Ask Sooga about being a high school math teacher.. ugh

[BeerMoney]

Do u fantasize about screwing your female students?

Do you whine about being a teacher/salary all of the time like most teachers?

[jason_t]

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Are asians better at math?

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I think they work harder (at least at the University level) but aren't inherently better.

[Sooga]

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1. I was in highschool from 1997-2000, have the students changed much since then? If so, how?

2. Are you one of those teachers who can see something in someone if they just apply themselves?

3. Why do kids hate math?

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1) So that must mean you were in high school during the years I was in college. I'm not sure if when you went to high school was a lot different from when I went, but like I said earlier, kids today seem to be a lot less prepared than when I was a kid.

2) It's easy for anyone (not just a teacher) to see when a student is just not bright, and when a student is extremely bright, but just extremely lazy. The problem is, the not-bright kids try hard, but no matter what you do, sometimes they just can't get it and it breaks your heart. On the other hand you try anything to get the extremely smart/lazy kids interesting in something and they won't bite. That really annoys the sh*t out of you.

3) I think kids generally hate math because they don't see the point in learning a lot of the things they need to know, and honestly, I can understand the point of view. When are they ever going to need to know how to graph a hyperbola or something? They're too young to understand that having a deep understanding of mathematics makes you a more logical/analytical person, which leads to generally better decision-making. But generally I try my best to find some sort of real-world applications to the things we do, but sometimes (like hyperbolas or something) it's very difficult to find anything.

[Sooga]

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Ok I am currently working on my math degree to become a teacher, so is it worth it? By that I mean are you that much better off than say a guy who got a liberal studies degree and is teaching in elementary school.

I would like to play a lot of poker when teaching, will it be possible while getting my credentials?

Also when I get my degree can I teach right away while working on my credentials?

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ABSOLUTELY. You'd be surprised by the types of questions these kids will ask you, and if you don't have a really good understanding of not just the material you're teaching, but about the underlying principles, you won't be able to answer them.

A lot of time for poker is definitely possible, especially during the summers. During the school year if you have to teach AND take classes, it might be hard to fit in poker hours, but it's doable.

The last question is a bit harder since the No Child Left Behind thing. Teaching and getting my credential work done was how I got started, but now I think the only way you can do that is to go to a special program like Teach For America or something like that, which will allow you to teach concurrent with getting your credential, but will also put you in higher needs areas (i.e. ghettos).

[Sooga]

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Do you have a degree in mathematics? What's the certification process in California?

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Yea I have a major in math. I heard some scary statistic that something like 25% of high school math teachers don't have a major OR minor in math. Don't know how reliable that stat is, but it does sound about right, based on the math teachers I've been colleagues with.

The certification process used to be you could just get your Bachelor's degree, take a couple of 'teaching' classes, and get your credential. Now with Bush's 'No Child Left Behind' mandate, you have to jump through a LOT of different hoops to get your credential. Bachelor's, then about 4 semesters of work to get your preliminary credential, then 2 more years of something called BTSA (Beginning Teacher something something) to get your clear credential, which is basically a 'real' credential. You then renew that every 10 years. I'm currently in the BTSA program, and let me tell you, suicide isn't looking like too bad an alternative right now. It's not hard work, but it's just busy useless crap work, that when piled upon the crap I already have to do makes life very bad.

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Can you work on these concurrent to starting teaching?

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Bottom line... it depends. I answered in a bit more detail in my reply to Jorge10.

[Homer]

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Also when I get my degree can I teach right away while working on my credentials?

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What state are you planning to teach in?

[Sooga]

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Do u fantasize about screwing your female students?

Do you whine about being a teacher/salary all of the time like most teachers?

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Let's be honest here. Someone would be lying if they said that they didn't look at certain 16-year olds and say 'wow they're attractive'... but fantasizing about screwing them? Personally, not really. I mean, I can certainly see how you could, but I just see them as kids. And screwing a kid is just wrong.

I definitely don't whine about salary. I mean I work essentially 185 days per year, 6 hours a day, and I make a liveable wage. How can I possibly be underpaid?

[jason_t]

What other careers did you consider when you finished your math degree?

[edtost]

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Do you have a degree in mathematics? What's the certification process in California?

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Yea I have a major in math. I heard some scary statistic that something like 25% of high school math teachers don't have a major OR minor in math. Don't know how reliable that stat is, but it does sound about right, based on the math teachers I've been colleagues with.

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How hard would it be to become a math teacher without a math major/minor, but with a degree in a related field (hard science, engineering, compsci, etc)?

[Jorge10]

I know you teach in California, but do you know how it works in Arizona?

Its because I have family there and they have pretty much asked me several times to move over there. So I was going to do that when I finished my degree.

So how does the whole credential thing work in Arizona?