Suppose you want to become a teacher. I think that’s great! Making a difference in the lives of young people is deeply satisfying. It can be a steep learning curve at the beginning of your career, but this is true of many careers! And teaching is a much more emotionally satisfying way to spend your life than almost anything the corporate world has to offer.
但是，当你开始时，获得教学工作可能会挑战。当然是一个如此的组织Teach For America有些人在他们的职业生涯开始。So if you want a job, it’s very good to be aware of all the options. This is especially true if you are intentional about considering all the ways a job might shape your life.
学习成为教师的许多人主要专注于一个选择：在公立学校教学。虽然这可能是最大的工作类别，但这不是唯一一个！所以让我们来看看选择。在我们看时，我们将包含两个经常被误解的替代品 - 狭隘的学校和私人独立学校。
公立学校教学
在三种选择中，您可能对此最为了解。这是迄今为止三种选择的最大“立法”。准备成为公立学校老师的人必须经过认证计划，并采取普拉西斯等测试。
课程
As a public school teacher, what needs to be covered in the classroom is often mandated by “the Common Core” or other standards. The level of pedagogical choice that teachers have can vary from school to school. In some schools teachers receive a scripted curriculum. In others, teacher get only a broad standards and are left to figure out the details for themselves.
不同素质的学校
The quality of schools can vary wildly. It often depends largely on property values in the neighborhood and学区。Schools in rich neighborhoods often have the best equipment and supplies. Schools in poor neighborhoods often are scrounging for the basics. Public school teachers are typically unionized, and so the union has guaranteed certain wages and benefits. But pay attention to current events in your state. In some states, these long established benefits are being rolled back.
Noble and Challenging
公立学校是免费的，对所有人开放。这同时对它有什么高尚的 - 以及具有挑战性的。学校是免费的，这很棒。但这也是人性的悲伤事实，人们倾向于理所当然的东西是自由的。因此，在一些公立学校，教师觉得他们没有足够的父母参与。
公立学校必须接受每个人。倾向于拥有最大需求的学生往往会参加公立学校。我在谈论：
- 低收入家庭的学生，
- 在寄养护理系统中，
- 最近到达移民，或
- 患有严重的学生。
为这些具有高质量教育的学生提供挑战。因此，许多公立学校教师也是一个自豪的观点。
在狭隘/宗教学校教学
罗马天主教会在世界上运行最大的非政府学校系统。除了天主教学校，美国还有其他宗教学校，虽然美国除了天主教学校，但他们为全国范围内的绝大多数 - 近7000所学校表示占据了占地面积。所以我将在天主教学校讨论狭隘的学校。
误解
很多人想知道你是否必须在天主教学校教授天主教徒。这是一个有效的问题！您可能认为拒绝雇用非天主教徒是宗教歧视的版本 - 通常是。
But religious organizations in our country do have license to discriminate based on religion. In other words, a Christian school cannot be forced to hire atheists to teach at their school (with limited exceptions, like if the school accepts federal funding).
话虽如此，我必须提到一个值得注意的例外。天主教学校倾向于雇用外面的信仰。只要您没有参与以任何方式教导信仰，您就可以将该工作纳入。
However, keep in mind that you do have to have a healthy respect for and tolerance of the Catholic Church. For example, if you teach at a Catholic school you’ll probably need to attend a school-wide Catholic Mass a few times a year. If you are the kind of person who can’t help saying negative things about traditional religion, a Catholic school would likely not be a good fit for you.
不需要认证
那些教书non-state-affiliated天主教的年代chools don’t need certification–but many have it. And keep in mind that some individual schools may require it. Also, many Catholic schools require students to wear uniforms. Some folks are in favor of this because it removes all the social pressures associated with clothing.
学生和家长
谁去了一个天主教学校？有时候学生自己或她自己是虔诚的信徒。有时候，父母是虔诚的信徒，他们正试图让他们的孩子相信。其他时候，父母并不是特别宗教，但他们觉得这样的学校对他们的孩子来说是一个很好的道德影响。然后有父母，他们只是怀疑当地公立学校的质量。
Tuition
There typically is some fee for student to attend a Catholic School. This fee can be significant if the Catholic school is fancy, for example a college-prep Catholic high school. And with an increase in fees or tuition, teachers can expect to see an increase in parental expectations.
在私人独立学校教学
This is the option I know best because I spent twenty years of my life teaching at a private school. I never got certified. I never took any courses about teaching. I never took any state-sponsored tests, such as the C-BEST or Praxis. All this is also true of virtually all my colleagues.
Independent schools tend to attract students from wealthy families. They often charge high tuition and foster high expectations. Many independent schools, even primary schools, are viewed as part of a “college track” education.
父母参与悖论
Think of this paradox. Many public school teachers are desperate for more parental involvement. Conversely, private school teachers often rely on administrators to runinterference为他们！他们需要管理员来缓解父母的关注和需求的不断压力。可以理解的是，为孩子的教育支付20美元至30,000美元的父母可能对他们所在的钱有一些非常强烈的意见。
Certificate?
Most teachers at private schools do not have teaching certification, but most have advanced degrees in their subject. It’s hard to get a job in a good private school without a master’s degree in the sciences. English and History teachers often have Ph.D.’s. This option can be ideal for someone who once wanted to be a professor but at some point changed their mind.
自由
Private school teachers often have tremendous freedom in what they teach and how they teach it. Parents and administrators figure that an advanced degree means that the instructor will know what’s important to teach. Obviously, there are general restraints–such as covering what might be on the SAT or ACT. And certainly each year’s course has to prepare students for the next year. But compared to all the standards that public school teachers need to follow, there is still an extraordinary amount of freedom.
它可能很难在精英私人独立学校工作。具有高级学位将有所帮助。拥有教学证书可能有所帮助。经常有几年的教学经验，更多的门开放。
Out-of-the-Box Educational Experiences
Some schools offer truly extraordinary opportunities to their students. Teaching at a school that has special beyond-the-classroom experiences can demand a great deal of energy. We all know that teaching requires a lot of energy in the first place! But this requires even more, and the rewards can be that much higher.
朋友学校
朋友学校，由此经营Quakers.那have regular silent meetings which transform character over time. Friends schools tend to have a strong social justice focus and often encourage community service. Most Friends Schools are private independent schools.
出国旅行
一些高中的旅游机会。有些，喜欢佛得角谷学校那foster anthropological awareness through exposure to other cultures. And then there are其他人，喜欢雅典人学校那that have外面的- 风格的荒野经历。这些学校可以以课堂中永远不会发生的方式改变学生的性格。当然，这样的旅行和程序通常需要教师伴侣。但将此值得作为教师与学生一起进行转型体验的机会。
Options
Getting a first teaching job is hard. It’s good to be aware of the full gamut of possibilities. If you have had experiences looking for jobs at any of these kinds of schools and would like to share your experiences, we would love to hear from you in the comments.
