Secondary Education Major.?

Jude Kennelly: I wouldn't advise worrying about how hard the course work is. teaching should be about passion. that being said, I you feel you can help students then tell them. explain why the subject intrest you. how you think you can contribute to the field.also good interview skills will help. refer to you campus career center for time when they affer session to teach them to you. i.e. good eye contact, posture, and speech skills....Show more

Lynn Melbourne: (1) How difficult is it to become a history teacher?There may be some classes that prove challenging for you, but if you are genuinely interested in history (and I would hope that you are if you intend to dedicate the rest of your working life to it), then you'll get through them. I have found my education classes--especially my methods classes--to be really interesting. I see each lesson as a puzzle for the child, and it's my job to provide them with the correct pieces to complete THEIR puzzle. (2) How shoul! d I prepare for a one-on-one interview with the department head?Your department head will most likely be trying to gauge your appropriateness for the program and its appropriateness for you. It is important to be yourself and answer honestly any questions that s/he poses. You will probably not be able to guess the exact questions s/he will ask, so you should think in more general terms: Think about why you want to be a history teacher. Is it because you love kids? Is it because you have an intense love of history and you want to pass that on? Did you have a particularly wonderful teacher that inspired you to do well in a subject you didn't like? And why did you choose history? (Think about the ways in which knowing one's history can shape one's future.)You should also think of some questions you have about the program. For example: How soon will I be able to get into the classroom? Are their observation/field components of the lower level education classes or do I have to w! ait until I'm an upperclassman to do this? I know that there i! s fierce competition for history teacher positions, would you suggest minoring in English, journalism, psychology, sociology, etc. to make myself more marketable? Is their a mentor program that pairs new students with mature/advanced/older students? Be sure you do your research--read any literature or webpages your school has published about the program. This will show initiative and go a long way towards showing that you're genuinely interested in becoming a history teacher.If you know anyone who has already passed their interview, you should talk to them about the topics they discussed with their department head. The may be able to give you some sample questions to be prepared for.It would also be beneficial to call the department head's office and speak to his secretary/AA. Often, they can (and will!) give students an idea of what will be covered in the one-on-one meeting. At worst, s/he will say that she doesn't know or can't disclose what is discussed in the meeting. E! ven in this case, you will have made your name more familiar to the office staff (you become a person and not just a name on a form) and likely marked yourself as someone who cares enough about entering the program to do your research.You may also find it helpful to search for "teacher interview questions" and/or "reasons to become a teacher," but be very discerning. You DON'T want to tell the department head that you want to be a teacher because you work shorter days or get summers off. (This is rarely the case anyway.)In general, the department head will most likely NOT be looking for what a teaching career will do for you, s/he will be looking for what you will bring to the teaching field....Show more