Teachers! Some questions for you.

[Chickerdoodle13]

Thanks for all the responses guys! Everything posted is very helpful.

I Have What in My Yard,

I will definitely check out those websites you posted. Perhaps I'll find something there to help "direct" me! Law enforcement is in my blood. Almost all of my relatives on my dad's side (including my dad) is involved in law enforcement. If i thought I could pass the academy, I would definitely become a cop, without a second thought. I do like science though, so if I coud combine both that would be awesome.

My problem with doing something related to animals as a job is that I find myself less inclined to spend time with my own animals after working with other people's all day long. Most of my part time jobs throughout high school and college have been working with animals. I love it, don't get me wrong, but if I had to do it every single day for the rest of my life, I could see myself getting worn out very quickly.

Keep the adivce coming though! It is very much appreciated.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Spend some time as a volunteer with teachers who teach the subject & grade levels in which you are interested. Most schools are in need of helpful volunteers, and you can see first-hand what is involved in being a classroom teacher. Try to visit more than one school and spend time with several teachers.

I think teaching is a noble profession, a high calling, a worthwhile endeavor. However, today's society & many school systems make it a frustrating & unrewarding way to earn a paltry paycheck. Go in with your eyes open, do your homework first.

There are other places where you could work teaching science to children that aren't part of a school system, you may prefer something like that. Museums, zoos & nature centers, parks & recreation centers, places like that where you could share your interest in science without having to deal with the paperwork & politics that consume so much of a schoolteacher's time.

 

[SaltLakeSpice]

Hey Chickerdoodle,

I have been teaching for just a bit shy of 14 years and I love it. I currently teach math for a "youth in custody" school but have been in regular public schools as well. Many of the comments others have posted sum up the profession quite well. the biggest thing is that it's not for everyone but you find out very quickly if it is or not and if it is you will love it. Something you might want to consider is being a teaching assistant for a while.It's low investment way to get yr feet wet. You get to see if you are able to establish those good boundaries and create positive teacher/student relationships, find out if your skin is thick enough and see if you can survive on those little victories other posters have talked about and you get to do all of that before you spend the time and money to go through a teacher training program. It seems like most of the assistants we have had have either left within 6 months or have gone on to become certified teachers. It's actually how I got my start as well.
As for the comment about wasting your intelligence, we need more teachers in the field who actually know their subject matter well. There is nothing better or more inspiring than a teacher that knows their subject well enough that they can actually talk about and demonstrate it in a way that turns it in to something more than just a classroom exercise. I got one of my masters degrees in statistics (the other is in special education) and received many offers to become an actuary or social statistician when i graduated where i could have made A LOT more money or been able to pursue interesting research projects but i thought it was much more important to share my passion for numbers and research with my students. But I'm kinda sick like that. I always think things like "would it make more of an impact on the world if I as one person were doing research and making discoveries or is it better to potentially inspire 10 other people to make the discoveries?" That's just he optimistic teacher in me though : )
I could ramble on for page after page about why teaching is a great profession and why the drawbacks are overshadowed by the perks (if you really want that, message me) but that is really something you should experience and decide for yourself. If you think teaching might be for you, try it out. You're young. There's is no reason (contrary to what social and familial pressures tell you) that you need to be set on your career path when you leave college. I'm certainly not the social worker I trained and planned to be when I left college. It just wasn't for me once I got into it. There are certainly things I took away and use from my undergraduate work but it's certainly not what I grew up to be.

 

[TriciaHowe]

If you are interested in medicine but don't want to pursue an MD you could always look at RN (BSA) (Registered Nurse w/bs), Nurse Practitioner or Physicians Assistant. You could also look into Pharmacy.
Good luck with whatever you do! Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. Certainly a lot better than I did at your age!

 

[redhen]

Be a crime scene investigator... it combines science and law enforcement...

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Tricia, I have been told physician's assistant is an excellent field to get into. I haven't looked into it completely yet, but apparently there is a large need for them in my area. I really should do more research!

Quote:
I would LOVE to do this...even if I was just tucked away in a lab all day. It's just there are almost no jobs at all in my area, and the few that exist pay very little. I'm thinking about possibly doing some sort of law enforcement internship or something, even just working at a court house, over the summer. My dad said he would most likely be able to hook me up with something, since he is a detective. The only thing that is holding me back from doing this is that these internships really don't pay much at all, if anything and I really need to devote time this summer to a job that I will make money at. I don't know how much time for internships that will leave me! That's why I'm figuring maybe I'll do an internship after I graduate.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I would LOVE to do this...even if I was just tucked away in a lab all day. It's just there are almost no jobs at all in my area, and the few that exist pay very little. I'm thinking about possibly doing some sort of law enforcement internship or something, even just working at a court house, over the summer. My dad said he would most likely be able to hook me up with something, since he is a detective. The only thing that is holding me back from doing this is that these internships really don't pay much at all, if anything and I really need to devote time this summer to a job that I will make money at. I don't know how much time for internships that will leave me! That's why I'm figuring maybe I'll do an internship after I graduate.

Dont give up because of location!! How far are you from NYC...lots of crime there..tee hee hee..