Amazing Pottery

what does it take to become a teacher?

i love working with kids. i enjoy it a lot and although teachers are highly underpaid i would still like to become a teacher. i am a junior in high school and trying to think ahead. i would most likely like to teach 3rd grade but i would accept any elementary school grade. what classes should i take my last few yrs of highschool?? (i have taken: Physical science honors, biology honors, [chemistry honors, marine science honors-currently] Algebra 1honors, Geometry honors, Algebra 2, some weird math right now. spanish 1, spanish 2, spanish 3, english 1, english2honors, english3honors ceramics/pottery, gym, health world history honors, american history honors) i am hoping to go to a small university and then transfer to a larger one after two years. what should i major/minor in??? .... i am so lost on this stuff idk what it means. any tips or other stuff i might need to know about etc??

Public Comments

1. That's great that you know what you want to do! Requirements for teachers vary depending on state. All states do have a teaching test you need to take (many states use the praxis). If your HS has an early childhood class or any classes dealing w/ children, then you should take it. Psychology (AP or general) would also be good. In HS it doesn't really matter what classes you take if you want to do elementary education. I would volunteer or get a job at a daycare or something just to get experience w/ children though. Once you apply to college, I would list the major you would like as elementary education. With an elementary education degree you can teach K-6. When you are in college they will help guide you with what classes you need to take. Really the only thing you need right now is when you apply to college to put elementary education as your major. It's much easier to be accepted into the elem. ed. program at first then to have to do it later. (and your college will guide you with what classes you need to take better too). Good Luck!
2. A love of children and teaching, total insanity, and no desire to be rich.
3. You major in Teacher's Education at my college...and you need to complete your GE and a bunch of teaching courses. I wanted to become a teacher too, but I'm doing nursing instead. good luck!
4. A BA degree in something you will teach for life. Some extra courses required by the education system (varies from state to state, but most require Special Ed), taking a paid PRaxis exam for each grade level and course of study, passint it. Some systems require 10 weeks student teaching. Then you apply and wait for an opening.
5. All good advice. The only thing I would add is more thought about the "profession" of teaching and the societal value of education. Teaching is a very patience-testing, often frustrating job. Unlike private professional controlling their own practices, teachers (like nurses and other public professionals) require governments to fund them and, let's face it, governments have been cutting back on social programs in the quest for balancing budgets. You are continually expected to do more with less, often with the burden of failure placed on you and your colleagues. That said, as a teacher you are in the unique position of being able to empart the values of our society on the next generation. You think poverty needs to be conquered? Be a teacher! You see injustice and inequity around you, and want to be part of the solution? Be a teacher! You want a more fair and just society? Be a teacher!