How to get into the teaching racket

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Im considering switching careers to go into teaching. I have a degree in engineering, so I could probably teach high school science and math pretty well. I've got classroom experience, but I've tutored kids in the past pretty successfully. I know there's a difference, but I've always been torn between teaching and working for a huge heartless corporation.

Does anyone have any advice on how to find teaching jobs for someone with no teaching certs? I live near Boston, MA if it matters. If I got a teaching job I'd probably work towards a certificate at night.

I was under the impression that HS science teacher jobs were pretty easily had for the picking. is there any hope?

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

I like how the thread title implies the involvement of organized crime.
"Kids got a lota money dese days..."

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

I'm just finishing off a degree in Engineering, and I've just applied to train to be a maths teacher. But it's in the UK. No idea how it works in the US.

The scary thing was that I grew up saying that I'll NEVER be a teacher

Whoops.

― jellybean (jellybean), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

Aaron, if youre interested in teaching in independent schools, contact a placement agency, like Carney Sandoe: http://www.carneysandoe.com. If you're interested in public schools, I think you need a certificate in advance, right? Can't remember for sure.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

I think i'd need an MA/MS in my field and an MA in teaching to teach public school here. That's a hell of a lot up front. That's why I'd think working at a private school for a while might be a sort of backdoor in.

Jill - where did you / are you going to school?

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:28 (twenty years ago)

awesome, that's what im looking for, hurlo.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

I'm studying at Oxford.

They are so desperate for high school science and maths teachers here in the UK that they don't seem to mind if you didn't study that subject at university. For maths especially, if you've studied a degree that required quite a bit of maths, then that's enough it seems.

I guess they just assume that you would know school level maths, because you would have had to study it to get into your university degree.

Are there teacher training schemes? That might be the best way to convert into teaching in schools. Sometimes you can do it P/T along with teaching in school.

― jellybean (jellybean), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

I was under the impression that the situation was similar here.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

supposedly there's going to be a govt. funded/subsidised program to get folks from industry teaching part time high school math and science, they're that desperate.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

Aaron, look for an alternative certification program in your area. check with your state's education agency.

Around here there are plenty. The goal is to get degreed professionals certified and into classrooms b/c indeed all states everywhere are that desperate. The turnover rate in teaching is scary.

That said think a bit about why it is before you jump in. I did the AC route and not only is it a very steep learning curve but you will likely be placed in a very tough school (as no teachers with experience will teach in those). I became a statstic, quit in three years. I just feel lucky to have made it out of those three years alive.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

I've been thinking about it on and off for several years now, sometimes more seriously, sometimes less. I didnt know that there were special job placement agencies for teachers. my experience with them for technical jobs has been great (theyve gotten me two decent jobs so far) as they're often willing to do a bit of job search counseling.

thanks for the help folks.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

Good luck! Good math and science teachers are terribly rare.

Here are some links that look good, from my school's career counseling site (http://www.williams.edu/resources/occ/occ_teaching.htm):

http://www.recruitingteachers.org/channels/clearinghouse/
http://www.teachwave.com/
http://www.job-interview.net/interviewbyjob.htm#Teachers

― Maria (Maria), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

those links are awesome, thanks maria :)

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Aaron, I knew a few people who taught at charter schools in the Boston area straight out of college, with no certification -- just a degree in the subject they were going to teach. I think Academy of the Pacific Rim (www.pacrim.org) was the place, but I know there are a bunch of others.

― the krza (krza), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

I graduate in three months (BA in Film & Video), moving to Portland, OR, and I've been thinking about trying to get into teaching (obviously not this coming school year, but maybe the next.) I know I could do really well teaching a Media Studies hands-on type class the sorts of which are popping up at high schools and grade schools lately, and I could handle an Intro to Art class if they'd let me.

I'm going to talk to my uncle in the Portland school system, but anyone have any general advice or better resources than what I've found through simple googling?

― en i see kay, Wednesday, 16 April 2008 22:03 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

Okay, I revived this on a Wednesday at 5, maybe Saturday at noon will garner better results.

I'm looking into maybe teaching ESL abroad as a way to get teaching experience (been looking at the other threads, but no mention of it as a way to get more into teaching).

Also, while I've got teacher-types reading, any advice for putting together somewhat informal classes for a homeschooled 14-year-old? Now that I'm back home for a little while, I want to try teaching my brother some stuff about photography, art, and film. Is there a particularly good book for explaining basic teaching strategies?

― en i see kay, Saturday, 2 August 2008 16:42 (seventeen years ago)

Not practical teaching strategies, but very good background:

How People Learn

Assessment For Learning

― ljubljana, Saturday, 2 August 2008 17:15 (seventeen years ago)

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