Ask A Scientist© General Science Archive

    name        Tom
    status      student
    age         17

    Question -        Hi, my name is Tom , and I am doing a career
report for my english class. I am a junior now and have pretty much decided
that I want to be a science teacher, probably for high school
students. I ust have a couple of questions that I would like to ask you.

1. What do you like most about your job?
        I love the interaction with students the most.  Bringing people to a new
understanding of the universe and of themselves is very exciting.  Training
students in how to create a good argument from data is most exciting.

2. How did you become interested in your career?
        I would sit in many classes thinking that there is a better way to
instruct people.  I would keep notes on good strategies, and poor ones.  I
decided somewhere in college that I would like to improve on what and how I
was taught.

3. Could you briefly describe some of your job responsibilities.
        Attendance (state law).  Safety.  Planning, executing, and evaluating
lessons and student work.  Study hall.  Parent night.  Assembly
supervision.  Discipline, department, and faculty meetings.  Meetings with
counselors on an as need basis.  Mentoring new faculty (and an occasional
student teacher).  Training (institute days, conferences, reading journals,
technology, and the like).  Action research.  Letters of recommendation.
Helping with individual student research projects.  There is more, but you
asked for a brief description.

4. What education and/or training was necessary for you job?
        First and foremost, a degree in the content area of instruction.  My
degree is in Astronomy with a minor in physics and mathematics.  Then, you
need a patient personality.  Education certification courses are required
for certification.  Some of the courses were appropriate, and some had no
bearing on teaching.  Then student teaching and on the job training.  I am
still learning after 24 years.

5. Approximately how many hours, a week, do you work?
        During the school year, about 55 +/- 15.
        Summers, about 40.

6. What is the approximate salary range for you area?
        Weak to poor.  Some schools start teachers at about $16,000 per year.
After 20 years of experience and advanced degrees, some districts are as
high as $95,000.  The mean is probably around $40,000 in the state of
Illinois.

7. What do you like least about your job?
        Time away from professional development and direct instruction of
students.  This includes supervisory duties, such as study hall.  I find a
lack of respect for teachers in general (look at newspaper reports), an
anti-intellectual mood in the country, the lack of recognition that
teachers need appropriate class load and quality time for professional
development.  Curriculum development is a serious matter, and takes several
years to properly research, write, test, and execute.  This time is not
given.  Instead, poorly written state tests are given to students to reform
education, rather than giving the paid time to the practicing
professionals.  As an aside, hiring staff on the ability to coach, say
baseball, and then finding what area they can teach.  This is backward.

8. From your knowledge, what state or school district would be
the best (in salaries and school qualities) to enroll in as a teacher?
        The one in which your special gifts will be appreciated and used, in a
community that you will be able to grow and learn in.  This is not only the
school community, but also the community in which the school resides.  Some
people work best with high ability students, others with low ability
students.  Some relate better to certain cultural groups, while others do
not.  It is very personal, and needs to be a good match with colleagues,
clients, and the community.  There is no one best school for everyone.
Life is full of choices.  If you are thrilled in a job, and can grow, this
might be worth more than the top salary.

9. What were some of the science classes that you enrolled into
in high school?
        Biology, Chemistry, Physics.

10. What are some of the best ways (being that I am a junior) to
get into the science teaching field?
        Get a Bachelor's degree in some discipline of science or engineering.
Prepare well in math and statistics.  Take a course in evaluation and
another in research design.  Do not forsake the arts and humanities.  Good
writing and communication skills are critical.  A foreign language is a
plus.  Many schools will look at coaching an after school activity a big
plus.  Shdow some teachers through a day (or even a whole week, if you can)
and see if you like it.  After you have done all that, select a
professional school for certification.

---Nathan A. Unterman
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