I agree with katliamom’s post somewhere back in this thread. He will most likely change majors and paths, maybe even a few times. I wouldn’t worry about this particular idea too much. It is probably a response to a good experience with this teacher and temporary. If he likes art maybe he could do a class or program this fall that could clarify things for him.
My son didn’t show much interest in the college search either (and is a bright kid). One day, I told him he did not have to go to college, and, for as long as he wished, could work instead. (Said in a friendly voice, and he knew I was sincere.) I told him I would take him to visit wherever he wanted but he would have to make the schedule. I left the house and came back to find him making a color-coded calendar for visits!
editing to add that I am sure that plenty of art students are geniuses
@jym626 that depends on where you live. To be certified to teach in NY, you eventually DO need a Master 's degree. The same is true in a number of other states as well, though I don’t remember which ones.
I don’t understand why so many here seem so inclined to talk this young man out of his dream. Showing him the realities, sure. But we’ve all had our chance to determine our own paths, why shouldn’t he? The fact that one particular teacher awakened this dream is immaterial…would it be different if that one teacher taught Physics??
As to the teachers that kids look up to, they come in a huge variety of types. It’s not a matter of one particular teacher persona that connects to all kids. Kids tend to respect the teachers who know their stuff, who are fair, who genuinely like kids, who aren’t afraid of a bit of tough love… The list goes on and on. So don’t worry that he’s not the “type” you remember kids respecting. Trust that he’ll find his way.
OP, if you honestly think it’s the “shiny mail” that’s attracting your son, then visit some sites from schools you would prefer that have good art education programs, and request info for your son. Not a day goes by that we don’t ger mail from colleges, so he doesn’t ever have to know how these particular schools got his name. Even if he does have his eye on that one school now, visit a number of others, since he can’t be guaranteed admission. He’ll want to have a number of school in which he’ll be happy. (I write this from a Holiday Inn 4 hours from home. We’re meeting with an admissions counselor at 10:30, the tour starts at 11.)
In the vast majority of states, one needs to get a masters degree within a certain number of years to continue to be certified. Most teachers do this in the evenings and/during the summers. They do it course by course.
@MiamiDAP where did you get your information about teachers and advanced degrees?
Of course Miami, your kid went to a private school, as you know, private school teachers don’t need SDE certification at all…or advanced degrees.
That being said…I didn’t hear that it was a financial hardship for this family. It is only financially objectionable because the kid wants to be an art teacher, not some other high paying job.
As thumper said, additional coursework is often done in the summer or evenings to maintain certification. They can, but don’t frequently take a sabbatical to leave their job and return to school fulltime. My initial comment was in response to the statement about future teachers. A teacher entering the field does not need an advanced degree. Many students are doing teach for America directly after college. And as thumper also said, policies differ between public and private primary/secondary school.
I have several friends who left their professions (business, accounting, nursing) to teach at the HS level. There is an alternative certification program here (and I assume in other states as well) for career switchers who already have a bachelors degree. If they already have a masters in another field, I would assume, but don’t know for sure, that that would be accepted if an advanced degree is required, while still completing the certification program. Many careers with licensure/certification require continuing education to renew/maintain their licensure. Mine does. But since we already have doctorates, the required continuing education does not go towards an additional degree.
Also although a school system may eventually want their teachers to have Masters Degrees, they often don’t want them to start out with one because then the teacher has a higher starting salary. So see what is done in the area he wants to work.
That’s completely debatable. There are many state schools where one can acquire education credentials, for that state at least, at a low cost, and there may even be a handful that actually do a good job of preparing people to be teachers. But in general I think they are pretty abysmal on that score (as are private college programs).
My friend’s son graduated with an engineering degree with Honors from UMich but went for special education afterward and is now teaching in high school. He is very happy with his current job while his wife is going to medical school. I do think it is great to have a brilliant teacher for our next generation.
Note that there are programs to forgive college loans if one choose to be a teacher. OP probably should look into that.
One, let him do what he wants, whether you pay for it is another thing altogether. Two, a 34 is just a smart kid, but saying he is a genius, well, that’s just plain ole parental hyperbole.
When a bright young person expresses an interest in in going into k-12 teaching (a necessary and honorable profession) and gets this kind of negative reaction, it makes me sad. It’s also not a good idea to assume that full-time teaching positions in public schools are all that easy to get. It’s quite competitive now in my state for a new certified grad to get any full-time teaching job in any public district, even the less good ones. The market for teachers is pretty saturated and only the best candidates get offers. These kids are not knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers, contrary to popular stereotypes about the typical abilities of people who seek careers in teaching. Many are called but few are chosen.
I would suggest you check this out. http://www.portfolioday.net/ Click on the 2015-16 schedule and take your son to one. Most are early in the year, i.e., before app deadlines.
I think this will help with 2 things. 1. If you are right and your S has little talent, that will become apparent. 2. You’ll lboth earn a lot about colleges that offer various kinds of art degrees.
My D went to a top college. First friend to get a great job was a studio art major. She’s branched out to web design. She’s worked for top advertising firms. She’s very talented and it’s fun to see what she’s been able to do with that degee. Of course, she’s not an art teacher.
I think teaching art is an enviable job and studying art is an enviable major in many ways. It is hard to look ahead and see the future, but I think many of us have seen our kids’ dreams evolve and change quite a few times. That is not a negative position on teaching art at all, If that dream persists, that will be great, but unless the son wants art school, he can go to a college with a major that can lead him to his goal, with access to other courses and influences along the way which may or may not divert him.
I think the OP feels that it is premature to assume that her S has found his passion and may neither be that good at art and may not have the same kind of charismatic style as the teacher who he sees as a role model. My normal approach in situations like this is to follow the advice of a sage colleague who used to say, “Let the problem teach them.” To do that, it would make sense for him to attend a school that allows for switching.
ShawWife is a reasonably successful fine artist. Very, very talented and recognized as such (work owned by all regional museums and others out of the region but not yet in MOMA or major national museums). She gets asked to teach at local colleges/art schools/universities and does so occasionally but there are many, many artists out there who want to teach to support themselves. It is very competitive. Some have good jobs; many do not. The same is true for high school art teachers. And, from what I can tell, at least some states and/or school districts are really cutting down on the arts and music – public pensions will probably take a haircut at some point and jobs may be hard to get. One of my wife’s teachers at art school used to say about a career in art, “If you can do anything else, do it.” My wife has lots of other capabilities but feels compelled to make art. But, he was saying, you will have a better life if you have other ways of making a living that you are capable of pursuing.
ShawSon, who is strong at math, abstract thinking and high level academics (the math runs in my father’s family) is also at art (like his mom) observed when he was early in HS a friend of ours who as a Stanford Physics PhD who was later on the faculty of MIT and Harvard whose passionate hobby was high-end artistic nature photography (with all of the latest equipment). ShawSon said, “I think I’ll be like XX and make art for fun on the weekend.” He could see that he was better off using and developing one set of talents in terms of quality of life and enjoying the other set of talents.
One suggestion to the OP. If you don’t think you and your S could engage on this well, perhaps he would be happy to talk to other relevant respected adults. I just offered to meet with the son of a friend who wouldn’t engage with his dad on career stuff (he is post-MBA, actually). He met with me and reportedly was very grateful.
Not that simple until purse strings are cut. With dad paying for the education, it may be the kid’s life, but at a minimum, dad is entitled to his opinion.
Maybe I’m really provincial and hopeless, but the pay for a tenured public school teacher in my area at mid-career is about 70K plus relatively generous benefits and pension. Now obviously you are not going to be the one that the golddigger bats her eyes at, but if you marry another teacher, that’s 140K with good benefits plus summers off. You can live on that very nicely if your goals don’t include the country club membership and the BMW. Most teachers I know prioritize lifestyle over consumption. Among the teacher set, no one is going to throw shade at you because you drive a Ford instead of a BMW and wear LL Bean instead of Ermenegildo Zegna.
OP said he isn’t that talented in art. If that’s true, he’ll find out quickly after taking a few classes in college. Maybe he does have talent, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell. Perhaps if it were to become apparent in college he didn’t have artistic talent he could get certified to teach something else. Is it the art part of the equation or the education part more important?
“the pay for a tenured public school teacher in my area at mid-career is about 70K plus relatively generous benefits and pension”
Say, your spouse is also making about the same. Then it is enough for a family to take care of the kids, pay mortgage, take nice vacations. But paying huge student loans is going to last most of your life on this income. If your spouse is making much more, you are a king, if your spouse is making much less, no chance at paying off the student loans. So, if you want to be an art teacher after going to expensive college, marry MD or a lawyer (preferably without a student loan). I know one couple like this, very nice happy people with 2 kids living comfortably.
