More about teaching

How did you get started in teaching?

To be quite honest, I think I can trace my destiny in teaching all the way back to second grade! I always finished my work early, so my teacher had me assist the slower students in class. I have no idea if I was any good at it, but I always felt empathetic towards the other kids who had a hard time in school. By then I knew that although I was good at reading, me and math would never get along, so I could empathize with others who weren't having an easy time of it. I also was friends with a kid in class who had ADHD (they called it something else then), so I was aware of learning differences at a young age. I didn't do anything with it for years, but when I was in college, I was in situations where I was working with kids again, and enjoyed it. I didn't really get serious about teaching though until I moved to Memphis and got involved with the Literacy Council.

What do you do during a typical work day? Work week?

Right now I'm subbing so there's no such thing as a "typical day" for me, much less a "typical week". Every day is completely different! Back when I did have my own classroom, I had a comforting routine of planning my curriculum and doing prepwork each night, then welcoming my classes, and diving straight into teaching. I have taught a lot of grammar, spelling, reading, and writing, and enjoy finding new and creative ways to make this fun (or at least bearable) for kids who struggle with verbal/reading skills.

Now I do anything and everything, and work with "kids" from kindergarten (rarely!) to students in community transition programs who may be over 20 years old. My favorite age range is grades 6-12, so I try to get assignments at that level. When that doesn't work out, or I'm in a rare mood, I'll work in elementary schools. Unlike most other subs, I actually find the younger ones a bit too high energy and tiring for my taste, so I don't do it real often, but they're so cute sometimes that it almost makes up for the nap I need afterward. I do a lot of Special Education jobs because each situation is totally unique and I like the variety. Plus Special Education can be lots of fun, and the kids can be rather fascinating to work with. It definitely gives me a different perspective on life.

Have you held previous jobs which were stepping stones to this one? What were they?

I think all of my jobs, even the ones that don't have any obvious bearing on teaching, have taught me valuable lessons about life. If nothing else, the more random jobs I've had make a good set of stories and examples that I can use as scenarios during teaching--I can talk about measurement (UPS), business math and consumer skills (retail), funny customer service moments I've had, or people I've met.

What preparation (education, training, experience) would you suggest for someone interested in entering this field?

Once you figure out your academic strengths (potential subjects you may want to teach), you should figure out what age group you are most effective with. The best way to do that is to work or volunteer in a school setting, or community settings where you work with kids (after-school programs, summer camps, etc). In my opinion, this is one of the most important things to figure out before you begin applying for programs--much less jobs.

What do you like most and least about your work?

I like almost everything about teaching--especially the kids, but the learning process in general is a lot of fun. Plus you have all kinds of experiences in a school setting that you never have anywhere else--I've been paid to play board games and do some coloring with groups of kids on more than one occasion! How many other adults can say that? Also, when there's kids around, a lot of mirth and hilarity is possible. Teaching can be a rather joyous and exuberant job, even when you're doing something totally serious like math instruction. Or at least it should be...I worry a bit about teachers who don't look like they're having much fun.

About the only things I don't necessarily enjoy are attending meetings, grading papers, and some of the bureaucratic layers that you have to deal with as a teacher (ie-NCLB). Fortunately as a sub, I rarely grade papers, attend no meetings, and only encounter the educational bureaucracy sporadically. I should also mention that most of the time, the kids are awesome, but some days they can be a bit squirrely, and a few can be downright obnoxious, but I don't take it personally, and it doesn't bother me much. If it did, I wouldn't sub in behavior classes so much!

What skills and abilities are most important in your work?

I'd say the number one attribute you need as a teacher is an inexhaustible well of patience and the understanding that kids are always a work in progress. Beyond that, I'd have to say flexibility, adaptability, the ability to think on your feet, observation skills, and sense of humor are at least as valuable as any of the "skills" required for teaching. Also, maturity is a must. You are more than an employee, you're a highly visible role model.

Things I find useful in my daily life are strong academic abilities (intellect), the ability to multitask, the ability to create and devise an infinite variety of ways of explaining a concept, problem solving skills, and the ability to anticipate problems before they happen. I would also say that all of my cultural knowledge comes in handy because schools are very diverse places, at least here.

What directions or trends do you see for this kind of work in the future?

Right now the job opportunities are pretty non-existent, and due to budget cuts, I don't see there being a lot of job openings for awhile. Although a lot of teachers are of retirement age, many have decided for financial reasons to stick it out and they will not be retiring this year or next year. A lot of what is there is part-time. Then again, things will get better, and as I always say, children are born every day, so there will always be a need for teachers, even if no one can afford to pay them...

What advice would you give to a person looking for an internship in this field?

A good way to get started in the field of education is to volunteer at a school, or work in a community program that serves children (daycares, after-school programs at community agencies, tutoring, etc). Or if you live somewhere where you can substitute teach without a license, try that (although to me the idea of non-licensed people teaching in schools is terrifying). This is a good way to test-drive the field and see what age groups you are effective with. Otherwise, how would you know for certain? And that's the sort of thing you need to figure out BEFORE blowing thousands of dollars on additional schooling, and getting stuck in a situation that may not be right for you.