Okay, so, let me tell you about this whole journey of becoming a high school biology teacher in the US. It’s been quite a ride, I gotta say.
First off, I started by looking into what it actually takes to become a teacher. Turns out, you need a bachelor’s degree, preferably in education if you’re aiming for elementary, but for high school, a major in biology works great, too. I already had my biology degree, so that was a good start.
Then, I dove into the job-hunting process. It’s a bit of a jungle out there. I scoured through websites like Indeed and Glassdoor. Man, there are tons of openings. Like, seriously, I found listings ranging from 255 to over 6,000, all across the country. It’s kinda overwhelming, but also pretty exciting to see so many opportunities.
The next step was to actually apply for these positions. I tailored my resume and cover letter for each job, highlighting my passion for biology and my desire to share that with young minds. I applied to a bunch of schools, mostly in the areas I was interested in living in.
Interviews Galore
- Some schools asked for teaching demonstrations, where I had to prepare and deliver a lesson to a panel or even a class of students.
- Others focused more on my understanding of teaching methodologies and classroom management.
- And of course, there were questions about my background in biology and why I wanted to teach.
It was nerve-wracking, I won’t lie. But it was also a good way to gauge if a school was a good fit for me, too. You learn a lot about a school’s culture and expectations during these interviews.
After a few rounds of interviews, I finally got an offer from a school that I really liked. The salary was in the range I was hoping for, somewhere between $45,900 and $85,000, which is pretty standard from what I gathered during my job search.
But it’s not just about the degree and the job search. There’s also this thing called the PGCE Secondary Science (Biology) that I looked into. It’s a UK thing, but it’s similar to some programs here in the US. It basically trains you to teach biology to students aged 11 to 18. If I didn’t have a strong background in teaching, that is the path I must choose to take.
I also learned that schools in the US hire teachers based on their subject background, any specialized training they have, and their experience with different grade levels. So, having a solid foundation in biology and some experience working with students, even if it’s just tutoring or volunteering, can really help.
All in all, it’s been a long process, with lots of ups and downs. But I’m excited to finally start this new chapter and hopefully inspire the next generation of biologists!