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I would love to be a high school teacher when I graduate college, but I'm quite torn between teaching history and English. My senior English teacher was qualified to teach both subjects; I would love to have the flexibility of being able to teach both of them, but I am unsure how to go about becoming qualified to teach them. I've tried talking to my academic advisors at school, but they are never much help.
So... Would I have to double major in history and English (though, I heard a lot of schools won't hire straight history majors, and I would probably have to get a degree in general social sciences so I would be able to teach geography and government along with it... something that really doesn't appeal to me)? If I do have to double major, would there really be much point in me doing so, as I heard that once you become a good history/English teacher, you're pretty much stuck with that subject for the rest of your career. Also, I understand that high school history teachers must be certified to teach at the secondary school level, but my government teacher last year told me that English teachers, no matter what grade they are teaching, must be qualified to teach at all levels of school... is this true?
The requirements do vary from state to state. In MN you would have to get a double major in English and Social Science and a minor in Secondary Education. That would take a long time or require taking many summer courses to get done in 5 years with your student teaching. If you wanted to pick one over the other, English teachers are going to be in more demand then Social Science teachers.
Please permit me to look at this from a slightly different angle. My 'tangent' if you will - - and I guess I am 'famous' for doing that(?).
Rather than making it 'your' goal to teach English or Math or Science, etc. in high school - - why not become a good teacher in a Tehnical High School curriculum or perhaps a Technical College? In such a field, there would be less competition from one's graduation class peers. Why? Because people seem to follow the herd....
So what are some of the technical curriculum classes that come to mind? Perhaps automotive repair? Nursing with the goal of a licensed 'RN'? Or perhaps a curriculum either in electronics or electrical building wiring? You choose your own special teaching field and then 'go for it' - - if you have an interest.
After 'you' get your four year college degree or higher in your chosen technical field, then seek out some Technical oriented high school or college.
I have two already in mind - - but please pardon me in not mentioning them. I am hopeful that my oldest son will seek out one or the other as his 'spot' in a technical teacher's position.
I don't know how it is in your school system, but I think the preferred degree would be a degree in Secondary Education with a major in English. (would that be a B.A EDU?) I don't think you want a degree in English if you want to teach. Take a double major if you can, with the other one in History.
You really need a Masters degree to teach at a secondary school level. The pay is better for one thing. Perhaps you could think about getting your bachlor degree in one subject and then go on to get your Masters in Education.
Please permit me to look at this from a slightly different angle. My 'tangent' if you will - - and I guess I am 'famous' for doing that(?).
Rather than making it 'your' goal to teach English or Math or Science, etc. in high school - - why not become a good teacher in a Tehnical High School curriculum or perhaps a Technical College? In such a field, there would be less competition from one's graduation class peers. Why? Because people seem to follow the herd....
So what are some of the technical curriculum classes that come to mind? Perhaps automotive repair? Nursing with the goal of a licensed 'RN'? Or perhaps a curriculum either in electronics or electrical building wiring? You choose your own special teaching field and then 'go for it' - - if you have an interest.
After 'you' get your four year college degree or higher in your chosen technical field, then seek out some Technical oriented high school or college.
I have two already in mind - - but please pardon me in not mentioning them. I am hopeful that my oldest son will seek out one or the other as his 'spot' in a technical teacher's position.
Best Regards,
Carter Glass
It seems that she would like to teach either English and/or history, so I don't know how making suggestions that she teaches at a technical high school is related.......and I am of the firm belief that you should go for what you want. Don't go and teach at a technical school because there is less competition. Only go that route if that is what you want to do. If you want to teach English/History, I'm sure that you can find a way to do so!
I would check in the laws in your state. Perhaps also talk to other teachers you know who have navigated this to see what they have done. My best friends mom teaches English and Psychology. I am sure that if it is your goal to teach history and math, you can accomplish that. Oh, actually one of my high school teachers did teach english and math. That was over 10 years ago, but highlights that it is possible.
On a side note, is there any other advisor you can talk to if yours is not helpful? What about professors in your teaching curriculum courses? Even those who aren't your advisors can be great assets. Also, have you student taught yet? If you work at a school at all, perhaps speaking to the teachers/principals to get advice would be helpful.
I don't know how it is in your school system, but I think the preferred degree would be a degree in Secondary Education with a major in English. (would that be a B.A EDU?) I don't think you want a degree in English if you want to teach. Take a double major if you can, with the other one in History.
You really need a Masters degree to teach at a secondary school level. The pay is better for one thing. Perhaps you could think about getting your bachlor degree in one subject and then go on to get your Masters in Education.
She will need to look at the state requirements. In Minnesota there is no such thing as a major in Secondary Education. You get a degree in a content area and a minor in Secondary Education. Also, she does NOT want to get a masters degree before she gets a job. Very few districts will hire a first year teacher with a master's degree--they are too expensive and haven't proved themselves. After she has worked in a district for a couple years she should then work on getting her masters.
In our greater Chicago land area, it is almost impossible to obtain a teacher's position in a traditional subject of high school English, Math or Science. And why is that so? Well, when a teacher of several generations ago found a good teaching position and in a good school - - then they stayed in that position for a life time. Until they either retire or die(?).
The school teaching 'pile up' (in the Chicago area) is becoming a serious problem because graudate after college graduate are piling up with the same goals of teaching. Even my own son is also like that since he is a graduate student at NIU. So I try to steer him away from this. But he might have a good answer in declaring that he is going to become a teacher in France.
So I try to redirect - - too many potential 'traditional' teachers - - into going for something that has so much less competition.
After all, what are 'you' going to do with your expensive college education for a teaching position ($50,000?) - - if you can't find a job as a teacher?
Maybe your particular 'town' is not yet there. But Chicago is and this is the direction our country is headed for.
In our greater Chicago land area, it is almost impossible to obtain a teacher's position in a traditional subject of high school English, Math or Science. And why is that so? Well, when a teacher of several generations ago found a good teaching position and in a good school - - then they stayed in that position for a life time. Until they either retire or die(?).
The school teaching 'pile up' (in the Chicago area) is becoming a serious problem because graudate after college graduate are piling up with the same goals of teaching. Even my own son is also like that since he is a graduate student at NIU. So I try to steer him away from this. But he might have a good answer in declaring that he is going to become a teacher in France.
So I try to redirect - - too many potential 'traditional' teachers - - into going for something that has so much less competition.
After all, what are 'you' going to do with your expensive college education for a teaching position ($50,000?) - - if you can't find a job as a teacher?
Maybe your particular 'town' is not yet there. But Chicago is and this is the direction our country is headed for.
Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL
Actually, I lived in Chicago for 6 years (just out of there for 1 year and then I'm back) and I have several friends who are teaching through CPS and didn't have trouble finding jobs. Actually, out of my friends from high school, 14 are teachers and all secured jobs immediately after graduating (2 are high school english teachers and 1 is high school history). My point is that you can find a job in the field you choose, you just need to prepare yourself for it and be flexible. I don't believe that someone should not choose a job because they are afraid that they might not get employment. Instead, you go in knowing that the job market is tight, and prepare yourself accordingly (also, again, I don't agree that it is really hard to find a teaching job in many areas). Just my two cents. She should be happy in what she does and the OP is preparing herself by trying to figure out how to make this happen.
I would love to be a high school teacher when I graduate college, but I'm quite torn between teaching history and English. My senior English teacher was qualified to teach both subjects; I would love to have the flexibility of being able to teach both of them, but I am unsure how to go about becoming qualified to teach them. I've tried talking to my academic advisors at school, but they are never much help.
So... Would I have to double major in history and English (though, I heard a lot of schools won't hire straight history majors, and I would probably have to get a degree in general social sciences so I would be able to teach geography and government along with it... something that really doesn't appeal to me)? If I do have to double major, would there really be much point in me doing so, as I heard that once you become a good history/English teacher, you're pretty much stuck with that subject for the rest of your career. Also, I understand that high school history teachers must be certified to teach at the secondary school level, but my government teacher last year told me that English teachers, no matter what grade they are teaching, must be qualified to teach at all levels of school... is this true?
It's a complete coincidence but I am close to someone who ended up doing this exact thing - teaching History and English in High School right out of college. Only for her it wasn't a choice... hired as an English teacher she was told she would also have to teach History temporarily due to some interesting staffing circumstances at the school (she said ok so she would be offered the job). Her first love was English, and she had an undergraduate degree in it and her teaching certification in it. To teach History she just had to get certification to teach it (I do not believe college course work was involved, if any it was minimal, she primarily just did some studying so she could pass the exam).
After being told she would have to teach English and History for just one year at most... she was told to continue for another year or two. During that time she told me it was a lot of work and she wished she could just focus on one subject like most of her peers. Being an over-achiever she quickly proved herself and one year after achieving tenure she became Head of the English Department. She knew ahead of time that in such a role she no longer would be required to teach History. She was right and finally another teacher was hired to fill the History department vacancy.
All that said the major lesson conveyed to me is that although it sounds neat to be a dual-subject teacher it actually is a lot of work. You'll be working for two different departments and thus two department heads. You'll have to maintain a syllabus for each subject. You'll be moving from classroom to classroom during the day. Lastly, it'll be harder to devote energy towards being innovative or up-to-date for two subjects than it is for one. What it achieved for the person I've been speaking about was that she landed a teaching job at a desirable location very quickly when she acknowledged she would be willing to fill the unique needs the school had at the time... it most definitely gave her an advantage over other potential candidates who most likely said they would only teach one or the other.
The other lesson conveyed via multiple high school teachers in my family tree is that the number one reason for people leaving this profession is burn-out. You do end up teaching your certified subject(s) your entire career. Indeed this profession is thus not for everyone. Once you create a syllabus, you can usually float a year or two with minimal updates. The young teachers in my family after just 5-8 years are now looking to move on to do 2nd careers because they are bored. I must be honest though... 7 years later in my corporate career I feel the same exact way, so it is either the nature of working in general or it's a genetic defect in my family to have short attention spans .
In any case if you don't think you can handle teaching English or History for 20-30 years, then perhaps doing both would be more stimulating. The other option is to obtain the right education so you can jump from faculty to administration at some point as a nice way to mix things up. Or perhaps to obtain your Ph.D or ED.D right now, so that down the road you could jump into being a college professor.
Last edited by belovenow; 11-13-2007 at 02:13 PM..
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How Many High School Teachers Are There?
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