Considering Teaching High School Math/Physics in Delaware

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Delaware Teachers Chatboard

Considering Teaching High School Math/Physics in Delaware

by Nick Wager

Jan 3, 2009

All; Thanx for taking time out to read my posting. I am a soldier about to retire from the US Army after 28 years of active service. I have a masters degree in Applied Physics and a Ph.D. in Nuclear engineering. I do not have Delaware teacher certification but I am willing to use VA benefits or the Troops to Teachers program to obtain it. I am weighing teaching high school Math/Physics against careers in nuclear energy or continued government civil service. I'd like information reference which Delaware school districts have potential openings for a guy like me and what the pay and benefits may be. Nick

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Don't even think about it Teaching is one of the worst jobs you can have. The pay is horrid and the hours are long. The working conditions are often abusive, especially math. With your credentials, I would get a job that payed well and didn't come with loads of abuse.

On 1/03/09, Nick Wager wrote: > All; > Thanx for taking time out to read my posting. I am a...See More

Jan 16, 2009

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food for thought Sagacious advice. Anyone considering the teaching profession as a life-long career and a rewarding vocation, should think long and hard, observe daily life in today's schools, especially in the urban environment, before spending the time and money on education and certification.

On a whole, it's just not worth it. Only about 20% of teacher...See More

Jan 17, 2009

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To Nick Hey Nick,

Most people who are thinking of being teachers always say they don't care about the money and they are not material. Let me put it to you this way...

Do you care about being able to take a vacation to Ireland this year and Paris the next and to see the pyramids the year after and maybe Peru the next year to see Macchu ...See MoreHey Nick,

Most people who are thinking of being teachers always say they don't care about the money and they are not material. Let me put it to you this way...

Do you care about being able to take a vacation to Ireland this year and Paris the next and to see the pyramids the year after and maybe Peru the next year to see Macchu Picchu and stay at some rainforest preserves where you can see butterflies and birds. How about a month in Belize or some unheard of little island where you can lay on the beach and have massages and have all your food needs catered to you. What about going to Canada to stay in the ice palace that is made from solid ice every winter and that melts in the spring? Have you seen the Great Wall of China? Have you visited the Auschwitz museum?

OK, so money doesn't matter. But your time on this earth is very short. And having traveled a lot, let me tell you, it is priceless to see those things but they COST money. I did a lot of it the hard way because I didn't have money by staying in hostels and only eating one meal a day and taking the bus in the rain, snow and cold and sometimes begging free nights sleep at cool young people's places that I met (I am female so not scary for people). But that is REALLY not the best way to travel. Wouldn't it be nice to stay in nice places and have a couple really good meals a day instead of just buying a loaf of bread and some sandwich meat to last you the whole day?

You might think that the 2 months off you get as a teacher will make traveling easier...but honestly, more 3 weeks traveling on a vacation gets to be too long anyway and most decent professional jobs will give you at least 2 weeks automatically and you can negotiate for more before you take the job.

Teaching is so stressful that it will eat away a lot of your personal life. You will have to spend a lot of time and money to become certified. If you every move to a different state, you will have to go through a lot of it all over again.

In my estimation, it wouldn't be worth it if I were in your position. But that is a decision only you can make.

A couple of ideas for you if you are dead set on becoming a teacher. At least become dually certified in more than math/science. In most states you can become certified in other subjects just by passing tests. So I am certified for elementary ed, English, history, and math. Guess what the order of difficulty of the tests were? No surprise, the math was exponentially harder than the others. The elementary tests were pathetically easy. The history and English were both not too hard with the history requiring more knowledge than the English. So you see how easy it would be for you to be dually certified.

Why do this? First, it makes you more marketable. And second--BUT MORE IMPORTANT-- if you teach math and then find that it is a hell subject to teach in the school or district you are in then after you get tenure (2-3 years) you can switch to history and your life will be a cake walk compared to teaching math. Math, physics, and chemistry are the absolute worst subjects to have to teach so set yourself up for the option to teach something easier

Jan 17, 2009

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:p I don't know where in DE you are considering but check into the new sustainable energy/nuclear technology program at Salem Community College just over the bridge in NJ. They are currently looking for faculty.

[link removed]

Apr 21, 2009

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Kevin On 1/03/09, Nick Wager wrote: > All; > Thanx for taking time out to read my posting. I am a > soldier about to retire from the US Army after 28 years of > active service. I have a masters degree in Applied Physics > and a Ph.D. in Nuclear engineering. I do not have Delaware > teacher certification but I am willing to use VA benefi...See More

Apr 21, 2009

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