Teaching high school journalism?

Has anybody gone this route? I presume you need a teaching certificate. Where would you even go to find these jobs?

 

I know at my high school, and I would imagine it's the same a lot of places, the journalism teacher was a member of the English department. I can't think of any school big enough that you would be teaching that full-time. You'd have to get certified (or not, depending where you are...) in something else, and then say, "Hey, I used to be in journalism. Do you need a teacher for that?"

 

There are plenty of journalism jobs in larger schools, but it's a grueling job. Usually have to be the newspaper advisor, teach photography, do at least one yearbook and teach a full load.

 

In the Northeast, teaching jobs are scarce.

In the South and West, they are in high demand. In Virginia, there are more PA and NY teachers than Virginians.

What you need to look at is cost of living vs. salary. I have seen Dallas and Ft. Worth to be a decent match. I think they start at 35k, and you can get a home there for about 100K. That's not too bad of a ratio. In VA, you start at about 35K but homes go for about 200K.

The rule of thumb is the older the kid the shorter or day is. Elementary teachers are always working past contract hours 2-3 hours a night. High school teachers can walk away at 3 or 4 and be done for the day.

Your first year teaching will be your worst, but each year will get progressively better. Stay away from special education, no matter how much they beg.

When you get your teaching cert get your master's degree at the same time, but be sure you are able to do some student teaching so you can get some classroom management skills in before you are thrown to the wolves.

Oh, if your heart is not in it, do not do it. You have to be willing to give of yourself.


Oh, you will be asked to teach English if you go the high school route, and you will have editors called the principal and the Schol Board.

 

The upside is if you do go that route, having a journalism background will help in the job hunt. Yes, it would be a combined job teaching English and journalism, but schools want somebody who can actually offer something in those journalism classes.

I've checked into this a bit and every single person I talked to said the same thing. Bringing that real-world experience to the classroom helps.

 

*-To get into almost any HS teaching position, having a teaching license/certificate is a must. Some states offer alternative/transitional licensing programs (Indiana is one) that offer a fast-track licensure.
*-You'll probably have to teach English, too, so brush up on your Shakespeare.
*-Your real-world experience will help. Most schools have some English teacher who has never seen the inside of a newsroom (and has zero concept of what journalism is) teaching journalism, advising the newspaper and putting together the yearbook.
*-Even with a lot of experience, you might have to go back for some classes. I was an full-time journo for 9 years, and am a certified (and employed) HS teacher, but I still need to take one class to be able to be licensed to teach journalism in Indiana.
*-You'll also be the yearbook adviser, newspaper adviser and get pinned for everything that goes wrong in the school. All with only 4 hours' prep time a week, too.
*-Get ready for long hours and low pay ... wait, you're probably used to that . Well, at least you can poke fun at your friends when you're getting 10 weeks off during the summer and freelance in the two hours a week you have free.

 

Are there some prep or private schools where a teaching certificate is not required?

 

Yes, many private schools don't require teaching certificates. (Or at least are willing to overlook the lack of a certificate). But many/most private schools pay very little.

 

And you do not have to work holidays, like girls basketball tournaments the fucking day after Thanksgiving or those fucking Turkey Trots on Thanksgiving Day or laying out the next day's paper at night.

But you cannot go to work hung over.

 

don't forget the fucking x-mas and new year's tourneys. ;D

 

I used to teach high school, and was a journalism teacher/newspaper adviser in addition to teaching English. Not much to add to what's already been said, except you don't have to also do yearbook and/or photography (I did neither -- I wouldn't go near the yearbook, and the school I was at had an already-established photography program), and you actually CAN go to work hung over.

 

Good points aboutthe yearbook, but if you are hung over it is a sign of weakness. The pack will attack the weak animal.