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Hi Matthew,
It is exciting to see that you are trying your hand at teaching high school scence this coming year. But I LOVED middle school!!! I was a middle school science teacher for the majority of my public school teaching career, starting out in high school and finding myself accepting a middle school position when I moved to a new state - where there seemed to be an abundance of need there. I found that I loved the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders! I also found that each grade level, each class, and each time period within the day had its own personality. Creating the 'perfect' environment for learning was not something that could be easily replicated, and it changed with the climate of the class participants. Providing engaging, hands-on, challenging lessons that connected science, nature, and engineering to their everyday lives usually were very well received. You may also find your niche to be middle school science after teaching high school this coming year! There is nothing else like it when you help feed their eagerness to learn and share in a mutual respect for each other.
Are you interested in teaching science content or preservice teachers? If you already have your doctoral degree, that is usually expected for science content positions. Many education courses can be taught with a minimum of a Master's in Education. What new teachers want and need are university science methods teachers who have been in the classroom and know what it is like to juggle all the demands of the administration; the physical, emotional, and special needs of their students; the demands and expectations of the parents; and the personal and professional needs of themselves and their own families. Coming from that perspective helps you to construct courses that will be helpful and useful to your pre-service teachers. I guess what I am trying to say is, it is wonderful that you are interested in teaching at the university level. After teaching a few years, you will be able to share your teaching talents and science expertise with future teachers. I did not go looking for a teaching position at the university level; a friend recommended me to a new program starting up in my area. I was hired and have been teaching a few courses every semester as an adjunct for several years now.
If there is a junior college in your area, many high school and middle school teachers find they can take on one or two evening courses there, and that is a way to get your foot in the door. With your B.S. in mechanical engineering, you probably already have an M.Ed or M.A. as well. If not, consider getting a masters or other advanced degree in the discipline you want to teach at the university level. The positions are out there if you have the right combination of degrees and experience. Good luck with your future quests and I wish you a highly effective high school teaching experience!
Best,
Carolyn Mohr, adjunct professor
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