Is teaching worth it?

Question

I am thinking about ditching corporate America. I am not cut out to be a drone. Noe of my friends think I should become a teacher. But they all gove the same two reason: The kids are bad, and I won't make any money. Well .... The kids can't be worse than I was when I was in school and I am not exactly breaking the bank with my current salary, although teaching does pay noticably less than what I am making now. So should I? or not?

Answer 1

Mr. Corporate America,
Let me tell you this..I am a third generation teacher with over 3 years experience. I have both a BA (k-12) and an MA in Special Education. I have found out that our focal point should be our kids, but it usually is made blurry because of all the other things that have to be dealt with during the work week. I teach children with behavior problems and learning disabilities at high school level. Now, the behavior now is WORSE! But I didn't go into my field thinking a child with a behavior problem had great behavior ;p! I have found that I spend a great deal of time engulfed in paperwork, meetings, and staying after school with no time to devote to myself at the end of the day. The next day seems to begin when my head finally hits the pillow.
There are many corrupt teachers but there are also some WONDERFUL ones too! People seem to notice the "bad" teachers because of all of the crap (true or not ) that has been aired and it should be, to protect children! But I do believe there are those that are corrupt in EVERY field. If you decide to go into this field, make sure you understand, you NEVER leave your work at school. Whether you decide to or not...you always seem to want to do something better. You will pay $$ out of your pocket that you don't have a great deal of to begin with to meet your classroom basics. (I am not referring to frills, but the basics.)
And you will spend endless amounts of planning periods in meetings with parents, professionals, and students. You will have to stay after school to get some of the most basic things completed. Even if you are the most organized person, you will never be finished with everything. And you have the responsibility of teaching all different learners the same thing but in different ways. Bank on going to get your MA in Education because without it, you will be less likely to get a job. So much of finding a job in Education is the buddy network.....word of mouth. So unlike in Business, where your job speaks for itself, it is not so in Education. (Referring to the area where I live.)
Yes, this job gives you the warm fuzzies when you see the light come on and the students master things. Yes, it is wonderful to watch a child grow in maturity and handle things alot better. Yes, it's great to feel like you helped a child that may not have someone to count on, but you have to realize that you will have to decide if you would be willing living at very low pay, under the scrutiny of G.Q public, and still expected to be a professional where everyone else in the world thinks they know more about what teaching should be, instead of the professional doing the job itself. Another important reality is that almost all the teachers I know, work some other job during the summer months. I teach, I love it but if I were in another field, I would really contemplate it. I have over 6 years retail/management+commission sales and I make only 200.00 more a paycheck than what I made in the Business field. Every summer, I go back to sales to make ends meet. When you speak to a teacher, we are taught to see things from a glass full perspective, the "ideal educator" perspective, so there are GREAT things that go on in a classroom and teachers are soo important to our youth, but the REALITIES of education cause veteran/young teachers to change fields. You are considering a field that you really need to get the facts on before jumping. I wish you well and although, I know you don't feel "warm fuzzies" and the "wings of butterflies on your nose"....really think about the "real" things of Education. So many things that I see in today's colleges make me realize that we teach the "ideal" of Education instead of showing the "realities" of it.

Answer 2

I left corporate America to become a teacher and I can tell you it was the best decision I ever made. I used to work with adults who often behaved as reckless teenagers. Now, I'm surprised to find out that "reckless teenagers" often are forced to behave as adults because of their families' circumstances. I prefer to teach in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools, but with that comes an extremely serious responsibility. There is less parental involvement and you are many times the only positive adult influence that child may have. It is something that has to be taken seriously every moment of the day, not just during class, but when you decide to take a drink or engage in certain behaviors not considered school-appropriate. You are being watched and possibly emulated by others. At the same time, I feel that I am able to make a far greater contribution to our world by teaching. The worst part about teaching is never the students. If it is, you are in the wrong profession and you will know that right away. The worst part is dealing with unrealistic expectations of administration, districts, or the state. I understand where and why the expectations originate, I just believe that everyone forgets we are dealing with children (each with their own set of baggage and circumstances). It is also difficult if you find yourself with a jaded group of teachers who do nothing but complain. If that happens, the best thing you can do is stay away from them and try to align yourself with your more positive colleagues. You will certainly take a cut in pay and you will not get summers off, despite what you've heard. I spend most of my summer in workshops or clinics or preparing for the next year. If you are a good teacher, you will not use the same lesson plans over and over because you will revamp them or tweak them as needed. If you are a great teacher, you will come up with new lesson plans using new materials so you will challenge yourself as well as your students. Good luck with your decision. Our profession needs an infusion of enthusiastic people who are willing to invest the time and energy in our nation's future leaders. Some of the college professors who have answered questions have disparaged high school teachers. While I personally bristle at their chidings, I know that they have a strong foundation on which to base their claims. Our job is to inspire students to become life-long learners and many of us do little more than provide supervision to keep teenagers off the streets.

Answer 3

I would spend some time in the classroom before quitting your job/racking up student loans/credits that you don't need for anything other than a teaching degree (not entirely sure of your situation, but those are the things that come to mind with my situation)

I am a perpetual major changer, have a BA in liberal arts and like 3 minors. I have enough graduate credits for a masters in education, but I've changed my focus too many times. I've substitute taught for four years. The groups of kids that I prefer working with changes almost anually. And there's no work for subs in the summer time, so I find myself training for various customer service positions.

Yes, the kids seem to get worse every year. I'm wondering if it's not the effect of daycare during their preschool and early elementary years. My husband has had a teaching license for ten years. Never got a full time position, and is making more than a first year teacher at a factory job. He also subs during the school year.

I would weigh the pros and cons. There are a lot of them listed here by previous posters. In the end, it's you who has to make this descision, but I think by reading some of the very imformative posts here, you'll be well on your way!

Answer 4

I think the real question is "Will you be happy?" I am a teacher, my hubby is a teacher, 2 nephews, 1 niece, 1 aunt, 1 grandfather were all teachers. You need to really be happy to keep it up. If you don't think that you will be happy, then you need to consider other options. It will be a great learning experience for you. Are you willing to make the drive for the paycheck. Sure, you can sub, but what is the difference in pay for the job versus sub pay. Probably more for the teaching job, how will that balance with gas money? Are there any benefits? You can always apply next year for the public schools and have that year under your belt. In this economy, it might just be worth it to give it a shot. Good Luck!

Answer 5

Teaching is worth it. However, you should do a few things before giving up your current job. First, pay off all your bills because the pay is not the greatest. This will take economic pressure off of you and your family. Second, talk to teachers and administrators about what skills are needed in a classroom. Third, do a job search in the area you want to teach (you may find there are few jobs or jobs in specific fields that you don't want to do). Fourth, find out the education requirements to become a teacher. It may require additional college and time student teaching for which you are not paid. (See First) As you can see this will take some time to accomplish, but if you still want to teach, go for it.

Answer 6

Teaching is not for everyone. You should decide to become a teacher only if it is something you really want to do. It is not the greatest paying job but it has many benefits. Remember that once you are a teacher you are a role model 24 hours a day.

Your students will remember and comment about everything you do, the way you look, act, talk, etc. Sometimes it's positive, but not always.

Also expect to deal with parents who will not accept that their child failed, who will go to your supervisor and comment about you to others. That is the worst kind of parent. Yes, some students are rude and misbehave, but there are also wonderful students who will make you become a better teacher.

Anyone can become a teacher but it takes more to stay in the profession.

Answer 7

I am working on a BA in English---want to be a writer---am in a small-town low-paying job now---anticipate low pay when I graduate---thing I'm trying to say is---I'm doing the English route, because I love to write. Corporate America would never work for me (with its big money), because that's just not me and I don't think I'd ever be successful.

My take is that you should do the teaching thing, because it is in your heart to do so. Otherwise, you would be a circus performer, or a firefighter, right?

Do you have something to offer children? Can you live with a mediocre pay? Then go for it. Do you want to follow the corporate leader? Then, well, you know...

I happen to care about the welfare of young people, too. Perhaps, my English degree will lead me there in years to come.

I don't think children are any worse than they were years ago. But, it probably takes the right teacher to make them care about an education. Hit them in the right spot with your winning ways and they will be all ears. Children really do want to learn. It just takes the right kind of teacher. Could that teacher be you?

Good luck to you.

Answer 8

I worked as an engineer for more than 10 years then I decided to teach. There are so many corrupt teachers in the Philippines and I wanted to change that. It was a great experience and very fulfilling especially because I feel that I gave these kids a better chance in the future. But reality sets in after a while and I realized that I need better financial stability so I stopped after 2 years. I am planning to go back when I reach 40... I have 6 years to save and prepare for it...

Answer 9

If you have a degree of any kind, many school districts, especially inner city or poorer schools, will allow you to substitute teach. I would suggest you take a couple of months and sub or volunteer in some schools. I would also encourage you to consider other fields. If you have always wanted to be a teacher and went to corporate America because you were discouraged from going into teaching, maybe that's the thing to do. Whatever you do, don't go into it thinking it will be easier or fewer hours. More likely than not, you will spend more time, be exhausted and poor. Go for it if you think it will make you happy.

Answer 10

I did the same thing about 15 years ago, left the business world for teaching. And I've done college teaching, corporate training, and even worked as a paraeducator (public school teacher's aide).

The KEY thing with teaching is do you love sharing your knowledge with others? If the answer is yes, then teaching might be right for you.

What makes a great teacher isn't your mastery of the material, but rather your ability to present it to others and help others truly learn. This is what separates out those who are cut out for teaching and those that arent.

As far as what you teach, that's a personal choice, but my suggestion is this: Don't teach what you don't like!

Why? Because if you don't like it, you won't put your heart into it, won't want to do it day in and day out, and eventually your students and co-workers will see it.

I don't have any desire to teach public school, especially high school, so I don't. But if you ask any of my students what they think of my teaching, they'll all tell you that I'm enthusiastic and love what I teach.