If you don’t want to read the whole thing, I’m basically asking what education majors should be doing outside of class to gain experience.
I’m a freshman who just switched from computer science to secondary education (math concentration), and I’m wondering what I should start doing outside of just going to class to prepare for a career in teaching. I’m planning on talking to my advisor after winter break, but I don’t go back for another month, so I thought I’d see if current education majors had any info.
I’m planning on joining my state’s student education association and doing tutoring elementary/maybe middle school students through a program at my college. I’m working on getting my driver’s license (planning on getting it this summer while I’m home) and then becoming a CASA next year (court appointed special advocate for foster kids). (A driver’s license is required to be a CASA in my state.)
Also, I’m pretty sure this is the norm in most colleges, but I’ll probably be doing full-day student teaching in the spring of my senior year. Oh yeah, and I work at the school’s library part-time during the school year and am planning on continuing that while I’m in college.
Is this enough experience, or is there something else that I should be doing? I’m totally new to the idea of teaching, so while I think my plan is pretty solid, I’d love to have some second opinions.
@rcbx0210 Congratulations on a wonderful choice!! I’ve been teaching high school math since 1980, and there’s not another career in the world for me!!
Tutoring is a great start; it teaches you how to explain the material on a level that others can understand. That’s an entirely different thing than understanding it yourself-- I’m sure you’ve had some teachers who knew the material but couldn’t explain it. Advertise yourself as a math tutor and get the experience. You can send a letter to local middle and high schools, to the director of guidance, and let them know your availability.
As far as professional organizations go, you might want to consider the NCTM-- National Counsel of Teachers of Mathematics http://www.nctm.org/Membership/Membership-Options-for-Individuals/ They’re probably the best known professional organization for math teachers.
On a more direct level, you want to be in the classroom as often and as early as you can. Do observations in a variety of settings and grades. And when you do, I want you to bring a notebook or tablet, and record everything that hits you. How does the teacher settle down the class after the bell rings? Where is the homework written-- can everyone see it? How is it checked? What are the kids doing as she checks the homework? What’s the penalty for not having it? Is it gone over? What topic was taught? How was it presented? How was the lesson organized? How were questions handled? Which questions was the teacher able to head off before they were asked? How were the kids set up for that night’s homework? How was the teacher’s time organization? How was his/her demeanor? Did he/she act as a professional? Were kids comfortable asking questions? The list goes on and on. And every one of those points will contribute to your success or failure as a teacher.
On the subject of clothes, make sure you dress nicely for those observations. I’m in a Catholic school; in my school a guy would need a jacket and tie or suit; a woman would need pants with a jacket or a skirt and pantyhose. The odds are good that you won’t need to dress up to that extent. But you will want to give a professional impression, so keep that in mind. Start to build the type of wardrobe you’ll need for observations.
The odds are good that, with the Common Core changes, you may end up teaching material or an approach to material that you’ve never seen. Keep up with the curriculum changes in your state over the next few years.
The best of luck to you as you begin this journey! Please let me know how I can help!!