SAHM (former lawyer) thinking of becoming a teacher. Any thoughts or guidance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the PP -- with all due respect, what is a Ph.D in philosophy going to teach in a small, midwestern high school? I could imagine if he were in an urban, magnet school that there might be classes in logic or, even, political theory but a normal midwestern high school in small town? Philosophy classes? I can't imagine budgets have room for that these days.

This is 12:50. Depending on his coursework going back to his undergraduate, he will probably have enough of an academic record in History or English (or Humanities since some private schools combine the two departments) to get an interview for a job. Many high school History and English teachers have degrees in things other than straight up History and English (American Studies, Political Science, Philosophy, Art History). Schools know that any of these things can be a good foundation for teaching at the high school level and advanced degrees are valued in the private school world in a way that they are not as much in public school teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are teaching jobs this scarce everywhere or is this area particularly bad?

My husband has a PhD in Philosophy and has taught at the college level. We were tired of being subject to the whims of academia so he took a job with an academic nonprofit. It's been a few years and he really misses teaching. My job is pretty flexible, so ideally, we'd like to move to a lower COL city in the South or Midwest. He'd like to teach high school history or English. Do the requirements for secondary school teachers vary from state to state?

Yes, they absolutely vary from state to state. Some states have reciprocal agreements where if you're certified in say, VA, you can teach in GA without having to take the GA tests. Others give you a provisional license and you're required to take the tests within a year. Some states don't have reciprocal agreements and you have to take their certification tests before teaching in the state. It varies from state to state. With history, he might be required to take a state history course as well (I had to in TX, but then, that's TX and they're a little insane when it comes to state history).

Also, history and English are overwhelmingly the subjects that have the greatest glut of teachers. It helps if he's also a coach, esp if you're in the South or Midwest. I was a Social Studies teacher in TX (certified for US and World history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, geography, government and civics, for 8-12th grade) and I had a very difficult time finding a position that didn't have a coaching requirement attached to it.

For OP, the first response is spot-on. I was shocked at how much documentation and paperwork I had every day, on top of the regular grading and lesson planning. I felt like I was drowning in paperwork. And the inflexible nature of teaching is the main reason I decided not to pursue a certification in this area. I'm single and need to be able to go to Dr's appts and pick up a sick kid when needed. Maybe if I remarry, I'll go back. I do love it. I just can't handle it without a partner to help at home.

[Anonymous]

I am in my final semester of a master's in elementary education program. I majored in English as an undergrad and have a law degree. While I had many prerequisites for the program I CLEPed almost all of them (math, algebra,science, human growth and development, geography...). This is clearly the most cost-efficient way to fulfill prerequisites for a master's in education.