<p>I have thought about becoming a high school science teacher as an option over a doctor or biomedical engineer. I have such a passion for science, and I want a job where I can use my knowledge in the service for others, and help many different backgrounds. It's really funny actually, I didn't even notice the option of a teacher til recently, and it's been in front of me the whole time.</p>
<p>I love both biology and chemistry, but I'd figured there would be more demand for chemistry than biology. </p>
<p>But I have also heard other things, such as the economy being bad, bad salary, outlook not good. Money is not really an issue for me.</p>
<p>What I plan to do in the event that I choose to go this path is try to get hired after I earn my Bachelor's, then earn my Master's. I know some schools require a master's but my teacher has also told me that some schools are more willing to hire someone for less. </p>
<p>Also, if I had to work for a high school, it would be my high school at the moment. Is there any bias towards applicants who are applying to the school they graduated from?</p>
<p>I also thought about bringing other options, such as working on the Science Research Club, or maybe a Neuroscience Club. If I didn't pursue teaching, I'd major in Neuroscience. What can I do with this major? </p>
<p>Most importantly, what looks like a better option?</p>
<p>I don’t know of any schools which prefer to hire teachers who have a higher degree over one with a Bachelor’s - lower starting pay (although having a more advanced degree usually only means a small pay raise in most states.)</p>
<p>That said, I know in South Carolina, Biology/Chemistry/Math teachers are in crucial demand; it’s rare to hear of any education professional without a job in one of those fields. It’s true that the salary isn’t the best, but it is definitely a living wage and then some. You can’t teach for the money alone (just like you can’t do any other job for the money alone.) I don’t know if there is a higher demand for Chemistry over Biology, however. I’m actually studying to teach High School Biology myself.</p>
<p>rebeccar is absolutely incorrect. My niece is a teacher and began teaching middle school math and French (of all the odd combos) with only a BA. She now teaches HS French and JUST got her MA in reading, and is following that up with one in math so that she can teach Running Start. This is in NH, but it’s also true in WA, as most of my D’s teachers have not had Master’s degrees.</p>
<p>The school she is at now is STEM focused and they are working directly with education students looking to teach STEM subjects. Some have Master’s some do not. Depending on where you are looking to go to school and where you plan to teach, you may find many options to work directly after you graduate. My niece took on some sub jobs at her old HS right after she graduated but was offered a spot in another town so that’s where she is. She went to a college in another state.</p>
<p>There is a federal scholarship available JUST for teaching students at both the undergrad and grad level. I believe it’s called TEACH. Although teaching doesn’t pay as well as ibanking or engineering, it’s a decent wage. Also, as a teacher, you may find some interesting and affordable travel opportunities not open to the general public. My niece has done more traveling than her cousins who work in the business sector.</p>
<p>My D is planning to teach, but not STEM. I think it’s a great career choice if you work well with kids.</p>
<p>neuronerd36,
Good luck in your path! Though most of our high school teachers at the high school where I teach have Master’s degrees, you may be able to get that beginning job with a Bachelor’s. Make sure you keep your student loans under control, as a beginning salary doesn’t support lots of loans. Back in the day, when I graduated from college, student loans were minimal. Now, I see beginning teachers, or for that matter, teachers in their 30’s unable to own homes or a decent car because their student loans are such a burden. There are many well-educated teachers holding second and third jobs to make ends meet. Don’t let that happen to you.</p>
<p>Get experience along the way by working at your local science center, working in after school programs, and perhaps helping in various classrooms while attending college.</p>
<p>Also, depending where you live, some states do pay for a Teaching Certificate for students already holding a Bachelor’s in science. An example is [W.K</a>. Kellogg’s Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship - Woodrow Wilson Fellowship - Wayne State University](<a href=“College of Education - Wayne State University”>College of Education - Wayne State University)
Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Oh, and be sure you talk to your advisor and Financial Aid about scholarships/grants for teaching. The TEACH grant has already been mentioned, but I know SC has a SC Teacher’s Loan (which has great loan forgiveness terms - 1 year in a critical subject such as a STEM field per 20% of the loan balance), and my university also has many programs with scholarships, internships, stipends, etc available. (Note, however, that I go to a school regionally recognized for Education, so it is a big deal here.)</p>
<p>Don’t eliminate neuroscience as a major choice because there aren’t neuroscience classes in high school. Most likely, you would be qualified to teach biology, chemistry, math, or physics as long as you satisfy the requirements for a neuroscience major or most typical science majors. </p>
<p>Plus, you don’t know where your interests will take you in four years; you may decide to do something else. There are more choices out there than just doctor, teacher, and engineer. Maybe you’ll find a niche that you didn’t know existed.</p>
<p>Along the way to your bachelor’s degree, try to include a course on Adolescent Psychology and/or Educational Psychology. It will be a good talking point at a teaching job interview. Besides, it’s very interesting~! You would want to not only know your science subject matter, but have some ideas about how to motivate students when they are cranky and looking out the window.</p>
<p>The requirements to be a teacher are different in different states. NY requires a master’s degree, Texas does not. Some states are unionized, and some aren’t. (There are local teacher’s unions in non-union states, but participation is optional.)</p>
<p>Teacher certifications also vary. I’m most familiar with Texas, where in high school you can be certified as math/physics or as comprehensive, which is one certification for teaching physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. There is no certification option for only teaching chemistry or chem and bio. Most of the chemistry teachers I know in Texas were biology majors – if you have a strong chemistry background, you can be a real asset to helping other teachers at your school understand aspects of chemistry that they struggle with.</p>
<p>The job itself will vary incredibly depending on the kind of school you’re in. In our city some high schools can’t find enough interested students to form an AP chemistry class, while another school ten miles away has two sections. Teaching grade-level chemistry, honors chemistry, and AP chemistry each pose different challenges; most likely you’d be teaching more than one level.</p>
<p>Definitely look into the high school teacher certification requirements for your state. Also look at your state’s curriculum requirements for chemistry. There are national standards, but each state also has its own requirements that don’t always agree with the national standards (in that case the state requirements win).</p>
<p>In CA you need a bachelor degree with a teaching credential, so essentially 5 years of school. There is demand for teachers in math and science, and several loan forgiveness programs.</p>
<p>My D is pursuing a chemistry major with the goal of being a middle school science teacher. She talked to quite a few teachers and principals to get a good understanding of career paths for teachers. She learned a lot.</p>
<p>My parents are teachers…one science. The good part is
that if you love what you teach, you will love this job. It really is a job that allows you to make a difference in the world.</p>
<p>Just make sure you have thick skin. Just read a few CC threads about incompetent teachers and you’ll be enlightened. A lot of parents are convinced their student can do no wrong and popular social culture likes to blame all of societies ills on teachers. YOU will be the problem when a student fails no matter how dedicated you are.</p>
<p>If you feel you are up for the challenge then I respect your choice. My parents have encouraged me to pursue other avenues.</p>
<p>What I meant really to say was that schools would pay less for someone with a bachelor’s degree, and then having a job while going to school to get your master’s at the same time while teaching. This was the case with my teacher.</p>
<p>collegealum314 - I know there isn’t such a thing as a high school neuroscience class. I thought about minoring in Neuroscience. I at first wanted to major in Neuroscience (long story behind why). Neuroscience is something really cool for me, but everyone keeps telling I have to get an MD along with it. Has anyone also heard of that? Plus, my mom is pretty bent on me being a doctor, so I have no idea how to talk to her about this. She was angry and upset when she heard I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a doctor anymore.</p>
<p>Anyway, I also wonder if I have better chances at working at my current high school. My Spanish teacher actually graduated from the same high school she teaches at - but what I’m wondering is if there is any bias, or good look on teachers who apply back to their old high school?</p>
<p>“The requirements to be a teacher are different in different states. NY requires a master’s degree, Texas does not. Some states are unionized, and some aren’t.”</p>
<p>I am also from NY and teachers get hired all of the time with a bachelor’s degree. They have a certain time frame to earn their master’s to retain their positions and many just do so in this area online and through local outreach programs.</p>
<p>Neuronerd–I have found that graduates from local high schools in this area at least, get highly preferential hiring treatment. And why not? First of all if you made some kind of impact during high school, they will remember you. Also it is possible that your family is known and respected in the community which can’t hurt. Most importantly, if you chose to come back home to teach, you are probably interested in staying for the long term rather than a new teacher that is looking to just get a position in any community that is hiring and will look to move on.</p>
<p>How exactly could I tell my parents that this is a possible option? </p>
<p>I couldn’t tell exactly if my dad was entirely impressed, but I do remember him asking me if I had ever consider being a science teacher.</p>
<p>My mom is pretty tough. A word to sum it all up is Tiger Mom. She was pretty angry when she found out I wasnt exactly sure of being a doctor anymore. And I was pretty scared (to death) to tell her the honest truth. </p>
<p>Sorry to include too much, but I also need help with this. How can I present this in the best liht possible?</p>
<p>I’m sorry your parents might not support your plans, neuronerd36. And they aren’t alone. We are not tiger people, but when my D tells folks she wants to teach, people have bee known to say, “WHY? You could be a doctor/lawyer/find a cure for cancer” etc. </p>
<p>Her answer is one you might consider. She turns it around and asks wouldn’t they WANT a smart, dedicated person teaching children?. Wouldn’t they WANT someone who connects well with kids to lead them? She says, “I will be teaching your future, the people who will be running things when you are older. Don’t you want them prepared to do so?” That usually shuts them up.</p>
<p>Teachers are role models to students. If they’re good at what they do, the students will remember that. If they’re poor, the kids remember that too. There aren’t many professions where you can have a lasting personal impression on hundreds, maybe thousands of people in your lifetime. Tell your parents that you want to be one of those that the students remember as making a positive difference to them, to opening them up to finding science interesting. Tell them that like Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe, you will be “touching the future”.</p>
<p>I’d be curious as to where you actually go to college (if you major in Neuroscience). I’ve found that a lot of colleges have fairly lacking degrees in Neuroscience, or at least when compared to the more mainstream science courses (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etcetera). </p>
<p>My advice (which probably wont have any affect on your actual decision) is to Major in Neuroscience (which will give you the prerequisites needed to teach most high school sciences, or at least Chemistry and Biology). </p>
<p>A couple of other thoughts…both premed and teaching are not career paths that you need to lock into now. You can follow your passion for science as a freshman and explore options. A science degree can lead you to medical school or teaching or dozens of other areas that you may not of considered. Instead of locking into a career path and butting heads with your parents at this point, wisely pick colleges that can leave either option open, as well as offer other choices. Since you are passionate about science AND service have you thought about other sectors of heath care?</p>