• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

how can you tell if you'd be a good teacher?

N

nageov3t

Lifer
everyone keeps telling me I should go back to grad school and become a high school or college teacher, but I'd hate to graduate and find out I'm terribad at teaching.

between my new found hatred for my job and my inability to find a new one, leaving the work force to spend a couple years in school on borrowed money keeps seeming like a good idea, but I'll be damned if I can think of what to go to grad school for.
 
Tons of volunteer opportunities open in this area. You could also take a year off and teach overseas, Koreans will pay for your plane ticket and enough for you to live like a king.
 
if you can try, try teaching a hard course, such as pre-calc, calc, physics, etc

something you really have to explain in detail for it to be understood. try and teach that. see if the class understands. if they dont understand, a. make sure its not a mentally ill school, or 2. ur bad at teaching
 
Depends on your field. In graduate school, chances are that you will teach if you get departmental support (like a TA position). You can try it out there. If it doesn't work out, then you still have a masters degree that can be put to use elsewhere.
 
Originally posted by: freshgeardude
if you can try, try teaching a hard course, such as pre-calc, calc, physics, etc

something you really have to explain in detail for it to be understood. try and teach that. see if the class understands. if they dont understand, a. make sure its not a mentally ill school, or 2. ur bad at teaching
Click to expand...

Don't start with a hard course though. Start with the remedial stuff to refine your teaching skills and techniques first. On the collegiate level, the kids will remember just enough to be able to recognize things a bit easier. What will tell you if you will be any good at teaching or not is how passionate you are about helping out your students (tutoring, etc.) and how much you enjoy it.
 
Originally posted by: MovingTarget
Depends on your field. In graduate school, chances are that you will teach if you get departmental support (like a TA position). You can try it out there. If it doesn't work out, then you still have a masters degree that can be put to use elsewhere.
Click to expand...

if I went back to grad school, it'd be for either english lit or something more focused on the technical/writing side of the english field (*not* creating writing)... but wtf do you do with a PhD in english lit but become a teacher or flip burgers?
 
Who cares, as long as you can get through the interview process you're good to go, after that you just teach whatever. At least that's what people do here. And those that can't teach for fuck get promoted to principals and superintendant's. The best teachers are those teaching assistants that actually do the most work.

I'm of course referring to the elementary/high school system here.
 
I'm in the teaching field, you would be suprised at just how bad some teachers are and make 95 k per year salaries with benefits and crazy time off 😉

Ill give you an example, an elementary music teacher in my school makes 90 + k a year, and works maybe 3 hours per day. Her lesson plans consist of sitting the kids down in front of a PC, going on YouTube, and playing music to them/watching vids. If it's not YouTube she will have them watch a movie, or just put a tape into the recorder and have them sing along, or sometimes just listen to the music. That's all she does literally.
 
Originally posted by: DVad3r
I'm in the teaching field, you would be suprised at just how bad some teachers are and make 95 k per year salaries with benefits and crazy time off 😉

Ill give you an example, an elementary music teacher in my school makes 90 + k a year, and works maybe 3 hours per day. Her lesson plans consist of sitting the kids down in front of a PC, going on YouTube, and playing music to them/watching vids. If it's not YouTube she will have them watch a movie, or just put a tape into the recorder and have them sing along, or sometimes just listen to the music. That's all she does literally.
Click to expand...

Yes, but it takes a professional to know which tapes to play.
 
Originally posted by: DVad3r
I'm in the teaching field, you would be suprised at just how bad some teachers are and make 95 k per year salaries with benefits and crazy time off 😉

Ill give you an example, an elementary music teacher in my school makes 90 + k a year, and works maybe 3 hours per day. Her lesson plans consist of sitting the kids down in front of a PC, going on YouTube, and playing music to them/watching vids. If it's not YouTube she will have them watch a movie, or just put a tape into the recorder and have them sing along, or sometimes just listen to the music. That's all she does literally.
Click to expand...

Damn, where is this school district? Our teachers make about half that, even with masters degrees in their subject.

<--Lives in AL
 
Originally posted by: MovingTarget
Originally posted by: DVad3r
I'm in the teaching field, you would be suprised at just how bad some teachers are and make 95 k per year salaries with benefits and crazy time off 😉

Ill give you an example, an elementary music teacher in my school makes 90 + k a year, and works maybe 3 hours per day. Her lesson plans consist of sitting the kids down in front of a PC, going on YouTube, and playing music to them/watching vids. If it's not YouTube she will have them watch a movie, or just put a tape into the recorder and have them sing along, or sometimes just listen to the music. That's all she does literally.
Click to expand...

Damn, where is this school district? Our teachers make about half that, even with masters degrees in their subject.

<--Lives in AL
Click to expand...

www.tcdsb.org

Some people here might think I am exaggerating, but I'm not, sadly 🙁
 
Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Damn, where is this school district? Our teachers make about half that, even with masters degrees in their subject.

<--Lives in AL
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that AL is in a three way race to the bottom with MS and AZ wrt education funding.
 
See if you enjoy tutoring. There are opportunities at any local school, community college, or even the seven year old kid next door learning arithmetic. You mention English, help out at the writing lab at any community college. Proofread papers and show each person how they can improve their writing skills. You will be a good teacher if you enjoy these basic opportunities.
 
I've taught Hazardous Materials Emergency Response to first responders and was told I teach well.
I taught a lot if the Army too. First Aid, drivers training, Foward Observation (artillery).
 
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I've taught Hazardous Materials Emergency Response to first responders and was told I teach well.
I taught a lot if the Army too. First Aid, drivers training, Foward Observation (artillery).
Click to expand...

Yeah but you have more tools at your disposal in the army to ensure good learning. Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them, then poke a bayonet through their skulls and shove the class notes in the slot.
 
Originally posted by: ironwing
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I've taught Hazardous Materials Emergency Response to first responders and was told I teach well.
I taught a lot if the Army too. First Aid, drivers training, Foward Observation (artillery).
Click to expand...

Yeah but you have more tools at your disposal in the army to ensure good learning. Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them, then poke a bayonet through their skulls and shove the class notes in the slot.
Click to expand...
LMAO :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: freshgeardude
if you can try, try teaching a hard course, such as pre-calc, calc, physics, etc

something you really have to explain in detail for it to be understood. try and teach that. see if the class understands. if they dont understand, a. make sure its not a mentally ill school, or 2. ur bad at teaching
Click to expand...

Actually, pre-calc, calc, physics are easy courses to teach. Most of the students taking those courses are motivated to learn. The difficult courses to teach are algebra, geometry - the math classes that all students are required to take.
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: freshgeardude
if you can try, try teaching a hard course, such as pre-calc, calc, physics, etc

something you really have to explain in detail for it to be understood. try and teach that. see if the class understands. if they dont understand, a. make sure its not a mentally ill school, or 2. ur bad at teaching
Click to expand...

Actually, pre-calc, calc, physics are easy courses to teach. Most of the students taking those courses are motivated to learn. The difficult courses to teach are algebra, geometry - the math classes that all students are required to take.
Click to expand...

+1

Our Calc/Physics classes had higher overall averages than the mandatory ones, since all the students in Calc/Physics were planning to go to University and needed the marks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top