Careers in Chemistry
Teaching High School Chemistry
Teaching High School Chemistry requires a love for both students and science. These teachers' job tasks include but are not limited to standing in front of a classroom lecturing, tutoring a single struggling student, preparing exams/quizzes, grading papers, and taking every opportunity to learn more about the field. Most chemistry teachers also provide the students with hands on activities (usually referred to as labs) to enhance the students' learning. The workweek of a teacher normally includes about thirty six hours of on the clock labor plus any preparation or grading the teacher must perform at night time off the clock. Altogether most high school teachers normally work forty or more hours a week. The majority of teachers are only required to work ten months out of the year having a two month summer break. The break gives teachers the ability to teach summer school, take on other jobs, travel, or pursue other interests. Although the work year sounds great, most chemistry majors interested in pursuing the career are turned off to see the salary. The median salary in the United States for a high school teacher is approximately $50,000. The lowest quarter of that averaging around $40,000 and the highest quarter averaging almost $60,000.
In order to become a high school chemistry teacher, one must obtain a general science bachelor degree which requires passing several higher level chemistry classes. He/she must also pass several standardized tests in order to obtain certification. These chemistry classes and the certification are required in order that the teacher obtains the knowledge of the subject well enough to convey this information to his/her students. The subject of chemistry is used every day in the life of a chemistry teacher whether they are lecturing about terms and chemistry information or providing hands on learning with a chemical oriented lab.
Teaching High School Chemistry
Pictures
http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/r/n/rnrpate/Murals.htm
http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/INSET/ChemNonSpec/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmbickford/274720060/
http://www.scoe.net/news/library/2006/june/23teacher_recruitment2.html
Resources
http://dauntseys.org/main/publicweb/Docs/School/Appointments/Jobdescriptions/ToChem.htm
http://pubs.acs.org/chemjobs/jobseeker/articles/job_chemed.html
http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_ED03000011.html
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm#conditions
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