<p>Lately, I've thought about being a teacher. Sort of a way to help our country... My questions is what subjects are in demand? Just math and science? I'm not good in either of those subjects...</p>
<p>The places I might want to teach in are Texas, Oakland and Los Angeles areas, and New York.</p>
<p>ESL teachers are also in very high demand, at least in urban areas.</p>
<p>I’m in NY-- in demand I’d say Special Education, ESL, Spanish</p>
<p>It’s still competitive but less so. And only go into Special Education because of a true calling, not just for better job prospects because it can be tough.</p>
<p>Many schools allow you to obtain certification in a major teaching area plus certification in ESL. This makes you more marketable. Also, if you are, say in love with teaching English, you could get a BS in English Education and then because at least here in NY you need a Masters you could get your MS in Special Education. Then again more marketable. And if you were hired to teach Special Ed., you’d be “in the system” if an English position opened up and that’s what you wanted.</p>
<p>First of all, make sure you want to be a teacher before you start. Most schools have a very strict program that lasts all four years, so you may want to look into observing classrooms or helping out before setting out on this long path.</p>
<p>If you really want to do this, first you have to decide between elementary, middle, and high school. Depending on where you are going to go to school, middle and high have the same certifications but a lot of states are in the process of separating. Now if you do elementary, then you will most likely minor in a major subject or double major with special ed. Special ed is in high demand because it is tough, rewarding but tough (this is my major).</p>
<p>Now if you want to teach middle or high school you may pick one subject or two depending on your school. Math, science, or special ed are the most high in demand here. Languages are also in demand but not as much. </p>
<p>So here’s a little information but if you really want to know more, you can Google it. But if you really want to do English or History, do it! As long as you’re willing to move around, you can definitely do it! Just make sure you love teaching because if not, it may be harder to change your major later on! Good luck! </p>
<p>P.S. make sure the state that you’re getting certified in a state with high reciprocity so you’ll have more choices down the road!</p>
<p>I heard that ten years from now, Chinese teachers could be in high demand, since more schools offer Chinese as a second language these days. I’m not really sure about this though.</p>
<p>^ it depends on the area, of course. In my district, they’ve been trying for years to implement a Mandarin program but the interest is not there.</p>
<p>Different states have various subject areas that are critical need. In general, social studies, elementary and English are oversaturated while special education, languages, and math/science are critical in almost every area.</p>
<p>A great document is the Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) Nationwide listing. It covers 1990-1991 through this upcoming (2013-2014) year. It was a surprise to me to see that in some states, almost every subject is critical need. You can also see patterns over the past 14 years; however, I believe that the balance of critical areas vs. saturated areas is not likely to change. Most of the information (i.e. non shortage area stuff) is relatively relevant.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.pdf]Here[/url”>http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.pdf]Here[/url</a>] is the PDF version of the TSA shortage listings.</p>
<p>I’m not strong in math or science either, but I have a passion and aptitude for languages. I’m a dual major in ESL education and history (liberal arts major required for education degree; my other interest is in history), so I’m hoping to be hired for either, but leaning toward ESL. It’s a boon, especially if you’re in an urban area (or Texas/NY/major immigrant destinations). I wouldn’t do it if you’re not interested in helping ESL students, though - I dunno about you, but a lot of people I know have strong feelings against immigrants to the U.S. (which is a shame). You cannot have those feelings at all. You have to be willing to stand up for these kids and their families because it is more than likely that their parents are struggling just as much as their kids are.</p>
<p>^Yeah, well for every job, location is pretty important, so I didn’t bother to write that in my post haha
But yeah, I agree with you that there are many immigrants in the NY area; I live near NY and there are a lot. I’m even an immigrant myself. :)</p>