A Science Teaching Career?

A former student asked me if they should become a secondary school science teacher. As someone with 29 years in the trenches I suppose I am a reasonable authority on the subject. I pondered the question a few minutes and then outlined to him the qualities that a person who wanted to be successful in science teaching should have. Here they are:

1) A flexible, creative, curious mind.
You must be able to challenge students in their established beliefs and modes of thinking, of getting them to think "outside the box" for a change. To do this, you have to think on your feet and to ask involved, higher order questions. Each student requires a different approach so you must change your style to suit each person's learning modality. You must keep up with the latest scientific developments and weave these into your lessons. To have your students become curious you must possess curiousity and a willingness to delve into the unknown.

2) Ability to handle high stress levels.
The morning you come in to quietly grade a set of papers is the morning that two students show up for makeup labs, one student appears for a makeup test, a parent calls to inquire why their child made a "B" instead of an "A" on their report card and wants a complete list of all assignments that child was given and their grade on each, the principal wants to see you about articles you have written in your blog about the school, a teacher comes in to borrow some supplies, and a student emails you to say they will be absent and wants to know about the upcoming test. Can you deal with all of this in the space of an hour without hyperventilating or having a coronary and still manage to get those papers graded in time for the next class? Stress is a major factor in teacher burnout. We lose good teachers because they can't handle the high stress level that is inherent in the job. The ones who survive usually do so by having a great sense of humor, another very important prerequisite for successful teaching.

3) Willingness to sacrifice time and possibly health.
You will be spending a lot of preparatory time designing and setting up labs, grading papers, typing tests, and doing all of the things that are required so the classes run smoothly. Health will become a major concern. A cold is a disaster that will throw that carefully designed schedule out the window while you languish at the doctor's office for a day and then try to get back on track after a day or two recuperating. The stress mentioned earlier takes its toll as well. I am now short a section of my abscessed colon due, in part, to this. We lost a couple of good science teachers whose health problems were probably exacerbated or caused by stress.

4) Like students and people in general.
It seems obvious but people usually overlook this simple quality. Sometimes people get into the profession who do not really relate well to people. You must be able to enjoy working with a variety of coworkers. I have been blessed over the years to have some excellent people working alongside me, but there will always be that occasional teacher or administrator who is "difficult". You may find you are working for someone who is more interested in image than teaching students. You may have a coworker or superior who views their job as a temporary steppingstone to another position and who does not want to cooperate with you in helping students to learn. There will be the occasional (hopefully rare) student who seems to be born just so they can be there to torment you in every way imaginable. Can you deal with these people acceptably and with good grace? Fortunately, most of the teachers who can not work well with a variety of personality types move on rather quickly to other lines of work. This is also true for those who really do not like students. After all, they are what we are here for so that makes them our most important focus.

5) Ability to see self-worth in teaching.
You should not expect constant accolades for your teaching excellence. I have never been teacher of the year at any school I have worked at. Due in part to my honest, big mouth and my acerbic wit and utter lack of tact with office politics, I have been pretty much passed by for such honors. This makes those special times when a student or parent thanks you for your efforts that much more beautiful. You must have the ability to defer expectations of this type and see the value of teaching groups of students who will take your training and make a real impact once they are in the workplace. I have had a few moments over the years where I did receive commendations and awards but they were never an integral part of my life. I take satisfaction in knowing the impact I have upon the minds of my students. They will leave my class with an enhanced sense of curiosity, intellectual thirst for knowledge, and the ability to think for themselves. To me that is all the reward I need. Anything more is gravy.

6) Desire to improve yourself.
Having summers off is a myth. You will take classes for graduate degrees, to enhance teaching skills, and for recertification. Most of these classes are very interesting but they place heavy demands upon your time. I have taken courses for a master degree and countless other courses over the years in a quest to be a better instructor. I paid for many of these classes myself. It is a small price to pay if you are serious about teaching.

7) Willingness to take less salary in lieu of other benefits.
If money is a primary reason for working, then teaching is not for you. I could make $7000-$10000 per year more in a research lab than I make teaching. When a lab requires additional materials it is not unusual to buy supplies out of your own pocket when needed. Satisfaction with teaching has to be more important than money if you want to be a successful teacher.

So... should you consider a science teaching career? I can't answer that for you. It was the right choice for me. I get great enjoyment from teaching, though the daily tasks and all of the challenges in this profession do take their toll. If you can honestly say that you have the characteristics listed above, then I say go for it. Otherwise, there are other fields that may better suit your talents. Just as everyone was not meant to be a doctor, everyone was not meant to be a teacher. Teaching is a special art that has many rewards in itself for those who have the temperment and the skills for it. The profession needs more excellent science teachers. Perhaps you could be one of those teachers.

Sorry if this post is not a sugercoated essay where we all sing "Kum-Ba-Yah" and praise the wonderful world of teaching. Yes, it can be a complete pain in the rear sometimes and the politics and image concerns can be more than a little insane. It is a world where good deeds are often not acknowledged and fairness is talked about but sometimes not a reality. Still, with all of its challenges it is a profession I am proud to be a part of. It is one of the few professions where you can make a real difference in a large number of people's lives for the better. If that is your goal in life, teaching is your best chance at happiness in this world.