Jul 09 2008
Teaching High School Science
Here is another link to an article on teaching in hisgh school: http://www.thechemblog.com/?p=755 The author talks about parents being too involved or not enough and the state mandating too many things. He ends the post with:
“To be a teacher these days requires more than just starry eyed optimism, it requires blind idealism.
In all, I wouldn’t do it. That noise is for chumps.”
While I agree to some extent to what he says I do not think teaching is for chumps. I am however an optimist. Tell me what you think.
One response so far
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I came across your blog and hope to read more from you in the future.
My thoughts on the article:
The writer seems to have entered the teaching field without giving serious thought to what he/she was doing. Before becoming a high school science teacher, I was a college professor and always advised my students to put at least as much thought into their majors/careers as they would into choosing a spouse; after all, we spend more time at work than with our spouses.
The writer expected teaching to be “pretty cute” and now seems shocked that teachers don’t make a lot of money. Anyone who has done even the most rudimentary research into careers should understand that social service careers, such as teaching, tend to be relatively low-paid fields. The writer complains that a PhD can earn so much more in research than in high school teaching. Well, a PhD is a research degree designed to prepare researchers. Why should the writer now earn research pay for a non-research job. High school teachers with doctorates do not necessarily teach better–produce better results–so their degrees should not result in higher pay. And I write this as someone who does earn a little more than other teachers because of my doctoral degree.
I don’t make a lot of money as a high school teacher, but there are some significant benefits. Of course, there are the intrinsic benefits I find in teaching. But, there are also extrinsic benefits. A high school teacher can get tenure in 3 years for simply being a modestly decent teacher. A college professor must work through 7 years of serious stress in order to get tenure.
There is also a significant financial benefit to tenure. I know teachers who have taught at the same school their entire careers. That security allows teachers to buy houses early in their careers and stay there enjoying the appreciation of their assets and the flat rate of their mortgages. As their pay increases over time, their mortgages stay the same, making them relatively wealthier each year. Many people nowadays do not have such security and guaranteed investment opportunities.
Right now, with a questionable economy, there is also a nice security in being a teacher–especially a science teacher. Many people feel the stress of wondering whether they’ll still be employed in the near future; I feel pretty safe in my job.
And while I earn less than many other people, I do enjoy 3 months of vacation each year.
Yes, there are issues with students. I had a student this past year march into the principal’s office and demand I be fired. I have parents who call to complain it takes me too long to grade 80 science fair projects. But, I also understand there are problems in every job.
I’m pretty happy with my job. I guess that’s probably because I put some thought into my career and knew what I was getting in to.