Parm,
No, teaching is not for everyone. I was a very shy child and teen so often I am surprised that I am doing it, but I have tried some very solitary jobs (research lab and art) and found them to not suit me either. Like most things in life I believe it is about your attitude and perception. Schools are abound with teachers and staff who will do nothing but complain about the kids and their lot in life. I view it instead as a challenge and opportunity to never stop learning about my subject.
Part of it too is having a supportive admin and teaching at a private school; I would not have lasted at say, an inner-city school. Discipline probs tend to be minimal.
As far as hours go: your first year the hours will be insane. I was in before 7am everyday, stayed until 4-6pm and usually had work to finish up at home in the evening. Weekends too; I was frequently in for an afternoon on the weekend. It is sort of an indoctrination period; there really is no way around long hours your first year.
After that, the hours are pretty much up to you. I know 5+ year teachers that have their system down pat but still work long hours. Why? They are there to help students, tutor after school (a source of extra $$, esp. in private schools), or putting time into grading and prep. I also know teachers who are in at 7:30am and out the door at 3pm daily and leave all their work at school. These are the teachers that show lots of videos, do “homework checks” (basically check off a piece of work, never read it), the material is not too difficult and the day’s lesson plan is something like “Spring Break show and tell.” [Can you tell I disagree with these methods??] I have high standards for myself and my students so I don’t ever see myself going to that sort of schedule – any moment that makes me feel like I am just making busywork or being a teenage babysitter drives me crazy.
Masters is usually required to teach at the university level. The teacher I replaced is a friend who went on to be a lecturer at a local university. We have friends in the department so this is how we knew about the job; also lecturer positions tend to be advertised in the back of journals or periodicals in the appropriate field. For example: my degrees are in geology, so the Geological Society of America bulletin is where I find this info.
I wrote a little about this year in my trailjournal, http://www.trailjournals/entry.cfm?trailname=4233. I would also recommened the message boards on http://www.teachers.net. Be warned that there is a high proportion of unhappy teachers (particularly first-year) that seek the site for support, or as a place to bitch. However, there are some veteran teachers that post regularly and have left some of the most inspiring, articulate advice I’ve ever read, on any forum.
Also, please feel free to email if you have more questions!
Good luck!
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