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I am graduating high school in a few months and starting college this fall. I am going to major in history and become a high school history teacher. But I have one simple question, why do you teach and do you enjoy your job? I don't know if there is true around other high schools, but at my high school I cannot name one single student who wants to be a teacher. I seem to be the only one. The teachers at my school seem miserable, which is a major turn off. I want to be a teacher, but want reassurance from other teachers that they like their job and it is not a nightmare. Thanks!
I can't say I enjoy teaching but I enjoy knowing that I am helping prepare kids for college. Teaching is too often micromanaged by administration that treats teachers more like delinquent students than professionals. Objectives are a moving target and the paperwork gets annoying.
I used to do something else when I finished college. It looked like I wasn't going to be able to move up in this field so I decided to become a teacher. Even though at the time, it was reported that there was going to be a need for more teachers, by the time I got out of school, most of the openings had dried up. However, what did work I was able to find, I LOVED it. I loved everything about it and I was good at it. By nature, I am a creative artistic person and this allowed me to use those abilities. I loved it so much that I went back to school once again to be able to teach another subject,which I thought might be in more demand. It's very hard to get a job where I live, back then and now it's even harder. Now I hate it. I guess if I was new to the field, I wouldn't have any reference for comparison, but it seems that even the teachers who are just starting now also don't like it. I still love the actual teaching. I love the kids and I have always been fortunate enough to get along well with all of the parents. But the administration is some places are a nightmare. Where the administrators, in my area, are reasonable and rational, it's very hard to get into that district. Creativity is no longer appreciated or rewarded. Teaching has become very corporatized with meetings and data and unending extra work that have nothing directly related to the children. I didn't mind clerical record keeping work, but I hate this nonsense about goal sheets that have to be filed every 3 months (about yourself not the kids, filling out forms about your philosophy and endless emails at all hours of the night with little notice to have something prepared for the layers and layers of bosses over you by 6AM the next day. If it was going to be like this, I might as well stayed in my first career.
I have advised my own kids not to go into teaching and they wouldn't touch it. They see what it was like for me.
I would suggest that if you wish to major in history that you double major in something else too or major in something else and then minor in history. There are many parts of the US where it is nearly impossible to get a job in any subject area as a teacher. Then there are other parts where they are crying for teachers, but you won't be able to live on what they pay or save any money. There is an oversupply of social studies teachers everywhere. You would need to combine that with an endorsement in bilingual education, special education or teaching English as a Second Language.
I am graduating high school in a few months and starting college this fall. I am going to major in history and become a high school history teacher. But I have one simple question, why do you teach and do you enjoy your job? I don't know if there is true around other high schools, but at my high school I cannot name one single student who wants to be a teacher. I seem to be the only one. The teachers at my school seem miserable, which is a major turn off. I want to be a teacher, but want reassurance from other teachers that they like their job and it is not a nightmare. Thanks!
I love my job, I like working with teenagers, I like the material, I love the research we do, etc. I hate all of the other stuff. That being said, I would not encourage my own child to becomes a teacher. It is not getting better, the stability which was compensation for the mediocre pay is disappearing, and the "other stuff" is getting to be a larger and larger piece of the average teacher's day.
So no, I would not encourage you to pursue a teaching career.
I love working with students and helping change their lives. I love sparking passion for reading. I loved the way I used to be able to teach 20 years ago. It was more developmentally appropriate and flexible. We had rigor along with better pacing. Testing was more authentic and real.
However, the way education is set up I find it very difficult to love my days. I have too many days spent testing, sitting through assemblies, lots of boring meetings,and unnecessarily boring trainings. Then you have the unending stream of emails, red tape, parent calls and conferences, tutoring after school, and grading.
I strongly urge anyone entering the profession to volunteer in schools before getting their degree. Being a student is very different than being a teacher. Most of the new teachers I have mentored have left teaching in a few years.
Also, research if districts are hiring history teachers in your area. Many schools use coaches to teach history, unless it's in a grade level where there is testing.
My husband makes so much more than I do and he almost has as much time off as I do. We don't get three months off like the students do. I have to go back two weeks before the kids do, and I spend an extra week setting up. Then add in mandatory trainings over the summer and packing up your room, and it's about six weeks. Many teachers also have second jobs. Life is expensive.
I love my job, I like working with teenagers, I like the material, I love the research we do, etc. I hate all of the other stuff. That being said, I would not encourage my own child to becomes a teacher. It is not getting better, the stability which was compensation for the mediocre pay is disappearing, and the "other stuff" is getting to be a larger and larger piece of the average teacher's day.
So no, I would not encourage you to pursue a teaching career.
I tend to agree with this.
I've never figured it out, but a certain political group seems to want to "bring down" all public employees. Teachers are one of the groups they disdain.
Teaching in K-12 WAS a nightmare. I hated it. It wasn't even really teaching - I had 6 hours of classes and 45 minutes of preparation time, then was kept in pointless meetings every day for hours after school. There was often no time to actually prepare a lesson. I worked well over 60 hours a week, sometimes over 70, and was micromanaged and disrespected constantly.
I left K-12 for college, where I enjoy teaching. I like teaching because I like helping people. And I am also very good at understanding why people don't understand something and explaining it clearly. I'm also good at creating classes that are not boring and that people really enjoy.
If you plan to be a teacher because you have some image in your head of sitting in your nicely decorated classroom and handing out papers and explaining your favorite history points, then forget it. That's just not how it really works.
Perhaps you should also reconsider history. It's very common and not at all in demand. If you choose a major with more practical applications, then at least you might be able to do something else besides teaching.
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Perhaps you should also reconsider history. It's very common and not at all in demand. If you choose a major with more practical applications, then at least you might be able to do something else besides teaching.
That is a very good point.
When I would be hiring a history/social studies teacher, it was never a problem. I might get a hundred applicants or more for 1 position. If it were science or math I might get 3-5 applicants. English a lot, but not as many as in history.
In college I started out in history, but was later glad I switched to science.
So for someone looking for a history teaching position -- you'd better find out what makes you truly special.
I don't know why people are asking you to reconsider history. History degrees can be applied in a variety of fields outside teaching.
Social Studies is hard to break in to so you probably need to start in an in demand area but if you are good you can move where you want later.
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