Thread: Career Switcher

1.people's experiences with trying to make a career change within education. how about teaching in a different area than in what you trained in teacher school/ college?

Not sure about this with regards to secondary ed. You should contact your state dept of education or look up licensure requirements on their website. For college teaching it doesn't matter what your bachelors field is -- all that matters is that you have a masters in something and at least 18 graduate hours in the subject you will be teaching.

2. alternatives to getting certified as a professional teacher (because I am making a career change)

Again, check with the state dept of ed in your state because they're all different.

3. ways to work in education without formally being in a single school or school system (e.g. educational outreach programs like UNESCO, Outward Bound, Peaceboat)....what are the pluses and minuses of this? what are people's experiences with this?

All of these are good ideas. My younger son has a business degree and decided he wants to teach math. He's employed by a tutoring company and for the past couple of months has been co-teaching in public schools. That counts as experience as do the other options you mentioned.

4. the single best or worst choice you have made in your teaching career? (including for example, the best investment you made in your career, or the most wasted time)

Best choice -- move into university teaching. Very best choice -- teach full time online :-) Worst choice -- getting a masters in education because in order to teach other stuff I need 18 hours in other stuff. So I have 18 grad hours in technology and 18 grad hours in English over and above my masters in Ed. Pick a subject area and get a masters in that.

My son is going to get a masters in math education. That includes 4 graduate math courses. He will only need to take two more grad math courses over and above his masters degree to be able to teach math at the college level.

Good luck -- hope this helps a bit. Others may have some more ideas that will also be helpful.