<p>Hi, A parent here of HS Junior Son. He loves to teach (has gathered some experience in this field) and is a hands on person. Loves to work with computers and trouble shoot computer related problems for friends. </p>
<p>He says he would like to be a history teacher, but hates reading and writing long passages in general. I am wondering if could be a teacher but in another field (like Math/Science or CS)?</p>
<p>So far, he has shown interest in Chemistry/Physics and where hands on experiments are concerned he just excels!! Loves talking about the labs and such.</p>
<p>None of us in our family have a teaching background (although I would like to be a teacher myself - but thats another story). I used to tutor younger kids when I was a teenager in my community.</p>
<p>So my question is - Would History be a good field for him knowing his strengths and weaknesses at this point? And what are some good options in CA for him with a 3.7 GPA/1800 SAT’s. No aid required and he is not a CA resident.</p>
<p>He is pretty ok at Math and is in pre-calc right now. Would not want to learn programming he says (but likes the hardware portion), likes to evaluate and install software.</p>
<p>Most of the in-state students who want to become teachers go to one of the CSUs. His GPA and SAT scores would make him eligible at almost all of them (although probably not Cal Poly) and the CSUs are starting to bring in more OOS students.</p>
<p>Other options: Santa Clara, CMC, Pomona (all probably reaches)
Chapman, Redlands, Whittier, Cal Lutheran, University of the Pacific, Loyola Marymount</p>
<p>How does he feel about religious schools? Does he want large/small, urban/rural?</p>
<p>The teachers that find work these days are math and science teachers - especially advanced math. Since your son is not fond of reading and writing, I’d stay away from history.
Many of the Cal States do a pretty good job educating teachers. I think of Long Beach and San Diego as being among the best, but maybe my information is old. Of the UCs, UCLA and UC Irvine have excellent education programs. This information is available online by looking at the college’s websites.<br>
I think it’s neat that your son wants to teach. Encourage him to do well in his coursework and see where his interests take him. If he can maintain his enthusiasm for his subject area he will make a wonderful impact on his students.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I just read that he is <em>not</em> a California resident, which I misread the first time. Why does he want to study in California? We have an oversupply of teachers (or a shortage of money- whichever way you want to look at it) in our state at the moment- many layoffs.</p>
<p>I think TX is still having a decent economy and healthy K-12 education system.</p>
<p>You are damn right on Cal. budget woes, our local school district had to fire a 20 year music teacher, the only one in the K-8 (4 elementry and one middle) schools system because of budget cut. They eventually hired him back with lower pay and the parents have to donate money, they raised $8,000 in a concert to keep the music program afloat.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the responses. He does not want cold weather, so at this point CA, TX and Florida are good options. Older son is at USC which is why he wants to concentrate on CA.</p>
<p>He could do an additional year and get his Master in Education and probably do another major alongside for bachelors, if thats possible. I could see him doing Math at an elementary level.</p>
<p>I do agree that without the reading/writing drill, history is going to be a hard major to do well in. He is very good with little kids and has taught at a summer camp where he was the most loved counselor!! He is also teaching CS to unskilled workers and loves it! </p>
<p>Haven’t thought of the earnings aspect of the whole scenario yet, its important for him to find out what he loves doing first and the options available to him in that field.</p>
<p>There are a glut of elementary ed teachers so it woule really be hard for him to get a job wherever he decides to land. I know in NYC at the elementary school level math is taught under the common branch license where they may be one or 2 dedicated math teachers on staff. Your son would be better served at looking to teach math on the 7-12 level. If he could manage to get the special ed extension on top of that, he would be in great demand almost anywhere.</p>
<p>The one thing about teaching especially at the public school level; no matter where you attend school, you all make the same amount of $. ITE, the best place for your son to attend school is where he would get merit $ or in the state where he plans to teach (this would be the better option because they would make sure that he meets the certification requirements as part of the graduation requirements).</p>
<p>I will put in big plug foe University of the Pacific here. DD is a sophomore Ed major. The program is nationally accredited so when students graduate they can teach in states other than Califoenia. It is heavy on student teaching. My Dd will get her single subject and multiple subject credentials along with her degree in four years. The Department is very personal…my DD knows her Advisor and her Dean well and I have met them both.<br>
We need more good math teachers and more male teachers. Agreed about
special Ed and secondary school single subject credential.
Please feel free to PM any questions about UOP. I really can’t say enough about how great I think their program is.</p>
<p>This is really important–if you plan on teaching in CA, you need to know about all of this credentialing. It’s great to see that U of P is helping its ed students navigate the waters.</p>
<p>Sounds like your S would be well placed at the middle school level. That area could really use a beefier math and science curriculum in our neck of the woods.</p>
<p>One other thing that raises my estimation of U of P–knowing the material and loving to teach it is one thing that will make you a good teacher. But class management skills are equally important. Nothing like lots of boots on the ground student teaching to let you know if you’ve got the personality for it.</p>
<p>In terms of getting a job when he’s out of school, he might want to lean towards his interest in chemistry and physics. It’s not easy to find good lab science teachers (we’ve seen a slew of bad ones) but history teachers are a dime a dozen. Most districts will have 40 or more applicants for each history position, but they have a tough time filling chemistry and other science positions.</p>
<p>Teacher here…first…ALL teachers will have to do extensive reading and writing in their teacher training programs. Even math and science teachers have to fulfill these requirements. ALL subject areas have written components to them these days (lab reports, written responses to how math and science problems are solved …a requirement on virtually ALL state mandated testing). </p>
<p>If your son wants to be a teacher, his prospects of finding a job after graduation are best in the sciences and math would be next. Our district had hundreds of applications for history and English teachers…and precious few in the sciences, particularly physics. </p>
<p>The best suggestion I can give…and of course with a high school junior this could change many times…try to do a teacher training course of study IN the state in which you plan to teach. It makes fulfilling the requirements for certification so much easier. So…if your son wants to work in FL, he should go there, if he wants to work in CA…he should go there. You get the drift. Sure, he can apply for certification in an additional state, but he will be required to take the Praxis test again in that state AND fulfill any course requirements that state may have (and yes…they do vary).</p>
<p>My junior D is in the ed school at Loyola Marymount and is getting an excellent education. It’s highly regarded in SoCal. She wants K-5, and will get her credential along with her diploma in four years; she’s likely to stay straight through for the 5th year master’s program. She hopes to work in a private progressive school.</p>
<p>Jobs are scarce for teachers right now, but that is expected to change in the coming years. A whole, whole lot of baby-boom teachers will be retiring out. Plus eventually the economy will improve. Won’t it? Please?</p>
<p>I am encouraging him to pursue his desire of being a teacher, given his nurturing and caring nature it seems like a good fit for him right now. He is very organized and hands on too. So let’s see how this year goes. Physics is a good option for a major alongside.</p>
<p>Will look into the colleges you all have mentioned, most of the names I am familiar with from S1 college search last year. Thank you, it’s a good starting point for S2!</p>
<p>We have always lived in big cities so I am assuming he would like to be at least somewhat near an urban area, will not have a car, being able to get out once in a while for a movie/dinner/shopping is important.</p>
<p>re becoming a math or science secondary ed teacher – yes those are the areas where it is easier to find jobs – and there is a reason. it is my understanding that to go into secondary ed, you generally have to major in the field in which you want to be certified (or at least take a fairly good sized concentration in the field). majoring in math or science means taking courses at a level well above what one is likely to have to teach in high school. being a math or physics major in college isn’t easy. doing it just to be able to get a job as a teacher isn’t going to be easy. if a student has an interest and aptitude in those fields, great. but if not, it may not be the way to go.
i think your s would really need to talk to people at the ed departments at the schools he considers to really get a handle on what would be involved in meeting the requirements for the different fields of teaching he might be considering. right now, what he could also be doing is simply talk to some of his HS teachers – they all went thru the process themselves – they may be able to offer some advise.
it is also my understanding that special ed teachers are also in demand? do others know if that is still true? perhaps that might fit with you S’s nurturing nature?</p>
<p>^ I do agree with you. Have suggested to him that he talk to his Physics/Math/History teachers. Special Ed seems like a good field to go into also. When we visit the schools we will make appointments to see the Ed dept.</p>
<p>If he wants to be in CA, check out the CSU system. It’s mission is to prepare teachers. I must state, sadly, that looking for permanent employment as a public school teacher in CA will be very difficult. Teachers with less than 6 years as permanent employees in our school districts are facing pink slips every spring and last minute, temporary contracts. Very discouraging.</p>