3 answers
Brycen
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
5
Questions
Asked
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What are the best and worst parts of being a middle/high school teacher in the US?
I'm a high school sophomore who has been considering teaching since I was in elementary school. However, I've started to wonder if that's truly the best career path for me. What are the best and worst parts of teaching middle and high schoolers?
If any retired/currently working teachers answer this question, could you share what subject you teach and what led you to teaching that subject?
#CV23 #education
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3 answers
Jeff Francis
1
Answer
Yuma, Arizona
Updated
Jeff’s Answer
Bryce, teaching is one of the most rewarding professions I have come across thus far in my career journey. I have worked in numerous industries including healthcare, education, customer service, I.T., retail, sales/marketing, behavioral health, workforce solutions, and the military. Growing up I had always wanted to be a teacher and I am now teaching my second semester ever of Middle School Career Exploration. It is my job to help students find their passions and after a long and tedious journey, I have finally found mine! I stayed away from teaching because people always talked about the low pay. I actually think that the pay is fair based on education, what you have to do, how much you have to work in comparison to other fields, and how much time off work you get. My biggest challenge is in regard to student behaviors. At times I feel disrespected and like students just don't care or don't want to take school seriously. Overcoming that obstacle is fairly easy though because you can't always help everyone, and you can't take things personally in this profession. I would advise you to observe. Request from different schools' principals to sit in on different classes and observe. Interview several teachers to get their opinions and share their experiences. Maybe graduate high school and consider becoming a substitute first to see what you think about it.
Request to observe multiple classroom environments.
Interview Teachers and ask for positive AND negative opinions and experiences.
Graduate high school and try substitute teaching.
Jeff recommends the following next steps:
Thanks, can't wait to put this advice into action!
Brycen
I appreciate your support, Jeff
Samuel
Hey Jeff, I don't if you've ever thought about using CareerVillage with your students, but we do have a whole curriculum that I would be happy to send to you if you're interested!
Gurpreet Lally, Admin
Gurpreet, please do send me your curriculum!
Thank you!
Jeff Francis
Sending you the lesson plans via email!
Gurpreet Lally, Admin
Laurie Pritchard, Ed. S., M.A.T.
Executive Trainer, Rocket Mortgage
59
Answers
Wilmington, North Carolina
Updated
Laurie’s Answer
Great question, Brycen! I am a retired elementary school teacher and principal, and I did the job for 30 years.
Although I did not teach middle school or high school, I taught grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 and I taught reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. I do not regret my career choice at all. I absolutely loved the students and the families that I worked with. The joy that I felt seeing my students grown and learn was priceless. I loved getting up and going to school every day. That said, it was also the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The job is intellectually, physically, and emotionally challenging, so be prepared for that.
Before you make the decision to teach, definitely explore the career as Jeff mentioned in his response. Be absolutely sure this is what you want to do. When you are a teacher, it is a lifestyle. The job can be all-consuming and often crosses the boundaries into you personal life. You will think about your students all the time, worry about them, try to figure out what more you can do to help them, and you'll find yourself planning lessons in the car, in the grocery store, in your sleep! It is so important that we have people who are all in when teaching our children, the job is that important!
Best to you as you start figuring out if this is the career for you!
Although I did not teach middle school or high school, I taught grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 and I taught reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. I do not regret my career choice at all. I absolutely loved the students and the families that I worked with. The joy that I felt seeing my students grown and learn was priceless. I loved getting up and going to school every day. That said, it was also the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The job is intellectually, physically, and emotionally challenging, so be prepared for that.
Before you make the decision to teach, definitely explore the career as Jeff mentioned in his response. Be absolutely sure this is what you want to do. When you are a teacher, it is a lifestyle. The job can be all-consuming and often crosses the boundaries into you personal life. You will think about your students all the time, worry about them, try to figure out what more you can do to help them, and you'll find yourself planning lessons in the car, in the grocery store, in your sleep! It is so important that we have people who are all in when teaching our children, the job is that important!
Best to you as you start figuring out if this is the career for you!
Maeve Cannon
CareerVillage.org TeamPartnerships Manager
45
Answers
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Updated
Maeve’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
Hi Brycen,
I was not a middle school or high school teacher, but I am a former elementary school teacher. I can say without a doubt the best part of my job was interacting with students. My students made me laugh so much and they made a lot of the really hard work worth it. I also miss the parents I worked with! There is no better feeling than working together with a family to help a student succeed. Sometimes I felt exhausted or inadequate while I was teaching, I experienced a lot of self-doubt and worry that I wasn't doing enough for my students. But every once in a while, I would receive a message of gratitude from a student's parent and it really put into perspective why I worked so hard.
I hinted at the hard parts of teaching above: worry and self-doubt. It is SO hard not to let work consume your life when you become very emotionally invested in the success of your students. Additionally, it is hard to see your students making progress every day because it happens in such small increments. It is not until you get to zoom out at the end of the year to see where your students started and where they ended up that you can take a breath and realized you really did help.
As the other professionals stated above, teaching is a lifestyle. You have to be prepared for it to consume a lot of mental and emotional space in your life. But ultimately, if you are passionate about helping students succeed, it will be totally worth it.
I was not a middle school or high school teacher, but I am a former elementary school teacher. I can say without a doubt the best part of my job was interacting with students. My students made me laugh so much and they made a lot of the really hard work worth it. I also miss the parents I worked with! There is no better feeling than working together with a family to help a student succeed. Sometimes I felt exhausted or inadequate while I was teaching, I experienced a lot of self-doubt and worry that I wasn't doing enough for my students. But every once in a while, I would receive a message of gratitude from a student's parent and it really put into perspective why I worked so hard.
I hinted at the hard parts of teaching above: worry and self-doubt. It is SO hard not to let work consume your life when you become very emotionally invested in the success of your students. Additionally, it is hard to see your students making progress every day because it happens in such small increments. It is not until you get to zoom out at the end of the year to see where your students started and where they ended up that you can take a breath and realized you really did help.
As the other professionals stated above, teaching is a lifestyle. You have to be prepared for it to consume a lot of mental and emotional space in your life. But ultimately, if you are passionate about helping students succeed, it will be totally worth it.