Can I do it.
Recently I have begun to really think about my career path; is teaching my calling? I would love to teach, I do not doubt that for a second. But as I go through my classes I do not feel that I demonstrate a passion for the subject matter. For example, I wanted to be a history teacher, but I just do not express the love or care for history that I feel a history teacher should have. I do not go out of my way to read history, and in my classes I find myself lacking in the studding and reading department. The same goes for economics, I thought I would do that; low and behold that it too bores me. So what do I teach? Am I passionate enough about any subject to teach it? If not, should I even be considering teaching? And if not teaching, then what?
I know lots of questions, but it has been on my mind.
6 comments:
Well, what do you like teaching? Would you like teaching at a higher level? What else would you like to do?
Thats the problem, I do not know what I care enough about to teach, and I do not know what else I would do.
I don't think it necessarily matters if you care about the subject matter, as long as you care about the students learning. You can think that whatever you're teaching is important (such as economics) without really being interested in it, and can feel that it's important and meaningful to teach it to high schoolers and to impart wisdom and whatnot without being really passionate about the subject. I guess I'm saying you can be passionate about teaching without having to be really passionate about what you're teaching, as long as you care somewhat about it and care a lot about why you're teaching.
i student taught last spring and had a lot of the same feelings you are having. i had a hard time being passionate about the subject matter, especially subjects i wasn't so interested in. granted i was in elementary school and had numerous subject to teach. but my cooperating teacher and i talked about it once in awhile, and she said that even if you can't stand a subject, you need to put on a show. be an actor. make the studends think you think it's exciting and worth knowing. this past year i have only been able to substitute teach. and so far only in middle school classes. which i never thought i'd ever enjoy. and i had to teach subjects i never thought i'd want to teach. but i've actually found that the students help a lot and i've really enjoyed being in the middle school in subjects i'm not so fond of. i think if you can just get through all the [boring] college courses and find a job where you really get involved in the school (coach or be involved with clubs, whatever), you'll probably find it will improve. i think for a lot of teachers it's just as much about the relationships they build with students as it is the actual teaching.
i also know people, who after student teaching, knew they never wanted to teach. (which is unfortunate) but they realized it and were able to find decent jobs in other fields.
i don't know how your college works field placements and stuff, but i would encourage you to get in to as many different grades, schools, etc. i was shocked to realize i like middle school so much - i had always thought i'd want 3-5 grades. but now i would probably prefer middle school - if i ever get a job. (unfortunately i live in ohio and my mn license is no good and my husband is military so we won't be here long enough for it to be worth it to pursue my ohio license, so i'm just subbing while here)
(by the way, i'm a friend of gina's)
great advice from katie, I think she has some good points for you eric.
Yup, do it for the students.
And Middle-School-ers ROCK!
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