Being a Teacher

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Yeah, the pay aspect of things wasn't really worrying me when I thought as a couple we were going to be taking in twice the base level (crappy teacher pay + crappy teacher pay = not too bad). I thought I had things pretty well sorted out until a few weeks ago

*sigh*

Get certified in Phys Ed, or Chemistry

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: Tiamat
the US needs far more good teachers out there. Good teachers should be making 60k starting salary, but instead they make a paltry 30k entry salary.

what is the average increase in pay over time?

Granted, they are "only" being paid for 3/4 of the year, but still. Even if they were to work summer school, they would maybe rake in 35k$? Another idea would be for the teacher to get a part-time second job to help make ends meet -- unfortunately, that takes away from their overall ability to teach well...

That's a common misconception. Studies show that teachers put in the same hours in a year as anyone else. It's just compressed with much longer days and time spent on the weekends.

Im sorry, but did I make a misconception? Maybe I read your post incorrectly? (Or maybe I typed mine out incorrectly?)

I was just referring to the bolded part above.

 

[johnnq1]

both of my parents are teachers...they always argue with me when i ever asked for lunch money in high school

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
I was just referring to the bolded part above.

Ah, my bad -- i meant it to say, that no matter the hours they work, their salary is 3/4 of a year worth of salary. In my home town, the teachers aren't paid during the summer unless they teach during the summer. (Summer being approximately 1/4 of the year, and yielding 1.5x pay for summer school teachers). I didn't know teachers elsewhere are getting full year salaries.

 

[Special K]

Isn't it true that teacher's salaries are more or less determined by supply vs. demand, just like any other profession? If there was enough of a shortage of teachers, wouldn't the average starting salary have to increase until the demand was met?

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
I was just referring to the bolded part above.

Ah, my bad. In my home town, the teachers aren't paid during the summer unless they teach during the summer. (Summer being approximately 1/4 of the year, and yielding 1.5x pay for summer school teachers). I didn't know teachers elsewhere are getting full year salaries.

Well, what I meant was that teachers put in well over 40 hours per week. So if you figure a persons salary is for 40 hours times 52 weeks, you have 2080 hours per year is what you're paid for. Teachers put in that many hours, but they do it in the 9 months they're in shool.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: Special K
Isn't it true that teacher's salaries are more or less determined by supply vs. demand, just like any other profession? If there was enough of a shortage of teachers, wouldn't the average starting salary have to increase until the demand was met?

Parents just pull their children out and place them into private schools if possible. Then schools just close since they cannot afford even the tiny teacher salaries due to loss of students. (This would just be a hypothetical situation)

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Yeah, the pay aspect of things wasn't really worrying me when I thought as a couple we were going to be taking in twice the base level (crappy teacher pay + crappy teacher pay = not too bad). I thought I had things pretty well sorted out until a few weeks ago

*sigh*

Get certified in Phys Ed, or Chemistry

I initially tried to get into the secondary ed physics department here, but there are only two spots per year.

I'm getting certified for elementary / middle school with a minor in physics.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Yeah, the pay aspect of things wasn't really worrying me when I thought as a couple we were going to be taking in twice the base level (crappy teacher pay + crappy teacher pay = not too bad). I thought I had things pretty well sorted out until a few weeks ago

*sigh*

Get certified in Phys Ed, or Chemistry

I initially tried to get into the secondary ed physics department here, but there are only two spots per year.

I'm getting certified for elementary / middle school with a minor in physics.

If your school district does AP classes, you might be able to "jumpstart" your salary by teaching a "college level" course.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Special K
Isn't it true that teacher's salaries are more or less determined by supply vs. demand, just like any other profession? If there was enough of a shortage of teachers, wouldn't the average starting salary have to increase until the demand was met?

I don't think that's actually in effect with any job anywhere.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
I was just referring to the bolded part above.

Ah, my bad -- i meant it to say, that no matter the hours they work, their salary is 3/4 of a year worth of salary. In my home town, the teachers aren't paid during the summer unless they teach during the summer. (Summer being approximately 1/4 of the year, and yielding 1.5x pay for summer school teachers). I didn't know teachers elsewhere are getting full year salaries.

I believe they get a chance to either choose to get paid for the time they work or they can split it up so they get paid throughout the year for the work they have done...so they dont get as much in the months during the school year but they get paid during the summer.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Yeah, the pay aspect of things wasn't really worrying me when I thought as a couple we were going to be taking in twice the base level (crappy teacher pay + crappy teacher pay = not too bad). I thought I had things pretty well sorted out until a few weeks ago

*sigh*

Get certified in Phys Ed, or Chemistry

I initially tried to get into the secondary ed physics department here, but there are only two spots per year.

I'm getting certified for elementary / middle school with a minor in physics.

If your school district does AP classes, you might be able to "jumpstart" your salary by teaching a "college level" course.

Well I'm not going to be certified for HS even

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: Special K
Isn't it true that teacher's salaries are more or less determined by supply vs. demand, just like any other profession? If there was enough of a shortage of teachers, wouldn't the average starting salary have to increase until the demand was met?

I don't think that's actually in effect with any job anywhere.

Why not? I thought that was one of the main principles behind our economy?

 

[amicold]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: Tiamat
the US needs far more good teachers out there. Good teachers should be making 60k starting salary, but instead they make a paltry 30k entry salary.

what is the average increase in pay over time?

A lot more than he makes out to be. You can easily make a career out of it.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: Special K
Isn't it true that teacher's salaries are more or less determined by supply vs. demand, just like any other profession? If there was enough of a shortage of teachers, wouldn't the average starting salary have to increase until the demand was met?

I don't think that's actually in effect with any job anywhere.

Why not? I thought that was one of the main principles behind our economy?

I think it's an urban myth. Government controls prevent a true free market, as does corporate collusion, union controls, special interests, etc. If it really worked that way then whatever was the least liked job would pay the most, but in reality it doesn't work that way. Jobs pay based on difficulty, danger, government or union requirements, cost of training, cost of insurance, etc.

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: Special K
Isn't it true that teacher's salaries are more or less determined by supply vs. demand, just like any other profession? If there was enough of a shortage of teachers, wouldn't the average starting salary have to increase until the demand was met?

I don't think that's actually in effect with any job anywhere.

Why not? I thought that was one of the main principles behind our economy?

Only on an increadibly insanely huge scale. And only with skilled labor, which, for some reason, teaching isn't considered to be by most schools.

 

[Cooler]

If you want to make more $ and still be a teacher try private schools. My friend started at $38,000 a year and is now up to $42,000.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: Cooler
If you want to make more $ and still be a teacher try private schools. My friend started at $38,000 a year and is now up to $42,000.

I read that private teachers get paid a lot less...is this un true?


I mean if u work for a public school you get a lot of benefits right? Retirement?

I am in college so I am dirt poor...so 34k starting sounds ok to me. If I could make an ok living doing it I think i could be happy.

 

[Cooler]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: Cooler
If you want to make more $ and still be a teacher try private schools. My friend started at $38,000 a year and is now up to $42,000.

I read that private teachers get paid a lot less...is this un true?


I mean if u work for a public school you get a lot of benefits right? Retirement?

I am in college so I am dirt poor...so 34k starting sounds ok to me. If I could make an ok living doing it I think i could be happy.

It depends where you teach it will vary greatly. My friend teaches in higher class school that costs more then the average private one. Then again most people there have masters. Im not sure if my friend get any benefits at his job and if so what they are.

 

[TheChort]

I've been teaching High School science for the past 2 years. I teach at a small private high school (~60-70 people per grade level), so I've been shuffled around a couple times, and I've taught several AP classes.

Last year I started off teaching AP Bio, AP Physics, and AP Environmental Science. Then when they fired the 10th grade Chem teacher mid-year, my schedule was reshuffled so I could take over his courses because they could find nobody else to chem. So I became AP Bio, and Chem only. This year I teach AP Bio, Chem, and AP Chem as well.

The job itself is a paradox of extremes. It can be extremely motivating and uplifting. Where else can you find a job where you see 100 people a day that look up to you as a role-model. Not only your knowledge of the subject matter you teach, but your behavior and social cues are being soaked up like a sponge. People would have to lie to say that it doesn't good.

Then on, the other side, these kids can be the most ruthless and thoughtless people you will ever meet. For you, this is a job that you have chosen to make money. If you're lucky, it's something you like. For them, it's something their parents make them do, and if they're lucky, they have friends in the classroom to talk to. So they are going to talk and cause trouble, not because they don't like you, but because that's just who they are. Oh, and if they don't like you, well, all I gotta say is good luck.

Lets not forget the administration. They can really make or break your back. They can be really helpful and willing to work with you, especially if it's your first couple years teaching. But they can also be nosy and always telling you what to do. Trying to control your classroom as much as they can. This is something difficult to gauge from your initial interview. Your best bet would be to find some other teachers and ask them about it.

edit: I'm 24 btw

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
I'm going to teach all the kids that the plane takes off.

Funny that you mention this, because as of friday (3 days ago) 30 more people have now become a part of the "Plane Takes Off" world

 

[TheChort]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: Cooler
If you want to make more $ and still be a teacher try private schools. My friend started at $38,000 a year and is now up to $42,000.

I read that private teachers get paid a lot less...is this un true?


I mean if u work for a public school you get a lot of benefits right? Retirement?

I am in college so I am dirt poor...so 34k starting sounds ok to me. If I could make an ok living doing it I think i could be happy.

Yes and no.

A low-end $5000/year private high school is gonna pay you dirt wages. I got starting 30K even though I had a year of masters classes and was extremely in demand (Chem, Bio, Physics). At the same time a friend of mine started teaching at a public high school nearby with math started off at 40K. Of course the difference is she had to have her credentials, whereas I do not.

Then there are the high-end private schools ($20K/year). These are the ones that will pay a lot. But of course they didn't get to being high-end by hiring first year teachers with no experience. These are the schools that hire at the very least people with masters degrees, and some serious teaching experience.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: TheChort

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: Cooler
If you want to make more $ and still be a teacher try private schools. My friend started at $38,000 a year and is now up to $42,000.

I read that private teachers get paid a lot less...is this un true?


I mean if u work for a public school you get a lot of benefits right? Retirement?

I am in college so I am dirt poor...so 34k starting sounds ok to me. If I could make an ok living doing it I think i could be happy.

Yes and no.

A low-end $5000/year private high school is gonna pay you dirt wages. I got starting 30K even though I had a year of masters classes and was extremely in demand (Chem, Bio, Physics). At the same time a friend of mine started teaching at a public high school nearby with math started off at 40K. Of course the difference is she had to have her credentials, whereas I do not.

Then there are the high-end private schools ($20K/year). These are the ones that will pay a lot. But of course they didn't get to being high-end by hiring first year teachers with no experience. These are the schools that hire at the very least people with masters degrees, and some serious teaching experience.

that sounds more in line of what I heard.

Sounds like you like teaching. How much do you say you work per week? Do you feel that you have enough time to do what you like to do and still have a little money left over? I haven't been in a high school in like 4 years so I might just be over looking a lot of the things that annoyed the hell out of the teachers. When I look back I remember the few teachers that I loved..and they seemed happy and were just awesome.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
best thing about being a teacher = June, July and August

What the heck? You're in NY, right? School isn't out until *very* late in June. Graduation is often the last Sunday in June.


<--- high school math and physics teacher. I enjoy it. Students who don't care are a pain in the neck, because I want to see them do well.

 

[DrPizza]

Oh, and for what it's worth, you can be a teacher and live in poverty, or you can be a teacher and be a well paid, respected member of your community. It depends on where you decide to teach. Cost of living varies greatly, while the wages don't vary quite as greatly (within a state). I've got to give a lot of credit to teachers who teach in inner city areas - the cost of living is so much higher that it's probably stretching it, and the kids are a pain in the neck. Out in the rural areas, a lot of costs are far lower, and you don't have the same types of problems in the schools.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Oh, and for what it's worth, you can be a teacher and live in poverty, or you can be a teacher and be a well paid, respected member of your community. It depends on where you decide to teach. Cost of living varies greatly, while the wages don't vary quite as greatly (within a state). I've got to give a lot of credit to teachers who teach in inner city areas - the cost of living is so much higher that it's probably stretching it, and the kids are a pain in the neck. Out in the rural areas, a lot of costs are far lower, and you don't have the same types of problems in the schools.

thats true...30k in boston would be close to homless