4 answers
Marii
Student
West Point, UT
1
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What would be a class that would be crucial for me to take if I want to become a teacher, interior designer, or a clothes desginer I want to be ready!
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4 answers
Ellen Rosenthal
Retired Art Teacher
239
Answers
Woodbridge, Virginia
Updated
Ellen’s Answer
Hi Mari,
You have some varied interests! That's great. I'm not sure if you see them as totally separate or as connected, but here are my thoughts. You also don't say if you are still in high school or in college, but I'll do my best to address both. However, please know there is really not one class alone that will prepare you for any career field, but here are some ideas.
As for being a teacher, you need to decide what sort of teacher you want to be. You have choices. If you like working with young kids, then you could go into general elementary education, grades K-6 and become a classroom teacher, where you would usually teach your students all the subjects. If you want to teacher older kids in Middle or High School, then you would choose a subject to teach, such as English or Language Arts, social studies/history, art, science and so on. It depends on your interests. To become a teacher at either level, you will need to have a degree in education, either a bachelors or a masters, and become certified or licensed by the state where you want to teach.
To become a teacher, the important classes for you to take in high school are really just the ones you are required to take already. Math, science, history, English, History, Languages, plus electives. Do well in them. If your high school offers classes in psychology or child development take those, (though few high schools offer them). If you want to teach art or music, then be sure to take those as your electives. If you are interested in becoming a PE teacher, play sports. In college, you should talk to your advisor about education classes and about other classes that will complement your education classes.
As for becoming an interior designer or clothing/fashion designer, you need to take art in high school. Start with the Art 1, or freshman art class, where you will learn the basics of art such as the elements and principles of design, and gain experience in various studio art media, approaches, and styles. Then continue to take Art 2, Art 3, and Art 4, or the whatever they are called in your school. In most high schools, art classes are sequential and build on what you learned the year before. You will need to know the art basics for most careers in art, including fashion and interior design. Also, important are computer graphic classes, where you will learn how to use programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and others.
Computer graphics skills are really important in all art careers today. In college, again, talk to your advisor about your career goals and see what they suggest.
Again, there is no one class that will do it all to prepare you, but I hope my response gives you some ideas. Best wishes!
You have some varied interests! That's great. I'm not sure if you see them as totally separate or as connected, but here are my thoughts. You also don't say if you are still in high school or in college, but I'll do my best to address both. However, please know there is really not one class alone that will prepare you for any career field, but here are some ideas.
As for being a teacher, you need to decide what sort of teacher you want to be. You have choices. If you like working with young kids, then you could go into general elementary education, grades K-6 and become a classroom teacher, where you would usually teach your students all the subjects. If you want to teacher older kids in Middle or High School, then you would choose a subject to teach, such as English or Language Arts, social studies/history, art, science and so on. It depends on your interests. To become a teacher at either level, you will need to have a degree in education, either a bachelors or a masters, and become certified or licensed by the state where you want to teach.
To become a teacher, the important classes for you to take in high school are really just the ones you are required to take already. Math, science, history, English, History, Languages, plus electives. Do well in them. If your high school offers classes in psychology or child development take those, (though few high schools offer them). If you want to teach art or music, then be sure to take those as your electives. If you are interested in becoming a PE teacher, play sports. In college, you should talk to your advisor about education classes and about other classes that will complement your education classes.
As for becoming an interior designer or clothing/fashion designer, you need to take art in high school. Start with the Art 1, or freshman art class, where you will learn the basics of art such as the elements and principles of design, and gain experience in various studio art media, approaches, and styles. Then continue to take Art 2, Art 3, and Art 4, or the whatever they are called in your school. In most high schools, art classes are sequential and build on what you learned the year before. You will need to know the art basics for most careers in art, including fashion and interior design. Also, important are computer graphic classes, where you will learn how to use programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and others.
Computer graphics skills are really important in all art careers today. In college, again, talk to your advisor about your career goals and see what they suggest.
Again, there is no one class that will do it all to prepare you, but I hope my response gives you some ideas. Best wishes!
Becky Haluska
Content Developer
57
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Becky’s Answer
If you're aiming to become a teacher, the most beneficial high school classes would be those that delve into child development. These are usually found within career and technology pathways. Gaining insight into how children grow and learn is a key step to understanding your future classroom and tailoring your teaching to each student's unique needs.
In addition to child development, I'd suggest enrolling in dual credit courses. The sooner you can step into the classroom environment, even as an aid (that is hired by a public district), the sooner you can start accumulating retirement years. The more years you serve in school districts, the better your retirement benefits will be, and the sooner you can choose to retire if you wish. I've known individuals who started as classroom aids straight after high school while pursuing their degrees. Upon retirement, they had accumulated over 40 years of service and received a retirement package equivalent to their final salary.
I generally advise against AP courses for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they tend to be more challenging than most dual credit courses for the same amount of knowledge provided. Secondly, you'll need to pass a test to earn college credit. With dual credit courses, you simply need to meet the college's standards in the course to earn the credit. Contrary to what some high school counselors may tell you, in most cases, these credits will be accepted by the four-year college of your choice. Just be ready to provide a syllabus and course description at your chosen 4-year college so they can correctly align the course you took with one they offer.
Best of luck with your studies!
In addition to child development, I'd suggest enrolling in dual credit courses. The sooner you can step into the classroom environment, even as an aid (that is hired by a public district), the sooner you can start accumulating retirement years. The more years you serve in school districts, the better your retirement benefits will be, and the sooner you can choose to retire if you wish. I've known individuals who started as classroom aids straight after high school while pursuing their degrees. Upon retirement, they had accumulated over 40 years of service and received a retirement package equivalent to their final salary.
I generally advise against AP courses for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they tend to be more challenging than most dual credit courses for the same amount of knowledge provided. Secondly, you'll need to pass a test to earn college credit. With dual credit courses, you simply need to meet the college's standards in the course to earn the credit. Contrary to what some high school counselors may tell you, in most cases, these credits will be accepted by the four-year college of your choice. Just be ready to provide a syllabus and course description at your chosen 4-year college so they can correctly align the course you took with one they offer.
Best of luck with your studies!
Maria Lewis
Graduate Student/Teacher
7
Answers
Hartford, Connecticut
Updated
Maria’s Answer
Hey! I was an English teacher for 11 years. There are no crucial high school classes to take to become a teacher, so I recommend enjoying your high school electives. The grades and experiences you have can be used in your college admissions essay, etc. When you get into college, your academic advisor will help you map out the courses. Your first two years are mostly just the general required classes (aka prerequisites). These are a lot like high school: English (called Composition), different sciences, and math. Your final 2 years, however, will be when you'll take the "crucial classes." :)
I went to college to become a teacher, and my degree is in English Education. My classes were as I described. I am also help students prepare for courses.
For high school, try to take the classes that interest you, even if it is not even in a future field you want. Different classes add different experiences. When you have different experiences, it can help give you become a more well-rounded person, and you'll be able to have a more elaborate background.
For now, I recommend doing independent research. You can look up some YouTubers. A lot of professionals create YouTube channels to share their knowledge. Make playlists for each career and learn from there. Look up the pros and cons for careers, look up "What I wish I knew before I became a [insert career here]."
Good luck!
I went to college to become a teacher, and my degree is in English Education. My classes were as I described. I am also help students prepare for courses.
For high school, try to take the classes that interest you, even if it is not even in a future field you want. Different classes add different experiences. When you have different experiences, it can help give you become a more well-rounded person, and you'll be able to have a more elaborate background.
For now, I recommend doing independent research. You can look up some YouTubers. A lot of professionals create YouTube channels to share their knowledge. Make playlists for each career and learn from there. Look up the pros and cons for careers, look up "What I wish I knew before I became a [insert career here]."
Good luck!
Alan Weber
writer and retired teacher, teacher educator and academic advisor
207
Answers
Woodstock, New York
Updated
Alan’s Answer
Marii, I can answer for teacher. The first class would be Psychology. And if a child care class is available at your high school (I assume you're in high school), certainly take that. You can also look at the webpages of colleges you might be considering and see what their Teacher Education classes look like. You'd be taking a number of Education and Psychology classes, among others.