So basically anyone with a college degree can teach school?

Question

That's what it is like around here. The public school system has such a lack of teachers they are hiring anyone who has a college degree no matter what they went to school for. My new boyfriend got a job teaching in middle school and he has a degree but it's in Construction management and he's teaching English and history classes which has nothing to do with teaching at all! Is it really hard to get teachers who went to school for that? Even now, the schools in the district he teaches in still needs a lot of teachers. I was going to go to school for teaching but now it's too late I'm 30 years old and if I go now I'll be too old to start a career. But is there a reason no one wants to teach anymore?

Answer 1

Wow, where do you live? In my state we had a massive turn-over of teachers because of the No Child Left Behind guidelines that our state imposed.

We found that so many of our teachers were not "highly qualified" that we had 4 to retire and many of us shuffled around. One math teacher was told she was not highly qualified to teach 7th grade math because she did not have a Middle School Education degree. She had taught 7th grade math for 25 years.

The thought of hiring someone without and Education Degree would be laughable in my district. I guess there are just many more certified teachers in the area I live.

Answer 2

first, you aren't too old to teach and you have a great attitude to see the kids get taught by someone who is an accredited teacher and not just a college grad.

People seem to think that there isn't any money in teaching and so they go where the money is. This is why there is a shortage. Another reason is because unless you are doing pretty well you can't afford the first 6 months of working with no pay.

I only have an AA degree yet I taught computer programming for five years to new recruits in the Air Force. Loved the job. My AA is in Military Instruction and my other AA is in Management Information Science. I also achieved a Master Instructor rating and yet I am not allowed to teach (except maybe in Mississippi).

Go figure.

Answer 3

I used to teach middle school and high school. But I quit - low pay, long hours, no real way to maintain order and discipline, violent students, unsupportive administration, lack of money for proper facilities and learning materials, just to name a few reasons.

There's no reason, at 30, that you can't begin a teaching career, if that's your dream. If you already have a college degree, it wouldn't take many more hours to complete an education degree, and you can substitute teach in the meantime. The way I look at, by this time next year, you can either be 31 and on your way to teaching, or just 31 doing what you're doing now.

A friend of mine decided at 45 years of age, to go to medical school. He got in, and he absolutely loves it!

Answer 4

I went to college to get an Outdoor Ed degree (it turned out) but got funneled into Natural Resources Mgmt by my advisor, an art professor. I hated it. Didn't know about the Outdoor Ed degree, so took a psych course and thought it was interesting and got a degree in it since I didn't know what else to do now that my dreams were gone. I seriously thought a long time about getting my Psych Masters and/or PhD, but ulitmately, I didn't love the field that much. So I took some aptitude tests, found out I was good at accounting and data processing and decided to pick the one that sounded more challenging to me. Got an associate degree in computers and was a computer programmer for 10 years. The psych degree really helped since the average programmer has the social skills of a 10 year old. I had to laugh when the Myers-Briggs tests got real popular in the computer and business world, since I could guess the results for all my managers and freaked them out. Got out of programming before the field crashed and burned and got a bunch of outdoor certs and was an outdoor guide for a few years, so finally got to live my dream. But my back couldn't take the abuse (turns out everyone in my family has a bad back), so went back to computer related stuff, but had always been interested in training and did computer programming training. Got tired of life on the road, so became an instructor at a community college and moved my way up to coordinator, program director and online distance learning administrator. Since I'm at an educational institution and have been for a number of years and plan to stay, I'm almost done with my Masters in Education (actually Training and Development), and am applying for jobs now. I'll probably stay where I am, but I'm willing to see what's out there now that I have a higher degree and have a few more choices. I've thought about getting my Ph.D but don't think it's needed since I want to do more technical stuff and train and teach, not do research.

Answer 5

Yes, it's true there are some teachers who take jobs who aren't certified. In our district they are called TIR's or Teachers in Residence. The district makes it so hard for them to get their certification that in a year or two they drop out. Then the district starts over with more TIR's.
There are so many stresses in teaching that it's hard to get well qualified teachers. One problem is teacher salaries. I don't know for example, how a young teacher can pay off their loans buy a home on a teacher's salary, which is very difficult in our district.
Another problem is the bureaucratic mess that large city school systems are in. There is too much paperwork and too many district and state tests. Also the pressure on teachers to perform miracles academically is enormous.

You are not too old to become a teacher. Sometimes people get a second carreer in their forties, so go for it if you want, knowing that there are some caveats here.

Answer 6

You bet there is a reason.
We pay our teachers a pittance in comparison to an athlete
We have misplaced our values it seems, to me.
If we pay an Pro Baseball, Football, Soccer, or Basketball player more than we pay those that teach our children, we have a problem.
Many of those that are educated to be teachers can't live on the saleries offered.
We have simply misplaced our ability to use our resources any more.
Our country is being run by those that would rather fiqure a way to save money, instead of finding the best qualified for the jobs. (My opinion) Look where we are now.
Don

Answer 7

Well no they do not hire everyone. there are some areas where it is quite difficult to land a teaching job. Most larger cities however have HUGE need. I am in Los Angeles and my school alone still has three openings. (2 math and a science) the candidates are just not there.

A major problem is that new teachers do not stay in the profession. HALF (yes half) leave the profession in their first five years.

30 is not too late - neither is 40. so get to it!

Answer 8

Teaching is a great responsibility and sometimes it is heartbreaking. Honey, it is not to late all you need to be a teacher is a 2 year teaching certificate from a community college and you are on your way if you want to teach.

Answer 9

Teaching is a sorry job
disrespectful kids
average pay
parents who won't back you up
same with the Administration
but I will tell you this it is not too late to go back to school and to start a new career I am 41 will get a two year degree in environmental technology next year.....Go for it

Answer 10

With the death of anything close to polite behaviour in schools no-one dares to try to be a teacher. You'll be assaulted, threatened in school & in the local community, and will receive a number of calls from police and social workers etc to look through your computer for kiddie porn. I was assaulted and warned that I could be sued for health & safety reasons. (Wounded teachers are not allowed to bleed while being punched in the face).

Don't do it. Get a safer job like being a human mine detector.