you’ll get, or where you’ll have to be that morning.
But, as most everyone has mentioned, openings are few and far between here in western PA.
Also, keep in mind that now, in order to keep your certs, you need to get continuing credits (or equivalent) for the rest of your career.