So you're thinking of becoming a teacher?

Roger,
I'm still living and breathing respiratory therapy but teaching is what I always wanted to do. This is my last chance.

Strong hi, to jg, and now to dream 2020, really glad to see you post here, dream, I've missed connecting with you.

Hmmm - I ran very fast from teaching mid-way through my post-grad teaching degree.

I HATED the bureaucracy - and was not fond of 99% of the teachers I was meeting. I still have a lot to do with them - and still find the school system appalling (top-down, fad-driven at the top - and hence to the poor bastards below - to the point of insanity, grossly under-resourced - as is my area - full of miserable people, all too often very negative re the kids, full of themselves in areas where they have no expertise etc.)

A good teacher is, of course, a thing of wonder and worth their weight in gold.

Re money - with 9 years of tertiary study, until 1997 I was earning about $10,000 less than my teacher friends, who had studied for three or four years. I probably now earn about the same as a base-grade teacher - and I am a senior in my profession.

I still wouldn't do it, though. Not for any money - though I enjoy teaching adults - and I work with kids. I still hate having to go to schools.

I hope this works.

Here is an indication of teacher salaries in South Australia. Note these are averaged for the two groups and compared with other groups in the community.

I constantly hear complaints from teachers about bureaucratic overload, near impossibility of running courses with so many children absent on extra-curricular activities and the high incidence of behavourial problems. The casualty rate among them is high and I believe retention rates for new trainees is low.

As a new elementary teacher, I know I will not make as much money as I can in The Breathing Game, but I can supplement the teaching money with a few shifts now and then in respiratory. If the teaching thing proves to not work, I can always fall back on respiratory.

Regarding bureaucracy...it's everywhere. Political crap is very rampant in healthcare too. Those of us who are intent on serving our students, patients, etc. have to learn how to function in spite of red tape and handcuffs, even if we end up doing things sideways or through the back door.

I'm guessing everyone here on this thread so far is from the USA and when teacher is used, it is referring to high school and/or primary school teaching. I'm from Australia, and more thinking along the lines of academic, university lecturer.

There's alot of respect for academics - apparently they earn heaps just for a presentation. Getting a job as a lecturer/academic is more and more competetive - a Masters is the minimum. and the job is easy, and enjoyable. I think so anyway, I am into the law/academic profession so I wouldn't mind.

Anyway, that's just my input from Oz.

I think that "adjusting" the teacher's pay is a miscalculation altogether.

I teach 200 days of the year, and I am paid only for those days. Summer, weekends, and other vacations are off the clock. I am also unable to take vacations outside of the 165 allocated to me (which, incedentally, are always high season).
Where the miscopnception arises is in that my 200 days pay is divided into 12 equal installments, so I get paid in the summer months, but technically, it's money owed to me from the previous 9 or so months of work.

teaching
i'm thinking of applying to Chicago's Teacher's Fellowship program. i've always wanted to teach. the program emphasizes teaching in high-need schools, requires no teaching experience, helps you pay for your certification and has a competitive starting salary $43,200.

Just a little more than 3 years has passed since that post! And, I'm nearly done with my master's in ed! Teachers have ways to deal with or slide around the bureaucracy. Sometimes.

You already started teaching full time, right?

Me? Nope, I'm student teaching full-time. Not working, technically, as I don't get a paycheck. Not a teacher, technically, as I don't have a license. Yet.