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Thoughts Before Teaching

Hunter Thomson

Entry posted by Hunter Thomson

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In eight hours, I'll be inside a science classroom, watching my new patron teach and taking copious notes about how to do the same when my turn comes. The main thought I've been having during all of the long spring break is "how did this happen?"

 

Not the teaching part. I gathered that would happen when I went to teacher college and graduated with a bachelor of education degree. That part makes sense. But how did I go from being a political scientist, political activist and former candidate to a science teacher? I took my teaching program in civics and history, subjects I actually know something about. Now I'm preparing a lesson on comparative energy sources for a physics class that I'm nowhere near prepared for. I suppose this is similar to how substitute teaching would be as well; no preparation or strategy, just a classroom that you get thrown into and you do your best to work with what's left to you. But, wow. This is hard to consider and deal with, even if this is for the best in terms of my career development.

 

This isn't really where I want to be. I want to be in back in my social studies classroom, where I can mold minds and teach students to think critically about things. I haven't even started teaching in this class yet, and I already miss my social studies practicum when my students would openly debate me about the issues we were discussing.Those were the best moments in class for me, when I could stop everything and have a class debate, or invite my students to come back during lunch or after class to finish arguing a point they passionately believed in.

 

You can't do that in science. A resource is either renewable or its not. Energy conversion formulae are not subject to different perspectives and contexts, they're the same all the time and you either do it right or you don't, but there's no way to say "well, if we consider it from another perspective, here's how it could be". I shudder at the very thought. But, as I said, it's another way into the school system to become a real teacher.

 

All of this is to say that while I know I'll enjoy teaching, wherever I'll end up because of how much I enjoy working with youth, this whole thing is weird. And it makes me miss politics. God, it actually makes me miss being politically involved. That'll be a post for another night.

 

Wish me luck, and for goodness sake, pray that I don't have to do any lab experiments!

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TetRefine

As a fellow guy in education, my suggestion to you is to switch to something you enjoy teaching, or you will hate it and burn out pretty quickly. 

 

I teach elementary education (specifically 1-3rd grades) and its the age range I like working with. I get to teach every subject and help them build a basic, broad foundation. If I had to teach only one subject or work with older kids, I know I'd hate it and quit. I also like working with challenging populations (inner-city poor and special education) because it keeps it from getting boring. I taught at a inner-city school last year and am teaching at an all-special ed school this year and I love it.

 

My point is, find your niche in education or you'll end up hating it, lol. 

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ancientrichard

Long long ago I used to be a teacher, mainly of Maths, though I originally graduated in a mixture of Science and Philosophy. I taught some Physics for a while, but managed to drop it after a few years. Once someone gets a teaching job there are often opportunities to change from one subject to another. Just wait until someone leaves or retires and there's no-one available to take on their work, and then volunteer. I taught Communications to Business Studies students one year and it made an interesting change.

 

You have my best wishes. I hope you have a very successful teaching career, stimulating young minds to think.

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Hunter Thomson

As a fellow guy in education, my suggestion to you is to switch to something you enjoy teaching, or you will hate it and burn out pretty quickly. 

 

I teach elementary education (specifically 1-3rd grades) and its the age range I like working with. I get to teach every subject and help them build a basic, broad foundation. If I had to teach only one subject or work with older kids, I know I'd hate it and quit. I also like working with challenging populations (inner-city poor and special education) because it keeps it from getting boring. I taught at a inner-city school last year and am teaching at an all-special ed school this year and I love it.

 

My point is, find your niche in education or you'll end up hating it, lol. 

 

Eventually I will be back into the social studies department, but at present it's a matter of giving myself enough 'teachables' that I'm even hired to begin with. Social studies is oversaturated with teachers, so I haven't gotten hired by any local boards to teach it. That's in contrast to science, where I can get myself on the sub list and then wait out the bad listings.

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Hunter Thomson

Long long ago I used to be a teacher, mainly of Maths, though I originally graduated in a mixture of Science and Philosophy. I taught some Physics for a while, but managed to drop it after a few years. Once someone gets a teaching job there are often opportunities to change from one subject to another. Just wait until someone leaves or retires and there's no-one available to take on their work, and then volunteer. I taught Communications to Business Studies students one year and it made an interesting change.

 

You have my best wishes. I hope you have a very successful teaching career, stimulating young minds to think.

 

Thank you very much Ancientrichard. I know that once I'm in, it'll be okay. I'm not even worried about being a substitute/supply teacher, I have a lot of teacher friends I can call on for favours to get me days and even weeks of paid work, so I won't want for employment...

 

Hopefully I get to do some good in the world through teaching, perhaps at the prison school.

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