Going back to college for teaching?

Has anyone on here gone back? When already having a BA degree in another field(like say Business computers)...My BFF keeps talking about wanting to go back, but seems doubtful about doing it since currently working full time with mortgage and daycare expenses.

Wondering

1 - How long, how much cost for the schooling?

2 - How long is unpaid student teacher needed for before getting a job(or at least qualified to apply)?

3- Is gym teacher something that actually has job openings? What other subjects would have most likely job openings for elementary age, preferably.

Thank you!

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Message edited 6/1/2013 6:35:57 AM.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

I wouldn't do it, I've been done with school for five years. I've been working in all different schools and positions... I'm now unemployed, as are the majority of my friends. One even has a physics degree! I am super depressed over student loans and lack of a job market!

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Does it have to be teaching?

I have my Master's in social work. With the economy the way it is, I go back and forth with suggesting to people on whether or not to go into my field. (As a rule, it seems like a lot of jobs are transitioning into nursing).

I did just start a new job though that I LOVE, however, in a neurorehab program.

It's sort of teaching-related because I lead groups in areas from re-learning daily living skills, to working on communication, memory, planning, etc.

It's also in a teaching hospital so we have a lot of interns in psychology, speech, OT and PT and seeing how passionate and "fresh" they are in terms of their thinking and ideas, actually has motivated me.

In the end, I think finding a good job comes down to who you know. That's the reason I found this, and all of my previous jobs.

People I know who are teachers have said similar.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

P.S. Is the NYC Teaching Fellows program still around?

I've heard mixed reviews about it (looked into doing this awhile ago), but from what I understand, they look for people who want to leave their current field to get into teaching.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Keep in mind that a tenured teacher in NY who gets excessed has 7 years to be offered his/her job back. I have colleagues are are waiting for their jobs to be offered back at some point. So it will be a while before new graduates have job opportunities.

Going back to college for teaching?

You may want to look into something else. I don't want to discourage you but I have friends were teachers, got excesses, and have been trying YEARS to get a job. It's just very tough to find a jobless would be a shame to waste all the energy...

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

I am a teacher and sadly I agree that this is a very tough time to go into teaching. Many districts are excessing. It is an insane time in education as a whole. Depressing actually.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

I went back in my late twenties.

I went to school part time at night and did it in 2.5 years. I continued to work in my business career until I had to quit to student teach. As far as that goes, she would be super busy and at times overwhelmed but it's doable if she has support at home.

However, I would absolutely NOT do it now. It is a lot of work to potentially end up with nothing. The market will open up eventually but it will take many years and in the meantime you are required to clock a certain amount of time in the classroom to maintain your license. So even if it's a dream of hers, she should put it off until the future when she would be able to really see it through.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

You would have to student teach full time for at least a semester (4 months or so). Now is not the time to do it. I am a special Ed teacher in a private school and we have teacher assistants who are certified teachers that have been excessed and are making $9/hr. it's so sad.

Going back to college for teaching?

I'm another person that got their elementary ed masters 5 and a half years ago and I'm still subbing with a very low salary. Some suggestions I would make to your friend is if she really wants to work with kids, maybe look into speech and language pathology, OT or PT. Even if there are not jobs in schools she can still work in hospitals or rehab centers or do early intervention until a position in a school opens up.

Also, tell her to look into Empire State College. It's a go at your own pace program specifically for working adults. DH is getting his BA through them right now.

Going back to college for teaching?

In short, hell no.

For all the reasons listed above, right now would not be ideal to me to go back to school for teaching, given the job market and the added expense of extra schooling in light of said job market.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Bad idea. Teaching is an amazing profession....but right now, it's a terrible job market - pretty much impossible to find a job anywhere. And if you do have a job, NYS is doing all it can to make you miserable while you teach. Not fun.

Going back to college for teaching?

You couldn't pay me to do it

It's a shame but it's a reality: it's not a wise choice

Is there anything else she is interested in?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

The teaching field is completely oversaturated, and under the tax cap, the system is destined to starve until it implodes. And the lack of need/job availability doesn't seem to discourage people from entering teacher prep programs, so the competition mounts substantially each year. Proceed at your own risk.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

If she has a degree in another field, she might want to look into NYC Teaching Fellows. I did my masters in education through NYCTF and got a job right away. They subsidize your Masters, and you start teaching after a short training period. I did it a few years ago, and it was the right move for me.

If you go through them, however, you will be certified to teach a high-need subject (special ed., math, science, etc.). But, you can get a job in a special education school, teaching gym, under a special ed. license. The gym teacher at my school is a Fellow. HTH!

Message edited 6/1/2013 8:50:39 PM.

Going back to college for teaching?

As many of the pp stated this is not a good time to go into teaching. My sister has been a NYC teacher for nearly 10 years (she took time off to start a family) and while he has tenure she stresses about having a position in the fall at the end of each school year. Many of the teachers in here school have a lot more seniority and she gets stuck teaching whatever classes need to be filled. She is a certified reading specialist but is currently tea hing math--last year she taught social studies and English and the year before she taught science. I also know a few unemployed teachers who sub and have other jobs that allow them to survive.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

I have 10 years experience and was laid off from my last position due to budget cuts :( Luckily, I found another position. However, as previous posters mentioned, districts can be super selective now that there is an influx of overqualified candidates.

Perhaps she'd be interested in opening up a pre-k/k center since many districts are doing away with those programs due to the tax cap and deficits.

Unfortunately, now is not the time for such a transition.

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

Re: Going back to college for teaching?

He does have a job now.. not permanent though....

Really enjoys teaching sports.... The sports places that run lessons would be night hours though, which is why teaching at a school seemed that it would be most ideal.