Aspiring Prep School Teacher-- Advice?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Parents
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My niece (who is like another daughter to me) is working on her PhD in chemistry. She has long been interested in a career in education and has been hoping to teach at a small liberal arts college, but that’s not looking promising due to the stiff competition of the academic job market. Recently, she’s become interested in working as a chemistry and/or biology teacher at a prep school as she enjoys working with high schoolers and they seem to have the kind of academic community she’s looking for in a career.

She’s not in a rush, as she still has ~3 years to go on her PhD. She’s planning to do some networking and get a sense of what the teaching job market looks like-- she would consider leaving the doctoral program with a Master’s degree if she got a great job offer, though.

We don’t know many folks in the prep/boarding school world, so I hoped that y’all might be able to answer some questions :slight_smile: It’s always good to get a parent’s perspective!

  1. Do you know of any teachers who have followed a similar path (PhD/advanced degree directly to high school teacher)? Do most teachers start by teaching public school first?
  2. What characteristics have you observed in your children's best/most effective teachers?
  3. What is distinctive or especially challenging about teaching in a prep school (vs. high school in general)?
  4. For those of you who have a background teaching in prep schools, what was your experience like? Also, generally, what is the salary range?

Thanks in advance!!

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(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum-- I thought it would be valuable to get the prep school parent perspective, and this forum in general seems to be pretty active :slight_smile: )

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Prep schools generally hire “all-purpose” faculty-- they are usually not just teachers, but also coaches and dorm parents. This is referred to as “triple threat”. While there are certainly some schools with faculty that possess high level degrees, and some schools which have advanced degree holders as heads of special research programs and the like, there are many prep school faculty who are fresh out of college with a BA/BS degree, some having taught a couple of years in public school, some not. It is an interesting mix. Many schools are hiring more and more with Masters degrees… it is becoming a selling point for the schools.

The biggest challenge? For me, it was having enough energy to get through the day, plus then be on dorm duty, and attend countless school events, and also be a parent to my young child. The demands are great and so are the rewards— the kids are terrific, and there is nothing better than being part of the school community. But nobody goes into that work for the money. It’s more of a calling. Nothing like public school… the demands on your time are endless. Salaries are minimal… but you live in a beautiful place, work with amazing colleagues and incredible kids. And, you get the summers off!

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And in many cases, housing and dining are covered!

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I’m a BS parent, not a teacher like @cameo43, so my perspective may be different. At our school, most of the teachers have at least a master’s degree in their subject and some have PhDs. Not so many with just a BA/BS, so your niece’s degree should be helpful. None of the teachers at our school have no teaching experience at all but quite a few have university/college teaching experience. (I know that some schools will hire directly out of college, especially if the candidate can bring another skill, such as coaching, that is needed.) Your niece may be able to build her resume a bit as a TA or adjunct prof., which could be helpful at a number of places. Because many BS communities are small, teachers who have the ability to teach biology or chemistry or environmental science are valuable because it allows the school to respond to interest, so she should highlight that.

In our neck of the woods, very few of the private school teachers have public school experience, and I think that’s because the path to (public) certification is so different. Public school teachers have to take more education courses but need far less expertise in their subject area. With her STEM background, teaching in a public school is probably an option, and there are some shortcuts to getting there (should it interest her). While it has different challenges, I think the boundaries are much clearer, so if the idea of being part of a community for so much of every week seems a challenge (it would have been for me, at least prior to having kids), she could consider that.

But mostly, I think your niece needs to be onboard for the whole, immersive BS experience. At our school, the teachers don’t teach that many classes, and classes tend to be small, so the number of students (and hence papers, tests, labs, etc.) to grade is far more manageable. However, it’s expected, as @cameo43 mentions, that teachers are invested in their students. I’m always amazed at the teachers who show up at games simply to watch a student play! (Or a play, concert, etc.) And of course, they take on many roles, such as coaches, advisors, dorm parents, club sponsors, etc. And they’re available for consultations, tutoring, etc. Our school has quite a few teachers who have been there for 15, 20, 30 years, and ALL of them claim to do it because they love the kids and they love to teach. As a parent, I don’t think that’s just lip service – I’m regularly wowed by how much joy these folks bring to their jobs and how much the kids like them. I also wonder how they keep up their energy!

Without having had the job, but having watched the successful, long-time teachers, I think that their values are really aligned with the mission of the school. I’m not sure that’s an opportunity everyone gets for the first job, but I’d encourage your niece to dig into that a bit as she looks. I’d imagine that it’d be hard to live in a community that didn’t really reflect your values – if you’re a believer in equality but the kids of big donors are treated differently, for example, that could be incredibly irksome. And while the pay is typically not terrific, if it comes with housing, meals (and sometimes tuition for your kids and “insta-family” for them), and a short commute, it’s not all apples to apples. But as pointed out, it’s a labor of love. Truthfully, I envy the teachers at our school – what they do has meaning, and they have some great opportunities to connect with folks (including other faculty) in a way that is truly gratifying. I can point to several who have really made a difference in my son’s life. Not sure anyone would say that about me or any of my corporate co-workers!

One other thing your niece might want to consider… I’ve noticed that a number of the international schools have openings from time to time, so if she has wanderlust and is looking for a way to build her credentials, that just might be a possibility. Not the BS experience, but not public school either…

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Thank you SO much for your detailed posts, @cameo43 and @gardenstategal ! I will pass them on.

That is interesting and encouraging. Niece had been told that some secondary schools see a PhD as a disadvantage– more interested in research than teaching, which is definitely not true in her case. She loves teaching and has taught several undergraduate sections as a supplemental instructor, so will emphasize that experience (and her tutoring background).

Gardenstategal, I agree re: being on board with the immersive experience. Niece had originally wanted to teach at the college level, but is somewhat disappointed by the lower levels of interactions with students. She wants to get to know them personally, not just as faces in her lecture hall or 15-minute appointments in office hours. She’s very excited by the idea of becoming part of a school “family” and having a big impact on many young lives. She attended a very personal private HS (though not boarding) and loved that experience, still keeps in contact with a couple teachers.

Amen! I am starting to think the same way. My own D is thinking of pursuing education, and it’s hard to think of a career that has more potential to truly change lives.

Would love to hear additional perspectives! :slight_smile:

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At my D’s school, PhD is the norm except for math where it is a masters. Most are there because they want to tech bright, motivated students. They sure aren’t there for the money.

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At my kids school (Putney) they host the PEL program which is for progressive education, a recent graduate is now teaching at Cate school. http://progressiveeducationlab.org/

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Trajectory of a dear friend who chairs an English Department at an independent school:

  • started substitute teaching at independent schools while working on his PhD
  • picked up a part-time gig at an independent school (odd school, few part-time jobs)
  • continued to interview for colleges, with no success
  • interviewed with multiple schools at a yearly convention they hold
  • accepted job; they even waived requirements that he coach or sponsor a club while he finished his dissertation
  • was a department chair within 6 years
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Teaching at a boarding school seems like the absolute perfect life for the right person. And I will echo that there are many PhDs at my kids’ school. Best of luck to your niece!