I spoke with a college student, a serendipitous encounter, about going into teaching. Here’s what I said:
There are some areas of need that never go away. When I say, ‘area of need’ think: instant job at a decent salary. These are subject areas where you can always find a job, and invariably move up in seniority and salary. The two subject areas are Math and Science. Math and Science teachers are hard to find. Good Math and Science teachers areimpossibleto find. Think about it. If you’re a principal, at any school, and you have a high-quality Math or Science teacher, would you let him or her leave – and take those talents somewhere else? I wouldn’t, and neither would you.
When we lose a Mathematics or Science teacher at my High School, the call goes out and a manhunt ensues, and we are all put on high alert to find someone - fast.
Another area that is exploding in terms of employment is English as a Second Language (ESL). It goes by ENL, or ELL, but the area is growing because of all the students who are learning English in school. Students are asked to not only learn History, Math, Science and English, but also learn the language… while all the subject material is going forward at regular speed.
Because of the influx of non-native English speakers, good ESL teachers are at a premium. If you have fluency in Spanish, (or perhaps Mandarin), you are in command during the hiring process.
Let me give you an example.
One of my former students is bilingual (English and Spanish). She is pre-med, gifted in science and an extremely dedicated student. She’s a hard worker. She has decided to not only move forward in the hard sciences, but also get her teaching license and credits. Just in case. Moving forward along those two paths simultaneously is a smart move.
When it comes time to get a job, her problem won’t be ‘willI get hired’, it will be ‘wheredo I want to work, and who is paying me the most’.
Because the market is hungry for those talents, she will parlay those talents into dollars.
If you’re considering teaching, particularly in the public system, keep these things in mind. It’s a giant auction out there. The things that have the most value will command the highest price.
Be someone who gets bid on. Fill a need, and get paid.
Douglas Marolla
Room 227, Mt. Vernon HS, NY
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