I'm going to be a teacher!!

[MX7]

After months of worrying, applying, worrying, interviews and going prematurely grey through worry, I've just discovered I have been accepted onto a teaching course at an awesome university! Now I can quit my dead end job! I can do something that will stimulate and fulfil me on a daily basis! I have the whole weekend off, including today! I've just cracked open a beer at 11.30 in the morning! I'm going to a petting zoo later to stroke piglets and baby goats! With my bursary, I'll have enough money to get a jpx360 and a shit-tonne of Cave games!

And I'm going to Insert Coin tomorrow!

It's a pretty good day to be MX7.

[geotrig]

Now I can quit my dead end job! I can do something that will stimulate and fulfil me

as long as its all above board!

[Acid King]

Awesome. Congrats.

[KindGrind]

Great stuff, one of the best jobs in the world.

[ZOM]

You WIN!

[CMoon]

Are you teaching a course or have you been accepted to a teaching program?

Have fun petting animals

[Dragoforce]

I've just cracked open a beer at 11.30 in the morning! I'm going to a petting zoo later to stroke piglets and baby goats!

That's about the most awesome thing I've heard today Congratulations man!

[GaijinPunch]

What's the course?

[MX7]

Great stuff, one of the best jobs in the world.

Cool, so I've heard! I've done a fair bit of experience, so I kind of know what I'm getting myself into. Part of the reason I started this thread is because I know there's several teachers on the forum, so if anyone's got any advice for someone about to start a teacher training course, let me know

And I hope to teach Film Studies/Media Studies at the end of the course, which is pretty much my greatest passion in life. In a way I'm glad I've spent the last year flipping burgers; I guess I'll appreciate my next job so much more!

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Teaching is better than flipping burgers but nothing resembling easy work. My sister's students regularly draw penises on her tests so have fun. Also, prepare to deal with parents that are worse than the kids.

[Ed Oscuro]

My sister's students regularly draw penises on her tests so have fun.

Considering MX7's previous username I don't think this will prove especially shocking

I think the kids are in good hands, good job!

[ncp]

Also, prepare to deal with parents that are worse than the kids.

Oh god, this. I've heard some pretty ridiculous stories.

[professor ganson]

Congrats, MX7! Teaching is hard work but very rewarding.

[CMoon]

Still trying to figure out if you've been accepted to a teaching program or you got a teaching position. Am I right in guessing the former since you don't seem entirely clear what you are teaching (or at least I'm not clear.) Yes, there are a number of teachers here (I count as one of them I guess)...and yes, lot's of penises. In middle school especially since the boys act like they just discovered their magic wand. Seriously, I wish I had a hose with cold water to just spray them down every so often.

[MX7]

My sister's students regularly draw penises on her tests so have fun.

Considering MX7's previous username I don't think this will prove especially shocking

Yes, I consider myself a man of this world, and as such it will take more than a crudely drawn cock and balls to upset me

Slightly depressing is that since I'm the youngest age the course will consider enrolling (a few months shy of 23), and the pupils I will be teaching will be beyond compulsory education (i.e around about the 16 to 18 year mark), there won't actually be a particularly significant age gap between me and the students. I guess this will be a problem and an advantage

Frankly, after what I've heard, it's the parents who worry me the most, but hopefully in this kind of teaching it shouldn't be too too bad.

[jpj]

well done mate

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Teaching is better than flipping burgers but nothing resembling easy work. My sister's students regularly draw penises on her tests so have fun. Also, prepare to deal with parents that are worse than the kids.

This. I'm glad I worked at a factory and other shitty jobs before becoming a teacher. It's a good job but with lots of stress and work involved.
And yeah, parents will make you go quite often...

[chempop]

First off congrats! The world needs more young teachers who can relate to what's going on in the minds of todays students.
I don't really know anything about the educational system where you live, but here in the US things can be pretty horrid. Right now there are so many budget cuts in public schools which are loosing art, music, and gym programs constantly. Also, many of the universities are filled with corrupt bureaucrats who could care less about the educational standard offered to the student body. I personally feel like the whole system needs a reform, but I won't rant on and on about it.

One thing that I feel a great teacher needs to be able to do is this: Inspire and create a classroom full of curiosity, the joy to discover, and creative/innovative thinking! If you can do that then even the "worst" student will have a memorable experience that they can grow from. Also, its really important for teachers to remember and acknowledge the differences between a student's quality of work (or performance) and a student's achievements. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a great student who can write a perfect paper might not get as much out of the class as someone who is a "bad" student who has one solid breakthrough during the semester. Please be sensitive to your students individual uniqueness and don't ever look down on someone because of their weaknesses.

About the whole age thing, I can definitely relate to you in some ways. I didn't start teaching from a standard status quo background, instead, I went to a very alternative high school which allowed me to teach a class while I was still a student. Then after I finished I was hired as a consultant and I had students who were the same age as me. Pretty strange I know, but 10 years later I've taught in many schools ranging from kindergarden-college and I love every minute of it. Remember to make sure that your students don't try and take advantage of the fact that you are so close to them in age, maybe by being more lenient with attendance, or a grade on an exam. It might even help to dress the part a bit and tuck in your shirt for once If you have your own classroom eventually (and if the school allows it) remember to decorate it with nice but not overwhelmingly distracting things, I'd avoid shmup posters for example.

Alright man, hope you found some of this banter meaningful. Let me know if you have any questions.

[dpful]

I run an after-school music school working 1 on 1 and with small groups ages 7 to 40. I can say one thing about teaching: it trancends the money, as in, it's more work than you'll ever do, and no one could ever pay you enough to do it. That said, teaching rules, congratulations! Best job ever

[Randorama]

Personally I think that teaching BA's or master students is the worst thing ever, actually. I had to teach a first year master's course when I was second year Ph.D. (i.e. last year*), and had this set of snobs try to outsmart me all the time and failing in rather comical ways.

I mean, if you have read the syllabus of a basic course on XX-ology 1.01, you're still very far from having a good grasp of the subject. It doesn't help that I was teaching at a Uni for snobs**, so students by definition think too high of themselves. The money was quite good, though.


*From February to July: Australia's semesters are "reversed", for obvious reasons.
** University of Sydney, in which they mostly have obsolete programs but a deeply snobbish attitude. Picture people trying to simulate a british accent all the time...

[third_strike]

I am one biology teacher an I hate this.
At least to be one teacher in UK seems be better than in Brazil , then:
CONGRATULATIONS for this achievement!
Cool!

[TLB]

Uh...

Cool!

[Shatterhand]

congratulations. It's indeed an awesome job, and it's not easy-work. It's very stimulating and you always need to keep your mind fresh, and you are learning all the time.

I am a teacher in Brazil, third_strike, and I don't see it as that bad. The money isn't awesome, but it's far from being as bad as most people always told me.

I am 26 years old, and my students are around 15-19 years old. It's a small gap for me too, but these days, any gap is considerable. From my small experience, the trick is to get them to respect you by showing how much you know about the stuff you are teaching even though you are young, but use your "youngness" to get them closer to you.

One thing that I feel a great teacher needs to be able to do is this: Inspire and create a classroom full of curiosity, the joy to discover, and creative/innovative thinking! If you can do that then even the "worst" student will have a memorable experience that they can grow from. Also, its really important for teachers to remember and acknowledge the differences between a student's quality of work (or performance) and a student's achievements. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a great student who can write a perfect paper might not get as much out of the class as someone who is a "bad" student who has one solid breakthrough during the semester. Please be sensitive to your students individual uniqueness and don't ever look down on someone because of their weaknesses.

This indeed is very true, and all that was said here is kinda hard to do. It's lots of work, and its always easier to see everyone as the same, use a simple workflow on your classes and only care about the ones who "works" with your own workflow. But that's not helping anyone.

[The n00b]

TEACHER! leave them kids alone!

[chempop]

^^LOL, I used to sing Another Brick in the Wall pt 2 in 4th grade!!! We don't need an education, bow-chicka-wow-wow chicka-chicka-wow, we don't need no thought control....

Then my teacher said I can't sing that song at school, even though she liked floyd too.

One concept that many schools like to administer is the concept that "Fairness: all students should be treated equally", but when you become more experienced with teaching, or you are in a more open hearted environment you'll hopefully discover the true meaning of Fairness: that everyone has different needs and can be treated how it best suits your individuality.

[FRO]

Excellent news! I would encourage you to be the kind of teacher who strives to make the kids want to learn all they can. That is the greatest gift a teacher can give their students.