Teaching High School History
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Marcus Said:
Teaching High School History?We Answered:
I have a BA in Sociology and totally feel your pain on the employment front! Now with teaching, you will have to have a teacher's certificate in order to teach high school and different states have different criteria, so you will have to check with your state's qualifications. It might be as simple as taking an exam or you might have to pick up some extra courses to fulfill a BA in Education. Check with your school board and I am sure they will be quite helpful. Good luck to ya and best wishes with teaching and making a difference in the lives of our young people!Gordon Said:
Teaching high school history on an elementary ed degree?We Answered:
Because of the NCLB rules and regulations, when a teacher is teaching a class or subject in which he/she doesn't hold a degree or teaching certificate, the school is required to notify the parents in that school district that they are employing an unqualified teacher. The school's grade on the federal government's grading/report card system also goes down. So odds on finding a job as an unqualified teacher are slim. Your best bet is to go back to school and pick up the 45 or so quarter hours you would need in that subject. You might also be required to student teach that subject and grade level.Dean Said:
Requirements for teaching High School History in Ohio?We Answered:
Social Sciences (Sometime called social studies) includes:US History
World History
Geography
Political Science (sometimes called Government)
Economics
There are some who get certified in just "History" but their chances of getting a job are slim. Principals want a teacher they can use in all social studies areas, not just history.
History, by the way, is started in most schools in the third grade. This is just not in may state, its all over.
I've been teaching for almost 20 years and I enjoy teaching students in the "Gifted and Talented" programs because they actually have a desire to learn. They are a pleasure to work with.
I teach 11th grade US History (US History since the Civil War) and many of my students have little concern for education, especially history. They are lazy, they attempt to cheat and copy work from others and their parents care even less about education than the students. I find that I am a teacher half the time and a disciplinarian the other half of my time. Young teachers often have this beautiful idea of helping mankind by being a teacher, but its a great challenge teaching students who don't care. I need my 20 years of experience to make lesson plans exciting and interesting for the students and I'm not successful most of the time.
This is not to mention the challenges from the school administration staff who required report after report while making sure that we have meticulous record keeping. Most administrators spend 1 or 2 years in a classroom and don't have a clue on how their petty requirements adds to a teacher's daily work.
I am not trying to dissuade you from being a teacher. I just don't want you to put in the time and effort to be a teacher only to discover you didn't know all the facts going in.
With all the work, all the challenges, all the hardships of being a teacher, I find the work fulfilling most of the time. The pay is okay ($50K after 20 years for 10 month's work) and I love the days off in the Summer, around Christmas and Sprink Break. But, every year I find the students more rude, more unruly and parents more detached from their children. I'll be retiring in the next two to three years so I can make it until then. But, for you, I would take a long cold hard look before investing time, money and effort. Visit schools and visit all kinds of classrooms. This will help you. And remember, when you're hired, you don't tell the principal where you want to work, they put you where they have a vacancy and where other experienced teachers have already refused to work, that's why they're hiring you.
Kirk Said:
What degree to pursue to teach high school history and/or psychology?We Answered:
Teaching high school is very content focused. Although universities & states differ in their requirements for teachers, many will require you to have a bachelor degree in History Teaching where the majority of your classes will be history with a few foundation courses in education. If you would like to teach psychology at the high school level, many schools require 12-24 college credit hours in a field to teach a class in it, so you can major in Secondary history teaching, minor in Psychology, and come out with the right degree. Another route is to Major in History alone, gain a bachelor degree in History, and then go back to school for the MAT program, which will give you a Masters in Teaching. It's an alternative certification route, but you'll end up coming out with a History degree, a masters, and a certificate to teach.Good luck!
Dorothy Said:
What do I need to do to become a high school History teacher?We Answered:
Where do you plan on going to college? I would recommend doing a minor in Secondary Education if it is offered, and then get your Master's degree immediately following your Bachelor's. It is often hard to go back to school once you get your career rolling, and it will make you a more appealing candidate to districts when you apply for positions.Also, make sure you get plenty of volunteer hours in (you can even start getting involved in your community now), and get as much student-teaching experience as you can.
Reginald Said:
Best major if I intend to teach high school history?We Answered:
Well each state has different rules. A History degree is the best for teaching high school history. You need to give yourself more areas of teaching, U.S. and World History, Government, Social Science, Psych, Geography, ect. It will come with the different classes you take. When I graduated and reviewing my classes, I ended up with a double major in U.S. and World History and two minors, Government and Education.Each state requires you have so many classes in a subject to teach it. Indiana requires 5 classes in a subject to teach a class. I was short 1 class in 3 different areas, but was tired of school at the time. I need now to go back to get them. Research on what you need to teach for Virginia.
There are also different tests you need to take in addition to your classes. They are so called "qualification" tests, to make sure you are "qualified" to teach. So each state has different tests that is required. Thank you "No Child Left Behind" But it is a good, making sure that teachers are actually qualified to teach a subject.
Disregard that guy who said why do you want to teach. If you want to teach that is what you to do.