<p>Your parents are bringing their own demons into this. Your father feels marginalized in his job as he took it to “help” and then realized that teaching is not a helping profession… it is a profession where you give someone the opportunity and they have to choose whether or not to accept it.</p>
<p>I personally would just nod my head and say mmmhmmmm to your parents advice, tell them that you are going to do exactly what they expect you to do… then when you graduate you can do what you want and even tell your father “i chose this profession because i respect you and wanted to follow in your footsteps.” He can not argue with you there… you are following in his footsteps, and you have already graduated and can do what you want.</p>
<p>Your career center should have some aptitude/interest tests you can take. I did this at my flagship back when and was found to have interests similar to HS science teachers(was a chemistry major then became a physician). Hopefully testing has been further refined but the principles are the same. See if you can do some tests for compatibility with/similarities to others in the field.</p>
<p>If you think you’d like to teach, I hope you do it. We really do need highly qualified math teachers. If you eventually get your Master’s, the salary does go up considerably. Also, as a math teacher, it’s very easy to do private tutoring on the side, for good money (I’m not talking about your own students in your classes, but privately in the community, perhaps in a neighboring city.) Also SAT prep is lucrative, especially over the summers. There is also adjunct teaching at the community college in addition to a H.S. position, after the masters. Directing or teaching academic summer camps, or coaching a sport are other ideas. So, there are plenty of ways to supplement the income. You should be able to increase your income by 20 to 50% this way. My H has done exactly that over the years, and we’re doing fine.</p>
<p>Amazing how much disrespect teachers get (I’m thinking of your parents’ reactions). Follow your heart and work hard, you’ll be fine with whatever decision you make.</p>
<p>There are other jobs you can get with advanced math training (masters or PhD.) There are many analyst jobs of various kinds and you could be a statistician. Many math majors find a home on Wall Street or consulting firms (McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, etc.). It’s not professor or nothing. </p>
<p>Also, if you have programming skills (or are willing to learn some), then you can always go into that industry. I know theoretical physicists who did this. Again, assuming you have some programming skills, plenty of software companies would be happy to hire a mathematician. Also, companies like Matlab would be specifically looking for people with a theoretical background.</p>
<p>Education-wise, you are better off going with your heart, because later on you will be recruited by companies that are looking for people like you. If your educational background presents a false or inaccurate picture of your interests and personality, then you will be recruited for jobs that fit other people, not you, and thus you will be unhappy.</p>
<p>“If it was one of my kids, who are attending very expensive private schools, and they wanted to be a teacher, I would probably react as your parents did. You are talking about a lot of money, and if your parents aren’t wealthy and paying full freight, they most likely feel that they have thrown away money for which they worked very hard.”</p>
<p>How is it throwing away money? If I pay for my kid’s college education, I’m not going to be “entitled” to one penny of his eventual salary, so what difference does it make to ME if he chooses a career that makes $50k or $500k? If he is self supporting and happy, that’s all I care about.</p>
<p>OP I applaud you for wanting to be a teacher. A great teacher CAN make a significant impact in a young person’s life. Especially with Math, where some teachers are better than others in helping kids get their heads around abstract concepts. A good Math teacher is a wonderful thing.</p>
<p>Here is the only thing I want to add to all the other posts: if you are serious about teaching, perhaps you could consider teaching plus some ancillary career (like being a private math tutor – or writing a math textbook) that would supplement your income. There’s a great math book I used for my kids throughout elementary school – Math on Call – whoever wrote it knew math and knew how to explain things. In my experience, with math teachers, you didn’t always get both skills in the same person.</p>
<p>OP: Almost 30 years ago I wanted to be a chemistry teacher, but arguments such as that of your family helped me “change” my mind. I did have a great career in a pharmaceutical lab, but that ended (lesson 1: if you choose a career based on job stability - sometimes the stable jobs of today become the outsourced jobs of tomorrow!) Now I’m back in school getting my certification to teach chemistry and English. </p>
<p>My point? Think about your options, sure. Weigh the pros and cons, of course. But if you decide you really want to teach, go for it. Just go into it with passion and with your eyes open. In some ways, it’s easier to give yourself the options now than to return to the dream later in life.</p>
<p>This, to me, translates as: Based on all my hard work and sacrifice, the least my kid could do is to pursue a career solely based on optimizing his salary. And if he doesn’t, I will make sure to remind him of that fact often, and compare him to peers who make more.</p>
<p>Attitudes about teaching are changing. Many years ago, it was though of as a “calling” in that a lot of good could be done for the public without much pay. In recent years, teachers unions have significantly raised the pay and total compensation for these public servants.
Today, more are seeing these public servants as people who should be more responsible to the public, and so right now, there is a growing mood that putting them in an untouchable glass while being public servants is wrong. Some now feel they need more accountability to the public. If that feeling continues, total compensation may stagnate or even reduce for new teachers coming in.
But despite the mood of a few yrs ago, or todays mood, it is an honorable profession. No, one doesn’t need a top 25 U “just to teach high school”. I can understand parents view that it was extravagant spending of their money. Their perspective would be compared to- we don’t buy a new pair of running shoes every time we jog- that would be spending far more on equipment than necessary; less could have been spent and still reached the same outcome-. Though I’m not sure I agree, I do understand the opinion. But this is the time the student is soon to become an adult(self supporting), and soon should be making his own decisions. Money isn’t the only compensation of any job.</p>
<p>Teacher here…I took those career/aptitude test when I was in high school AND college. Both times, they said I was well suited to be something like a nurse. Ahem…I HATE the sight of blood. Sometimes those tests are NOT particularly accurate.</p>
<p>If you want to be a teacher…become a teacher. My advice…stop talking to your parents about it. It’s YOUR decision…not theirs.</p>
<p>The TFA suggestion is a good one. I also like Classof2015’s comment about tutoring. Perhaps you could do some work now at your college tutoring math. That is a great skill and would give you an idea of whether you like working with people who are struggling in math.</p>
<p>Teach for America is a great program for those who get accepted…but that is NOT a sure thing. They accept a small %age of those who apply. It’s not something you can count on.</p>
<p>A friend’s son majored in education at Emory recently- but they have no student teaching, no way to become qualified for licensure. Be sure your school can give you what you want.</p>
<p>A number of states (I know MA is one) have set up mechanisms to get temporary licensure for those who don’t have a degree in education. The OP might want to look into the requirements in the state where he’d like to teach. I’d second the idea of looking at private schools for teaching positions in math. One of my kids went to a private, independent school that always hired 2 or 3 recent grads (usually from great LACs) who didn’t have teaching experience, but wanted a chance to work with students. They worked with an experienced teacher, who served as a mentor. </p>
<p>Totally disagree with the position that OP wasted his parents’ money by going to a top 25 college and deciding to teach upon graduation. A good education is rarely a “bad” thing. </p>
<p>I think good teachers are incredibly important–especially enthusiastic teachers who are passionate about their subject matter. They can make a difference in the lives of their students. I’m going to a 40th high school reunion (traveling from the east coast to the midwest) primarily because my very favorite English teacher (who is now 83) is going to be there. He was a huge influence on me–introduced me to poetry, which I thought I hated.</p>
<p>Wisconsin has more rigid requirements. It also seems strange to me to have an education major that doesn’t include getting the skills that are a part of it. Theory but no practice? Like a chemistry major without labs…</p>
<p>Teach For America accepts only a small percentage of people who apply, but I’ll bet the percentage of math majors accepted is much higher than average. And other alternative-credential programs – whose difference vs. TFA may be more the quality of their publicists budgets than the quality of training, placement, and support – are much closer to a sure thing for STEM majors at top colleges. I don’t know if this route is really “something you can count on”, but it is sure “something that you can probably do”.</p>
<p>I would have reacted similiar to your parents. In my state, I’d agree with your Mom. Our state schools do a much better job at a lower cost for a teaching career. Give them some time to get their mind around this. </p>
<p>Money is very important to me because we have struggled financially for many years. Our financial struggles limited and dictated choices we made in our lives. I want my child to have MORE choices then I did. Your parents may feel the same. Give them time to adjust and see that this is your choice.</p>
<p>Your parents do not get to choose your career. It’s your life and it’s your career. As you know, teachers do not make much money - but net worth and self worth are two different things. </p>
<p>Perhaps if you knew when your were 17 that you definitely wanted to teach, you very well may have chosen a different college. Many, many students change majors and it’s okay. Hopefully your mom will settle down and understand that it’s your life.</p>
<p>A degree from a top-25 school in no way overqualifies you to be a secondary math teacher. You may find that getting teaching jobs in status-obsessed high-ranking suburban districts is easier if you have a prestigious undergraduate degree. You would also have to get the endorsements for certification, etc. You could do a MAT program (one year) after a four-year degree if you find you are serious about secondary teaching.</p>
<p>It is better to strive to work in a field you care about and are good at, than to try to address your parents’ failures and insecurities in your own career plans. Your father sounds bitter and that’s too bad. I, too, have had lazy students complain about their grades from time to time. Somehow, I still really like my job as a professor. I have also been a public school teacher as well, which I liked for different reasons.</p>
<p>If you get a teaching job in a decent district, you can have a very satisfying life if you are not a materialistic person. It’s not as if math professors are rolling in the dough, in comparison to the high school teacher. Many high school teachers make more money than professors when all is said and done, factoring in things like pensions and other benefits. Beside, no one in any area of education is going to be well-off (unless you are a college president or a very high-ranking administrator).</p>