Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

So, I have been weighing some options about which education degree I should go for when I finish my current MA in Lit. I either want to teach high school English or 3rd/4th grade. I go over and over in my mind which I think I'll like better, but I am stuck. I was figuring I could tell y'all my thoughts and y'all could give some opinions. This is for teaching in the US, by the way...

High school:

PROS:
-getting to teach and discuss literature
-can develop other electives and teach them
-enjoy teaching literature
-feel confident teaching it because I know a lot about it
-teach different kids every day, so I experience different personalities

CONS:
-less money
-attitudes of older kids
-might not get the classes I want (ex. maybe I want to teach AP English and I get basic grammar classes)


elementary school:

PROS:
-kids are younger and cute
-easier to handle/less attitude problems
-might be fun to teach other subjects
-higher pay
-opportunity to get certified for other areas (ie. Reading)
-get to know the kids better since I teach them all day long

CONS:
-teach math & science (not my strong points)
-may not get the grade I want to teach
-grading for more subjects

So...even though the pay might be less for secondary ed., I feel more qualified to teach that. On the other hand, I think I may really enjoy teaching simple math and science even though I have no experience teaching that. If anyone has taught either, please give your thoughts/experiences.

[Panda]

Elementary school teachers play a role farrrrrr more important than their high shcool counterparts in shaping kids....

Wish this helps you.

[Jati]

I taught junior high school and senior high school for eight years (ages 11-18 ) and much prefer the older students. You might think that you will have attitude problems to deal with high schoolers, but they can be "reached" if you are open and honest.

Teens don't like pretension, and they don't want you to be their friend. But you can develop a workable relationship if you acknowledge that:
1) They are the center of their universe (the high school scene);
2) You can use humour, often exaggerated, to point out that you fully understand rule #1.

If you follow those two rules, you can actually have fun with them and make an impact. I highly recommend having them call you Ms. or Mrs.; i.e., NOT by your given name. In other words, don't try to be too familiar with them. Make them show respect, and distance, by using a formal title with you.

In the high school in which I taught, it was an unspoken 'joke' amongst us teachers to "not smile until Thanksgiving". While this was not really true, it was a simple way of stating that it is easier to be tough early on in the school year, and then loosen up as the year moves along and you and the students get to know each other.

Teachers that I knew often wanted to be friends with their students right away, and this failed miserably as the year wore on. In fact, I had some students complain to me -after I began to loosen up- that they preferred my tough style of discipline, and didn't like the attempts of another teacher to be their friend.

I love talking about high schoolers, it is a good age group to teach. On the other hand, for me, junior high schoolers were difficult because of the raging hormones that made them act like children one minute, and adults the next.

Teachers that I know who taught grade school age, liked that age group, but felt starved for adult conversation after school.

Just my view.

[PRagic]

Get your EdD and go into admin after a couple of years of teaching. In the long run, you'll make 2 to 3 times the average teacher, and you can always sub for lit classes and/or teaching in summer/winter/community programs.

[jajdude]

[MollyBloom]

[MollyBloom]

double post

[MollyBloom]

I am not sure Korean/American kids are too different, but I have to base my experiences off of the students I have taught here. Middle schoolers were a pain in the rump...too many hormones. I like the 3rd/4th graders and I genuinely enjoy and look forward to teaching their classes. I have not taught high school before, but I feel like it would be good for me...to sit around and teach English and Lit sounds fun to me. Some of my best teachers were my English teachers in HS and I have great memories from those classes. Most of the literature I love today was because of a HS teacher's class (Joyce, Beowulf, Chaucer, Shakespeare, etc).

The only thing that makes me apprehensive is the sensitivity...for example, what if I teach a book that has sexuality in it, which is highly likely in the classics at some point. The kids go home and tell their parents about the book and then I get fired for verbal sexual harassment, or something like that. I remember in my HS we were reading A Streetcar Named Desire. My teacher would talk about how sexy Marlon Brando was in the movie, and she would swoon about his character. But it intrigued us to read the play and watch the movie. The whole class was totally into it and it really gave me some good memories. But today...a teacher would get fired for that. It just depresses me.

That's why teaching university appeals to me because I can teach literature the way it's supposed to be taught. But I'm too lazy to get a PhD. I suppose I could always teach community college with a MA.

[ReeseDog]

[seoulteacher]

[browneyedgirl]

Go with elementary school.

[MollyBloom]

[seoulteacher]