So Apparently Teaching is a POPULAR Field

[Jolly Ole Bert]

Today's Sunday paper had a special section in it honoring H.S. Seniors who will be graduating at the end of next month. It basically had the name of each Senior, and mentioned what field of study he/she will embark on upon entering college this August.

Out of 424 Seniors graduating from our local H.S.'s class of '10...219 students plan to pursue a future in education/teaching. (74 Male, 145 Female). The remaining Senior's are entering a wide variety of career fields, ranging from law enforcement, computer programming, to athletic field maintenance (<--- you read that correct). But holy cow, do we really need that many teachers in the future? And this is just one small H.S.

I'm not knocking the kids at all, as it is kudos to them for having dreams/goals and wanting to work hard for it. That is not the point. I just worry about what the future outlook will be in the next decade if there are over 35 teachers per opening.(and that ratio will be for when our economy recovers to late '90's strength, and AFTER the baby-boomer's retire from teaching). My sister is a junior in college, and the majority of her female friends are going into teaching. (She guesses at least 70%). Glad to see that so many young people are eager to teach future generations...but I surely hope we have enough classrooms.

 

[luvmy3]

I didn't think this was a surprise to anyone

 

[Pancakes]

Hope they don't try to find a teaching job in NJ. Definitely not in South Jersey with all the cuts they're making.
I was planning to go into Education too, but I decided to go into Food and Nutrition. Might be more job openings in that field. It's not a good time for the education field here. But who knows, maybe other states do need more teachers

 

[ajk912]

I am no expert but I already think there is an overage. I know 3 people myself who would LOVE a full time teaching job but there are no openings, so all they can do is sub. And so many schools in the country are laying off positions as well, it's scary..it's very hard to break into teaching I hear. I thought about it, because I am a mom and it would be great to have Sat/Sun, holidays, and most of the summer off...but decided against it. I was terrified I would graduate and have no way of paying off those loans.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It seems all fields eb and flow in popularity. With the latest problems in education, it actually makes perfect sense to have such a high proportion of seniors wanting to enter that field.

What is that saying?

"Be the change you want to see in the world"

 

[gina2000]

I think high school students don't realize what opportunities there are in the world. They can relate to teachers because teachers have been a part of their lives for many years. It's a tangible profession for them....unlike international economics, research, or the myriad of avenues they will become exposed to once they enter a university. They don't know "what they can be" until they are exposed to opportunities.

I think you'll discover that many of those professing an interest in education will change their minds once they discover the many worlds open to them.

 

[kydisneyfans]

My wife is a teacher-never wanted to be one, never trained to be one, but was offered a job on New Years Day this year as the college did not have anyone to instruct a course that started Monday. She was referred by a colleague at her full time position and has taught ever since.

With thousands of middle aged adults going back to school and changing careers, teaching may be a hot job heading forward. There are also a large amount of teachers that have taught 20-30 years that will be retiring soon.

I've always said that when the boomers retire, there will be too many jobs for the remaining population.

 

[PixieTopaz]

I think high school students don't realize what opportunities there are in the world. They can relate to teachers because teachers have been a part of their lives for many years. It's a tangible profession for them....unlike international economics, research, or the myriad of avenues they will become exposed to once they enter a university. They don't know "what they can be" until they are exposed to opportunities.

.

I agree. There are so many fields high school kids just dont know exist. i think the teaching field is flooded-and it doesnt pay that great either.

 

[minkydog]

I think high school students don't realize what opportunities there are in the world. They can relate to teachers because teachers have been a part of their lives for many years. It's a tangible profession for them....unlike international economics, research, or the myriad of avenues they will become exposed to once they enter a university. They don't know "what they can be" until they are exposed to opportunities.

I think you'll discover that many of those professing an interest in education will change their minds once they discover the many worlds open to them.

Totally agree. I'm not at all surprised that HS seniors choose education, but a LOT of them will change their majors once they get out into the college world a little. I know i changed my major three times.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'd like to see the stats again when they get to college. How many will narrow their field down to something more specific.
Like early childhood development or something like my brother. He's a teacher but he teaches English in Japan, he is headed to South Korea next. Once he comes back to the states he is either going to look at teaching at the local HS or get his masters in business. Then he'd have a wider span to choose from.

 

[Katie's Butterflies]

Totally agree. I'm not at all surprised that HS seniors choose education, but a LOT of them will change their majors once they get out into the college world a little. I know i changed my major three times.

I remember in my freshman orientation, we were told that the average college student changes his or her major 3 times. As they said, it’s better to change career goals in college than in the real world!

 

[Cindy B]

Dont bother getting one in NJ. I got not one but TWO teaching degrees in 2008 and I still don't have a permanent teaching job. I don't think I will EVER have one either.

 

[Missy1961]

I think it more likely that some of them really don't know what they want to do with their lives, so they latch on to something they know. I know that's what I did. My older brother had always known that he wanted to be a doctor. But I didn't have a clue. I decided to major in English in college simply because i got my best grades in English. So when people asked "what can you do with a degree in English?", I would say "teach". But I changed my mind fast. I ended up in publishing, but for many years did not write a full sentence! (I work in directory publishing).

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Hope they don't try to find a teaching job in NJ. Definitely not in South Jersey with all the cuts they're making.
I was planning to go into Education too, but I decided to go into Food and Nutrition. Might be more job openings in that field. It's not a good time for the education field here. But who knows, maybe other states do need more teachers

Or North Jersey! The whole state is a mess. I've put 4 years into the school I am in now and am about to get tenure next year. With the way things are going, I'm STILL in fear that I will be out of a job next year. Thought that if I lost my job, I'd move to Florida and teach there but it's all wacky down there too!

Seven years ago when I graduated college, I thought it was hard then to find a teaching job. I feel so bad for the people who are graduating this year and are going to be looking for a teaching job in NJ....

 

[momof1princess]

i truly hope job prospects start looking up for current and future teachers soon. i have a friend who graduated with an education degree 2 years ago, now has her master's, and hasn't been able to get a teaching job in all this time. she has applied for every related opening, but around here, it's not what you know, but who you know. she's been substitute teaching and gets rave reviews from the people she works with. it just seems she can't catch a break.

 

[Jolly Ole Bert]

When factoring in the baby-boomer's retirement into the picture, it looks better, but not by much. For every one current teacher in the baby-boomer age bracket expected to retire before 2013, there are 7.5 students entering college under a teaching program as of today to fill each one position. Not sure where they get the .5 from.
But like several of the pp's mentioned, career fields do change many times through the course of student's college years.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

When factoring in the baby-boomer's retirement into the picture, it looks better, but not by much. For every one current teacher in the baby-boomer age bracket expected to retire before 2013, there are 7.5 students entering college under a teaching program as of today to fill each one position. Not sure where they get the .5 from.
But like several of the pp's mentioned, career fields do change many times through the course of student's college years.

It's like saying the birthrate is 2.1. You can't have a fractin of a person, but the numbers of course, never divide evenly when you are comparing one population to another. (In your case, retiring teachers compared to new teachers.)

I wonder what the rate is for all those already in the field, presently unemployable who would not be retiring in the next 3 years. I see lots of young (as in not close to retirment at all, but at least 10-20 years) teachers.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Or North Jersey! The whole state is a mess. I've put 4 years into the school I am in now and am about to get tenure next year. With the way things are going, I'm STILL in fear that I will be out of a job next year. Thought that if I lost my job, I'd move to Florida and teach there but it's all wacky down there too!

Seven years ago when I graduated college, I thought it was hard then to find a teaching job. I feel so bad for the people who are graduating this year and are going to be looking for a teaching job in NJ....

Yep.

My county is a little "special" since it has the space program. But as more and more employees are let go, they are guessing that the trickle down effect will lead to a mass evacuation of families and thus students. Without that tax base and the actual children to teach, there will be many teachers affected by it. I believe they are talking layoffs this summer already.

Other counties wont' necessarily have that pickle--but they may have been impacted by other things.

I find it surprising. So many foreclosures and short sales and homes for sale in my neck of the woods and the schools are over capacity. Not sure where all these kids are coming from.

 

[Jolly Ole Bert]

Not sure where all these kids are coming from.

In our county, we've had an influx of children from Mexico, Honduras, and other countries come in which has probably saved a handful of teaching jobs. But as far as foreclosures and such, their families usually rent apartments rather than buying a home. Thus we don't have much change in the housing market, yet our classroom sizes increase.

 

[GeorgeG]

I agree that many of these young people will change their plans before they graduate, but I think a compelling reason they start out wanting to be teachers is that they percieve it as being an easy job with a lot of time off as opposed to the average Monday-Friday job with only a few weeks off each year. They aren't exactly prone to giving up entire summers off and all the breaks through the school year. Of course, they only see things from the student's perspective. Before I retired I had some young people working for me who couldn't understand why they did not get six weeks vacation like the older employees with 25-30 years of service. If they whined too much I gave them an option... 2 weeks paid vacation or 52 weeks unpaid vacation!