Teaching as a second career? AP teacher?

[swimmermom3]

My youngest is a high school junior. I recently reached the half-century mark, but am ready to return to the job market when he heads off to college. I have been toying with the idea of teaching high school students as a second career.

 

How insane is this?  I have a BS in Journalism and an MBA. I think I would be most interested in teaching AP history of any flavor. We live in an area that is growing and I foresee growth in AP classes as well, unless of course the colleges decide they won't take them anymore.

 

Any thoughts on the feasibility of this plan? My kids all warn me that the apathy of many students will make me crazy.

Our local university has a decent education department so I figured I could start my inquiries there.

[mom31257]

I think teaching is a great second career, and one that I most likely will pursue. It most likely won't be public school, though.

 

You'll have to get certified, and in our state AP certification is separate from the general teaching certification. You may have to get a social studies degree to teach AP classes in history, so I would check on all that before you decide. Also, schools here often give AP classes to tenured teachers, so you may have to teach regular history classes for awhile before you are given the chance to teach AP level. 

 

I have a math degree, but I'd like to teach an inclusive class for 4th or 5th grade. I don't think I want to teach public because of the government red tape I see my dh have to deal with on a continually increasing basis. It has really hurt his love of teaching. I would want every t crossed and i dotted, so it would probably consume me.  I'm thinking a smaller, private school is the way for me to go. 

 

 

[FairProspects]

I think you need to determine how much the degrees and additional coursework will cost you and how long it will take and then decide if you are still interested. You may be surprised at just how much work you will have to do to get in the classroom. My guess will be that at the minimum you have 3-4 years of coursework because of the "highly qualified" requirements under NCLB and the necessary teacher certification. In addition, AP jobs are plum jobs which usually require a few years of teaching before you are even eligible to be considered for those positions. You may be looking at 8 years before you reach that point of teaching AP. If you are super motivated and decide that is for you, then great, but I think you should be aware that teaching degree requirements can be overly onerous.

 

ETA: The reality also is that around here at least, it is very difficult to get a social studies teaching job without a dual endorsement or a coaching position.

[snowbeltmom]

Have you thought about opening up your own gig for homeschoolers and afterschoolers? 

 

In addition to individual tutoring, I am teaching a couple of math classes in the evenings that are composed of both traditionally schooled and homeschooling students.

[Ethel Mertz]

I agree with the posters above about the extra course work. My BFF decided to pursue teaching as a second career and went back to school when she was 50 to get a PhD in education. As soon as she graduated, she got a job teaching AP History, but it was probably because she had her PhD. In spite of the PhD, she still has to take continuing ed courses in history (2 a year) to keep her certification. She's now almost 72 years old and is trying to teach as long as she can so she can pay off her student loans.

[Ethel Mertz]

 

We live in an area that is growing and I foresee growth in AP classes as well, unless of course the colleges decide they won't take them anymore.

 

 

 

Wait. What do you mean "unless ... the colleges decide they won't take them anymore." Is this being discussed as an actual possibility?

[Renai]

My youngest is a high school junior. I recently reached the half-century mark, but am ready to return to the job market when he heads off to college. I have been toying with the idea of teaching high school students as a second career.

 

How insane is this?  I have a BS in Journalism and an MBA. I think I would be most interested in teaching AP history of any flavor. We live in an area that is growing and I foresee growth in AP classes as well, unless of course the colleges decide they won't take them anymore.

 

Any thoughts on the feasibility of this plan? My kids all warn me that the apathy of many students will make me crazy.

Our local university has a decent education department so I figured I could start my inquiries there.

 

Since you already have a degree, you may want to look at alternative certification. See if your state does that - most do, as they try to recruit more high school teachers. Both universities and community colleges carry those classes. You could probably finish it in a year. Since your degree is in a different field, you would probably need credits in history, so maybe add another half year to that.

 

I can't imagine you needing to start all over again to earn an education degree. (I got my certification through an alternative program.) And, many of the classes are online now. Oh, and teaching certification classes qualify for Pell grant. Just thought I'd through it out there.

[shage]

I taught an AP class out of my living room for pay. I do have a PhD and university level teaching experience but generally homeschooling parents don't care about that. Mostly they will quiz you to see if you know your stuff and are familiar with the AP/College Board world. Which I take it you are.

[FairProspects]

Since you already have a degree, you may want to look at alternative certification. See if your state does that - most do, as they try to recruit more high school teachers. Both universities and community colleges carry those classes. You could probably finish it in a year. Since your degree is in a different field, you would probably need credits in history, so maybe add another half year to that.

 

I can't imagine you needing to start all over again to earn an education degree. (I got my certification through an alternative program.) And, many of the classes are online now. Oh, and teaching certification classes qualify for Pell grant. Just thought I'd through it out there.

 

IMHO, you have to really consider the job market when making this decision too. Post-bac certification programs do exist, and with pre-reqs and a post-bac cert you may be done with your coursework in 2 yrs. But, since there is a glut of SS teachers, your chances of getting hired with those degrees and certs are slim. If your goal is really to be an AP Social Studies teacher, you need a master's degree and an additional endorsement since all the competition will also have at least that much. Once you add that additional coursework in, you are looking at more like 3-4 years of school. Alternate certifications are pretty successful for math and science teachers from what I hear because there is a definite shortage. But many dual endorsed humanities educators are escaping out of ELA into SS to avoid the heat placed on them by standardized testing, and it is much, much more difficult to get those jobs right now.

[Lale]

I have made a decent supplemental income teaching science classes for homeschoolers. I have given some thought to going back to the classroom if I ever quit homeschooling (I was a teacher in my former life), but I don't want to deal with the red tape and the apathy. Honestly, I have experienced apathetic homeschoolers in my classes as well, but I don't have to see them everyday.  :001_smile:

[swimmermom3]

IMHO, you have to really consider the job market when making this decision too. Post-bac certification programs do exist, and with pre-reqs and a post-bac cert you may be done with your coursework in 2 yrs. But, since there is a glut of SS teachers, your chances of getting hired with those degrees and certs are slim. If your goal is really to be an AP Social Studies teacher, you really need a master's degree and an additional endorsement since all the competition will also have at least that much. Once you add that additional coursework in, you are looking at more like 3-4 years of school. Alternate certifications are pretty successful for math and science teachers from what I hear because there is a definite shortage. But many dual endorsed humanities educators are escaping out of ELA into SS to avoid the heat placed on them by standardized testing, and it is much, much more difficult to get those jobs right now.

 

With both of the universities that I have talked to, they have steered me directly into a Masters program, but I am still trying to figure out the differences between programs. One school suggests a background of economics, history, and political science courses. I can meet most of that, but would want a brush-up in the major history classes so I have a more recent record.

 

I think I need to take an AP Euro teacher I know from the local high school out to lunch to find out more about the local job market.

 

I am just in the preliminary research phase and had figured on two years more of education. My dh is a patient man, but 3-4 years could be a deal breaker.

 

[FO4UR]

Do you REALLY want to teach in the PS system?

 

 

While I would enjoy classroom teaching post-homeschooling, I know I wouldn't want to deal with the PS Red Tape.  

 

Often times, private schools are open to "differently educated" and uncertified, but highly qualified teachers.  You could likely make a good little career out of serving the homeschool community in your area with co-op style classes, if not tutoring.  Think through all of your options and calculate the cost of the additional education (both time and $) before deciding.

 

 

[Caroline]

I'm a second career AP Calculus teacher. PM me if you want to chat.

[FairProspects]

With both of the universities that I have talked to, they have steered me directly into a Masters program, but I am still trying to figure out the differences between programs. One school suggests a background of economics, history, and political science courses. I can meet most of that, but would want a brush-up in the major history classes so I have a more recent record.

 

I think I need to take an AP Euro teacher I know from the local high school out to lunch to find out more about the local job market.

 

I am just in the preliminary research phase and had figured on two years more of education. My dh is a patient man, but 3-4 years could be a deal breaker.

 

 

IIRC, you are in my part of the country. The issue with the post-bac vs. master's degree is that the master's degree is one? two? semesters longer and a *much* bigger payoff in salary. I actually used to feel badly for the post-bac cert candidates. They did virtually as much work as we did in the master's degree program, but would start teaching with a $10,000 salary gap at least. You'd have to research now to see the differences, but depending on the state pay scale rate it never would have made sense financially to do a post-bac cert vs. a master's degree a few years ago. That might be why the universities have tried to steer you into a master's degree. Plus, the reality is that under NCLB the rewards for getting a master's degree are so high that 60-70% percent of teachers in our state now have them. You really don't want to be on the wrong side of that statistic when you are competing for highly desirable jobs.

[Harriet Vane]

For those that are recommending ongoing co-op teaching--

 

I am struggling through this same issue myself, wondering if I should expand my career as a book editor or get a teaching degree so I can teach high school literature and writing.

 

In a co-op setting, most of the co-ops in my area have a normative price at roughly $50 per student per semester. Honestly, that's a laughable amount of money for the amount of work it takes to formulate a solid high school course. Even with multiple students, I would still earn only a couple hundred at most for months of work.

 

There is one co-op in my area that will allow me to charge $100 per student per semester. Where I used to live, there was one (1) co-op at which I could charge as much as $150 per student per semester. At my local co-op, since they are guaranteeing me a certain number of students, I am moving forward with it. It's a flexible job that I enjoy doing. However, I am not deluding myself as to how very, very little I am getting paid (probably minimum wage at best, and it may be less depending on how many hours I put in). I would never do less than a stellar job, so my hourly rate is likely to be quite low when all is said and done.

 

So it doesn't really seem like a viable option to teach at a bunch of homeschool co-ops, because co-ops simply don't pay anywhere near a reasonable wage. Teachers don't expect to get rich from teaching, but co-op prices really are rock bottom. Unless you have a kid IN the co-op and are therefore receiving the benefits of your co-op membership, the return is really, really low for the teachers.

[swimmermom3]

IIRC, you are in my part of the country. The issue with the post-bac vs. master's degree is that the master's degree is one? two? semesters longer and a *much* bigger payoff in salary. I actually used to feel badly for the post-bac cert candidates. They did virtually as much work as we did in the master's degree program, but would start teaching with a $10,000 salary gap at least. You'd have to research now to see the differences, but depending on the state pay scale rate it never would have made sense financially to do a post-bac cert vs. a master's degree a few years ago. That might be why the universities have tried to steer you into a master's degree. Plus, the reality is that under NCLB the rewards for getting a master's degree are so high that 60-70% percent of teachers in our state now have them. You really don't want to be on the wrong side of that statistic when you are competing for highly desirable jobs.

 

I was under the impression that in our state it is a requirement to have your master's for teaching no matter what level, so I had figured that into the equation when I started toying with the idea. The young woman who babysat our kids when they were little, graduated from college and got a job teaching 2nd grade in our district. She immediately had to turn around and get her masters and that was probably 10 years ago. That may be where I got the impression.

 

I really do appreciate your input. It would probably make more sense financially to use the degrees I have, but I am not the same person I was when I acquired them and some of my goals and values have shifted. I also truly enjoy high school age teens even with all of their warts.

 

The red tape battle is something to be considered since I am so very excellent at conforming. :tongue_smilie:

 

[FairProspects]

I was under the impression that in our state it is a requirement to have your master's for teaching no matter what level, so I had figured that into the equation when I started toying with the idea. The young woman who babysat our kids when they were little, graduated from college and got a job teaching 2nd grade in our district. She immediately had to turn around and get her masters and that was probably 10 years ago. That may be where I got the impression.

 

I really do appreciate your input. It would probably make more sense financially to use the degrees I have, but I am not the same person I was when I acquired them and some of my goals and values have shifted. I also truly enjoy high school age teens even with all of their warts.

 

The red tape battle is something to be considered since I am so very excellent at conforming. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Best of luck! One other thought I had would be to see if your MBA counts towards the state salary scale (which is based on degrees/credits + years of experience) or whether that is only for graduate degrees in education. If the former scenario is true, then a post-bac may make more sense for you and take less time. Hope it works out for you!

[swimmermom3]

Complete moment of idiocy, never mind.

One should not confuse pming with the public board. Ugh!

 

[snowbeltmom]

For those that are recommending ongoing co-op teaching--

 

I am struggling through this same issue myself, wondering if I should expand my career as a book editor or get a teaching degree so I can teach high school literature and writing.

 

In a co-op setting, most of the co-ops in my area have a normative price at roughly $50 per student per semester. Honestly, that's a laughable amount of money for the amount of work it takes to formulate a solid high school course. Even with multiple students, I would still earn only a couple hundred at most for months of work.

 

.

 

Wow. That is extremely low compensation.  Who sets those rates?  Could you have your own class outside of the co-op umbrella? 

 

Fwiw, I don't live in a high cost of living area.  I charge $125 per student for a session that meets for 90 minutes weekly for 6 weeks and $75/hr for individual tutoring.  The bulk of my students for both the classes and the individual tutoring sessions are afterschoolers.  I am tutoring 6 nights a week, usually with multiple individual tutoring sessions each night. 

 

[swimmermom3]

Wow. That is extremely low compensation.  Who sets those rates?  Could you have your own class outside of the co-op umbrella? 

 

Fwiw, I don't live in a high cost of living area.  I charge $125 per student for a session that meets for 90 minutes weekly for 6 weeks and $75/hr for individual tutoring.  The bulk of my students for both the classes and the individual tutoring sessions are afterschoolers.  I am tutoring 6 nights a week, usually with multiple individual tutoring sessions each night. 

 

 

This is more in line with what I have experienced at least for private tutoring, but I have no co-op experience.

 

I have seen posts on what Harriet Vane covers in her classes and those parents are getting a steal.

 

My youngest is a high school junior. I recently reached the half-century mark, but am ready to return to the job market when he heads off to college. I have been toying with the idea of teaching high school students as a second career.

 

 

Questions I would have, that probably depend on the school or school district you are teaching at:

 

1) Do you want to be full time or part time?  If part time, does the school hire part time teachers or part time AP teachers?  If full time, are there enough AP History/Social Studies classes to fill your schedule, or would you have to teach non-AP classes as well, if that's an issue?

 

2) Who gets to teach the AP classes in the school?  Seems to me that everyone would want to teach "the good kids".  I think in some schools the advanced classes are given based on seniority (among other factors), so if you started late, you might not ever get to teach them.

 

Good luck!  

[FO4UR]

What about teaching at a community college instead of a high school?

[daijobu]

 

 

Fwiw, I don't live in a high cost of living area.  I charge $125 per student for a session that meets for 90 minutes weekly for 6 weeks and $75/hr for individual tutoring.  The bulk of my students for both the classes and the individual tutoring sessions are afterschoolers.  I am tutoring 6 nights a week, usually with multiple individual tutoring sessions each night. 

 

 

I'm thinking about doing something like this in a few years.  What advice do you have for new math tutors?