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Have you ever considered becoming a high school teacher? 5

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curiousmechanical

curiousmechanical

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Dec 14, 2006
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Hello Everyone,

Recently, I had a conversation with a teacher friend of mine and he was telling me how desperate high schools are for math and science teachers (nothing new there). I think it would be fairly easy for an engineer to switch careers and become a high school math or science teacher. Not only that, he or she would be bring some valuable real world experience to the classroom as well. I am curious why more engineers don’t make this transition.

Engineering can be very demanding and stressful. Not only that, we get bogged down with many nontechnical and mundane tasks. When you’re having a bad day at the office, summers off is a nice fantasy. Teaching seems like it could be fun, but I think I would miss the action too much. Not to mention, the money isn’t so good. But even then, I’m surprised I don’t hear of many engineers throwing in the towel to become a teacher. With the economy as bad as it is, becoming a teacher could be a stable alternative.

Has anyone ever seriously considered becoming a high school teacher? Do you know anyone who has actually made the switch? If so, were they happy with their decision?

I hope others will find this topic interesting.

Thanks everyone!
 
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Some of my family members are teachers, two generations worth. They do not recommend it at the elementary and secondary level. It isn't the kids but the parents. Often the kids are wiser than the parents.

The only way to teach at a university is to get the Ph.D. and become a full professor. Education is very political.
 
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It seems many US community colleges only require a Masters, & may even make exceptions there.

Some of my profs at Uni (UK) were 'Mr' not 'Doctor' or 'Professor', these were typically guys brought in from industry.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
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The futility involved in teaching was what got to me the most. I taught chemistry, which I truly enjoyed, for a small honors class. Teaching mathematics was the real nightmare; I had about 25 students in one class, I was pretty certain (and correct afterwards) that nearly every girl in the class would be pregnant and drop out, and that at least half of the boys would be making jokes about juvie hall before the end of the semester. I undersestimated the number of potential gang bangers, had to work an off the book deal with a local dealer to buy back all the elctronic Mettler scales that were stolen, and got caught between gangs of rival thugs more than once.

The only thing worse was tutoring engineering students, which goes directly to the other conversation on women engineers. In three years of tutoring, nearly every one of the females dropped out once they realized they can make more money dancing three nights a week at the Starlight than they would 5 years after they get their degree. Out of the 4,000 enrolled students for my graduating class, two females graduated, which twice that number danced every night at the Starlight. I felt even worse when one of the only two got laid off immediately from her job, the other found better employment going direct to the military.

The one thing worse than trying to talk young and intelligent women from quitting engineering to go dancing at the nudie bar was tutoring at the jock dorm. I used to read Hunter Thompson "Fear and loathing" to gear up for that.

 
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I'm not sure where all these low paying teacher jobs are but where i live teaching is one of the highest paid jobs around. My sister is a teacher and her hourly salary is 3.5 times mine. Add in free healthcare and a pension and there is a big oversupply of teachers here.
 
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3.5 sounds a lot, but depending on location many teachers get a lot of time off between summer vacation, other vacations and various other factors.

So, the hourly wage probably does end up pretty competitive, if you aren't one of the teachers that does a lot of marking, lesson prep etc. in the evenings & at weekends.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
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This is Robert's wife. Currently teaching high school chemistry. Have BS ChemE from Texas A&M.

My advice, run like the wind away from teaching. High School in particular. Lots of extra hours on things teachers of younger students never deal with.

If you do teach, never ever calculate your actual hourly wage. Never ever actually count the number of hours you spend planning, grading, meeting, filling out forms, calling parents and meeting again. It will make you ill.

As previously stated, NCLB killed the joy and creativity from class.

I'm currently looking for other work.
 
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I can't find a salary list for my school district but my sister makes just over 100k with 11 years experience. She also picks up another 15k-20k over the summer part time teaching. I don't think anyone in my company except for the owner makes that much.
 
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So Greg,
Did you get the dreaded cut, and file a square hole in a block, then file a cube to fit in it exercise?
B.E.

Going slightly off topic I helped man a booth at the Maker Faire in San Mateo last weekend. The purpose of which was to get kids interested in reading books at an early age. Trying to make more rounded people, than those who learn everything off a computor screen. Which is where the country seems to be headed.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
 
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I actually did teach high school for 1-1/2 years in 2003-2004. I mostly got stuck with basic computer skills and career research classes, which were mandatory and the students did not care about.

The worst part of the experience was some of the other teachers. Once they had tenure (3 years), many stopped caring about the job. I knew of at least one teacher that hated the students, the school, and teaching, but had tenure and could not be fired, so he just kept going waiting for retirement.

Most of the teachers were good though, and so were most of the students. It did not work out for me since I did not like what I was stuck teaching in that school and left to go back to industry.

Would I do it again? In the right situation - maybe.
 
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Kenat,
So how do you read an E-reader with a flat battery?
Non the less it is a good point.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
 
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Oh I don't even try, I prefer the feel of a book to reading off a screen, although In fairness I haven't tried a dedicated E-reader or even tablet.

My technological advancement stalled somewhere earlier this millennium.

I was just wondering if by 'off the computer' you meant the freely available media of sometimes questionable accuracy etc. as opposed to the more controlled 'book' format or something like that.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
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I thought about education but my relatives, all educators, talked me out of it. The worst, in their minds, was dealing with parents, who are clueless about how depraved their children can be. The children are fine; the parents are not. They mentioned a lot of the other negatives mentioned previously. My oldest relatives have seen the changes and got out at the right time. They could teach and they thoroughly enjoyed teaching.

Long ago, one of my childhood friends attacked my first cousin, who was the principal, over the way he handled her kid. She forgot the family relation as she recounted the story to me.

When she was finished, I laughed because I remembered how "bad" she was in school. I refreshed her memory on my family tree. I said if her daughter was anything like her, she was not innocent. And if her daughter was innocent, she got disciplined for something my friend didn't years earlier. Paybacks always find us one way or the other. Silence on the phone! We're still friends, too, so she wasn't too upset with me.
 
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""I was just wondering if by 'off the computer' you meant the freely available media of sometimes questionable accuracy etc. as opposed to the more controlled 'book' format or something like that. ""
That was precisely where I, and the person running the booth were going. Giving kids the opportunity to enjoy literature freely, without controls and political correctness.

I think we are getting a little more off track here, next thing , we have Dave jumping all over us.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
 
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"Did you get the dreaded cut, and file a square hole in a block, then file a cube to fit in it exercise?"

No, luckily. My dad was a naval apprentice and he had to do that. He handed his piece of work to the instructor. The instructor looks at it, cocks an eyeborow, and places it in the gauge. The gauge plate is supposed to be a barely sliding fit on the cube, with cigarette paper clearance or less. It drops straight through and bounces onto the floor.
"Locock, what branch are you?"
"Electrical, sir"
"OK, we'll call that a pass"

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376
 
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GregLocock,
Priceless,
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
 
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I did this very thing. While experience as an engineer gives you the basic fundamentals of science and math education for middle or high school, it doesn't prepare you for the tidal wave of hormones and emotion that engulf you as a science/math (or any subject for that matter) teacher at either of these levels.

I took a short break from engineering, completed a MS in physics and chemistry education, made it through a student teaching assignment in an all girls middle school teaching chemistry/math/earth science, and immediately found a job as a high school physics/chemistry teacher in a good school district upon graduation. I could only handle a year of teaching.

I did enjoy seeing the light bulb click on for those students who cared enough to make an effort to understand vs those who merely studied for the test, however, that was the exception, not the norm. The final straw for me came the day one of my senior physics students told me she couldn't take the mid term because her boyfriend broke up with her the night before. The principal actually made me give her a 2 week extension. I started re-exploring opportunities in industry soon after that.

I can truly say I respect those teachers who are capable of fostering true learning, while dealing with all the crap that comes along with it. I came away from the experience with a greater appreciation for my engineering career and the knowledge that its okay to admit defeat when coming to the stark realization that the grass isn't always greener.

My suggestion: Talk with a few teachers in your area who moved into it from another career, find out if they'd do it again, if they had the chance to go back. Several of the people I went through the ed program with are back in their own careers.
 
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