4 answers
Laberta
Student
Naples, New York
1
Question
Asked
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What is some advice you could give to a college student looking into teaching at the high school level?
I am a college sophomore transferring into a 4-year school for music education. I've already been substituting at my local elementary and high school to really get the feel of the job, but I was wondering what other advice people may have!
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4 answers
O Marvikasari
Indonesian Translator/Interpreter/Writer
5
Answers
Olympia, Washington
Updated
O’s Answer
Hi Laberta,
Thank you for choosing this career. I really admire and respect teachers. Many people don't realize the different opportunities you can have while teaching in high school.
* Curriculum Developer / Instructional Designer: Create lesson plans, learning materials, or online courses for schools, publishers, or ed-tech companies.
* Academic Advisor / School Counselor: Help students with high school plans and prepare for college or careers (you might need a counseling certification).
* Education Consultant: Work with schools or districts to improve teaching methods, technology use, or curriculum.
* Standardized Test Scorer / Item Writer: Design or evaluate questions for standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, or AP exams.
* Online Tutor / Teacher / Course Creator: Teach on platforms like Outschool, Khan Academy, or even your own YouTube or podcast channel.
* Textbook Writer / Editor: Create educational content for publishers or ed-tech companies.
* Copyeditor / Proofreader: Especially if you teach English or languages.
Good luck!
Thank you for choosing this career. I really admire and respect teachers. Many people don't realize the different opportunities you can have while teaching in high school.
* Curriculum Developer / Instructional Designer: Create lesson plans, learning materials, or online courses for schools, publishers, or ed-tech companies.
* Academic Advisor / School Counselor: Help students with high school plans and prepare for college or careers (you might need a counseling certification).
* Education Consultant: Work with schools or districts to improve teaching methods, technology use, or curriculum.
* Standardized Test Scorer / Item Writer: Design or evaluate questions for standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, or AP exams.
* Online Tutor / Teacher / Course Creator: Teach on platforms like Outschool, Khan Academy, or even your own YouTube or podcast channel.
* Textbook Writer / Editor: Create educational content for publishers or ed-tech companies.
* Copyeditor / Proofreader: Especially if you teach English or languages.
Good luck!
Amy Sarno
Manager, Philanthropy & Volunteerism
26
Answers
Corning, New York
Updated
Amy’s Answer
Hi Laberta!
As a former music educator I highly recommend shadowing music teachers so you can see what a full day of teaching in your field looks like. You'll likely need to do these types of observations as a requirement during your Junior Year.
It's important to experience what the reality of being a music teacher is like. You may want to teach at the high school level now, but your degree (assuming you'll be certified to teach K-12) will offer flexibility. Some elementary music teachers need to split their time between two different schools in addition to general music classes. At the high school level, you may need to teach other classes, like guitar, piano, music history or music theory and conduct two (or more) ensembles.
Being a substitute teacher is a great way to get used to working with students and what working in a school is like. This is a great opportunity to build relationships and to ask teachers for their advice.
As a former music educator I highly recommend shadowing music teachers so you can see what a full day of teaching in your field looks like. You'll likely need to do these types of observations as a requirement during your Junior Year.
It's important to experience what the reality of being a music teacher is like. You may want to teach at the high school level now, but your degree (assuming you'll be certified to teach K-12) will offer flexibility. Some elementary music teachers need to split their time between two different schools in addition to general music classes. At the high school level, you may need to teach other classes, like guitar, piano, music history or music theory and conduct two (or more) ensembles.
Being a substitute teacher is a great way to get used to working with students and what working in a school is like. This is a great opportunity to build relationships and to ask teachers for their advice.
Charnelle Saint-laurent
Observer analyst
70
Answers
Huntington Station, New York
Updated
Charnelle’s Answer
Hello,
Advice for a future teacher is to have personality while teaching high school students the influence you can have on them could transform there life forever and know your subject as well as continuously learning with them and from them. Hope you found this helpful.
CSL
Advice for a future teacher is to have personality while teaching high school students the influence you can have on them could transform there life forever and know your subject as well as continuously learning with them and from them. Hope you found this helpful.
CSL
Esther Soto
Program Management
2
Answers
Heredia, Heredia Province, Costa Rica
Updated
Esther’s Answer
My advice: even though you are new, remember that you have the skills and passion for that. The school system will give you the academic objectives for you to follow and teach but what will really make the difference is the way that you will serve your students and the way you treat them. Teachers that smile more, show their passion towards that specific subject and who enjoy teaching, are transmitting great energy to the students and that impacts more! Keep it up!