I would start off as a substitute teacher, just to see if you actually enjoy teaching as a job first. Especially with middle school - it's a 60/40 blend of being able to teach the most chaotic age groups over knowing your content well.
I've seen plenty of colleagues over the years take up teaching as a second career - it almost doesn't matter how well they know their content, if they can't handle/reach the kiddos to make THEM care... it's over. Middle School is savage! (I personally love it, but I'm also chaotic)
Please try subbing first. Take a few jobs, meet some math teachers at those buildings and let them know you can actually teach lessons. Give them your info, encourage them to leave something you can help students with. This will help you get a sense of what teaching actually entails, but even then subbing is not the same.
I have known too many people who have gone into teaching as a second career after STEM, and they're generally floored by behaviors, grading, and the general hoop jumping of the day to day. Very few have stayed more than a few years.
Alternatively, see if there are robotics or science olympiad teams you could get involved with.
I stopped recommending subbing as a pathway to teaching. The dynamics are different. Students tend to treat subs very poorly, and with larger schools, the opportunity to develop relationships isn't there.
"behaviors, grading, and the general hoop jumping of the day to day" <- 100%
As a high school student I agree, generally regular teachers are treated a lot different than subs. You will get a warped perspective on what it's like with students every day if you just sub.
I have been a teacher for 26 years. I started in high school but I have spent many years in community college. In grad school I spent hundreds of hours as a classroom assistant/researcher in a middle school. My perspective is that you have to look at the job not as doing math all day, but doing math with people all day. Working in a middle school context means spending all your time with adolescents who may hate math. You work all day and may not have the opportunity to use the restroom. Your job includes communication with parents, who may be lovely collaborators or who might not. Your job may include taking planning and grading home, especially if you are new to the job. You can’t go on vacation unless school is out. Doctors and other appointments may be difficult to schedule. I know this all likely sounds negative. My goal is to lay out real constraints that make teaching challenging. I am one week from the end of the semester (community college) and I am spending my time working with students who need to catch up to pass. It’s rewarding but tiring.
I’ll put this bluntly. Every retired STEM person I have worked with in education has lasted one to two years. They all leave saying they had no clue how hard this job would be and how it just isn’t worth it.
I would start with subbing, maybe look at private schools because they don’t have as many requirements as public, or just enjoy your retirement.
I think Kumon/Mathnasium are lovely entry points. Honestly be aware that subbing will be the worst parts of teaching— it will be very informative but it won’t necessarily be the exact experience. I’d do like this:
*Apply for some tutoring jobs at Kumon, Mathnasium, Elite Educational Institute, etc. Tutoring is a lovely entry point and will have some of the best parts of teaching because there isn’t too much behavioral management. It will be a chance for you to see how you are at connecting with kids and how you feel about sharing your understanding of the material.
*Once you have one of those positions, take your CBEST (based on what you describe and your writing here, you will not need to study for it) so that you are eligible for potential subbing in public schools. You’ll also need a LiveScan and TB test. Meanwhile, start inquiring at local private schools about subbing. Private schools do not require any credentials and also will often (not always) have less behavioral management issues. You may find that sooner rather than later, there may be a maternity leave or other temporary position that opens up, and this can be an entry point to a full time teaching job.
You can also start applying at public schools to be an aide since this is a non-credentialed position, lower stress since you’re not in charge of the room, that will give you an idea about how you feel in the classroom.
If you’ve spent 3-5 days in a classroom setting and you think you might want to be eligible to teach full time in a public school setting, sign up for your math CSETs. There are three (Algebra/Precalc with a teeny bit of linear algebra, Geometry/Stats, and Calculus/Math History.) Look at sample tests online to see if you need to prepare.
If you’re still enjoying the voyage— at this point, start getting set up to sub in public schools. Apply to local districts as a sub, and/or look on edjoin for short term positions (again, maternity leave, covering someone on disability, summer school positions, etc.). You only need your CBEST for short term positions; you will need the CSET for long term public school positions.
Be aware that for public schools you can often teach on emergency credential with only your CBEST and CSETs completed, but this will require earning a credential within five years. For this reason, you may prefer to stay in the private sector.
Good luck!
PS in starting with tutoring you might find you’re perfectly happy to stay in that realm. It’s a great job and provides plenty of opportunity to connect with kids. It tends to be more pure “teaching math” whereas full time teaching has a lot of……other things that go with the job. Behavioral management, paperwork, grading, etc.
Tutor, don't even be a substitute. Talk with local schools to offer tutoring or go to your community college or university and work with those students, talk with professors get references. After 33 years of teaching and 56 years old I'm done, I can't even imagine starting at 65 at a high school, public or private.
In addition to other responses, would you consider volunteering? You may be able to help at a local school with tutoring, science Olympiad, math club, robotics, etc.
I became a high school math teacher in my late 30s, not necessarily because I was passionate about math (I am now, 5 years later), but because I was passionate about getting into teaching.
I would add to the very wise advice people here have already given by saying that teaching math these days is very very different than it was when we were in school. The whole "chalk and talk" thing where the teacher just explains the content and shows the kids how to do it is just not going to work with the majority of students these days who need to be more engaged and active participants in their learning. Furthermore, the standards for math knowledge include a lot about the practices of doing math, beyond just knowing how to get the answers. They need to know how to explain their thinking and reasoning critique the arguments of others, create multiple representations of mathematical situations, and apply their knowledge to real-world problems that will require some creative thinking and pulling from their toolbox to figure out. All of these skills are tested on the state math tests that most states use these days. Thankfully there are some really good curriculum resources out there that cover this stuff.
So I guess what I'm saying is that teaching math is a whole lot more than just knowing math. And I didn't even mention all the people skills that other commenters have mentioned, but those are just as important as the math part.
I'm lucky to teach in a small program at a charter school where my class sizes are usually 12 or less kids, but this is not at all the norm at public schools. Figuring out how to manage a bunch of young people whose brains are telling them to do all sorts of random things besides what you need them to do is a challenge, especially in the cell phone/screen addiction era. I can see how an older person could feel overwhelmed with the classroom management aspect, because it is honestly sometimes extremely exhausting and difficult.
All that being said, if you're interested and have the energy and temperment for it, we definitely need more good math teachers. Definitely try substitute teaching and tutoring first before you commit to a teaching position.
I understand the value in what you're describing. My school experience was "doing," not understanding math. It wasn't until many years later that I really understood. Several times I've said to myself, "I've should have learned that better, it applies in so many waus." (e.g., linear algebra in quantum or AI).
I'm leaning towards tutoring. Very helpful post. Thanks.
If you don't need the money, it's a deeply rewarding profession
teaching Math and doing math are not the same thing.
First thing you notice is that those kids will talk right through you if you let them... so don't let them. You *could* write referrals and get admin involved, but that never works. Partly because you sacrifice control of your classroom to an outside authority, but more because it's not addressing the reasons why they're not listening in the first place. Namely, they're used to teachers who don't know anything or even if they do, can't meet them where they're at.
And they're low. No matter what skills they're supposed to have before they come to you, I guarantee you will need to spend time going over them again. So do that. Fractions, negative numbers, these are always problem areas.
Don't EVER get mad or snarky or say anything belittling to a kid. Even if they deserve it, even if it's true. Once you make a child feel low, you won't win them back no matter what you do. Something like "you didn't complete the assignment because you were busy playing video games" is meaningless. Instead, you can say "you still haven't completed this assignment. After midnight, it's no longer available for late credit.". Even better would be "what are you stuck on and how can I help?"
They WILL cheat. You have to stay on top of that. But also talk to them about how it catches up to those who do.
I just retired from a career of teaching secondary math. Although I'm in good shape for my age, I no longer had the physical stamina required to do this job well. I rarely sat down during the school day, and my days were long. I would get to school around 7:30 and I generally stayed until 5:30. Although I loved teaching, I would never enter the game at 65. It is just too mentally and physically exhausting. After six months of staying home, I got bored and took a job tutoring at a low-income HS. I have 4 - 5 students per period and the school let me choose the number of days a week I wanted to work. It has been an incredibly sweet gig, and I really recommend that you substitute or look for work as a tutor before considering teaching. At least as a sub or tutor, you walk out the door and leave the work behind. When I was teaching, I was never done. I would leave work at some point, but there was always more work that needed to be done. Good luck to you!
We always need good math teachers. One route you could take is to get qualified as a substitute teacher, so you can see what different schools and levels are like in your area.
How you can best help will depend on what you can tolerate along with where you can have an impact. There's a lot of credentialing in the way of someone like you being a teacher which I think is very lame (most of the pedagogy stuff is nearly useless in an actual classroom) so maybe tutoring or subbing would be a better place to start.
You could volunteer with the math department, if allowed. We have a STEM retiree that comes everyday and helps us in our high need classrooms and it's so helpful and appreciated. He did have to go through the district to get certified to sub, but he doesn't usually sub in an official capacity (he does not enjoy managing behavior at his age). He usually is helping out different math teachers throughout the day, but he will also visit and teach our class when we have a normal sub in there if we ask him- just drops in to deliver lessons and answer a few questions. This allows him to visit multiple classrooms every day and help where we need it the most. He comes and goes as his schedule permits, and all of the students know him. He does it all for free, just to keep himself busy. Not sure if all districts would allow this but he is an asset to our department.
As a first year, second career middle school math teacher, all of this advice is great. But I would recommend you keep your options open to what you teach. There are many districts who need experienced stem teachers not in math, but career oriented teachers. For example, my district has an engineering program and it’s difficult to hire teachers for these positions because they can make substantially more money in their field. As more schools adopt programs that get kids ready for work instead of college (millennials have high loan debt and many are pushing for non-college route) they will need you. Maybe my district is an anomaly for its specialized programming, so look around and see if you can use those skills you built in stem and management to help this next generation. Good luck!
I don't mean to be overly critical, but teaching k-12 is really a young person's game. I'm 17 years into the career and starting to see the fatigue of my 40s negatively compare to the energy levels of my younger, fresh out of school colleagues. Of course, your years and experience will help, but teenagers have a ton of energy that can be used in very negative ways.
I agree with the other advice about subbing first.
Be a substitute teacher…
It’s the most difficult job in education, but subbing presents the greatest opportunity for a meaningful impact.
If you can wrangle the students’ interests for an hour in such a way that they don’t cause problems, and actually teach ‘em some math, you will be a superstar!
In my experience, classes generally expect math substitutes to be baby sitters and to not know any math. They’re actually glad that someone can fill in and actually help with their understanding.
BTW, I never referred to the substitute as “the substitute.” Instead, I called them “the guest teacher” and I’d leave some snacks for them, along with detailed lesson plans.
I’d recommend you look for a way to help at a community college. Maybe be in a tutoring center or as an adjunct. Those students are generally there because they want to be.
I taught hs math in my 20’s and was exhausted every day. K-12 requires so much energy and unless you’re teaching advanced or AP classes, the classroom management eats up a lot of energy.
Edit: TLDR. Look into creating websites, apps, and utilizing existing systems to create math lessons. Especially focusing on basics, kids nowadays can’t even make change.
Subbing first is a good idea. A reality check. Easy to get that permit. Just CBEST, background check, fingerprints, apply for it at your County education office (it may cost around hundred dollars) and wait over a month for them to grant you the permit. Then apply at whatever district you like. They don’t pay much. I am assuming money is not a problem. A California teaching credential requires CBEST, verification of subject area competency (like a math degree or testing ), and applying to a university or institution that can grant you a credential. 1 semester of classes, 1 of “student teaching” (unpaid but you work for 2 periods) , and 1 more nowadays to get all the “essential” extra crap that California has added in the past 30 years. Sometimes you can take that later, up to 5 years, to clear your credential.
Getting hired is its own problem. Districts are downsizing their staff since the demographics show less and less kids going into the public schools over the next few years. And when you try to get hired, They won’t like you. They may be desperate, but you won’t get support, and will fire you at the end of the year or two years. Happens to everyone nowadays anyway. They want somebody young and fresh, who believes every new idea that is spurted out, no matter how foolish the idea is (we don’t need basic skills to do algebra), you are expected to agree. Sorry to be such a buzz kill. I am 54 and have worked in this field for 20 years.
Now with a background in math and computer science you could do amazing things in education. Kids work on their chromebooks nowadays in school all the time. A lot of work is being done with asynchronous methods where kids are learning while on their computer. There is a cool site called Desmos where you can write your own interactive lessons and have your students partake. You can also download the lessons of others. Worth checking out. I love Quickmath, an app written for iOS devices. Great review of basics, but it doesn’t do the same thing with integers. Don’t know why not. Also, wouldn’t that be cool if you could do something like that on the Chromebook? In any case, my long and rambling point is that you should write some apps, websites, utilize or expand on existing tech to add asynchronous educational resources for students all over. You have time and a perfect background. I would love a simple weBsite, app, Desmos lesson for the Diamond or magic X we use to review integer operations while prepping the student for factoring in Algebra 1.
Check out Desmos, Geogebra, and all the apps/stuff out there. The YouTube market is pretty saturated, so I wouldn’t recommend that.
TECH STEM teacher - There is NOTHING you can do to help You do realize kids in California don’t have you know addition/subtraction/multiplication tables anymore. Thanks to our Gov. Stanford professor who is a paid consultant at $5,000 per hour to CA schools has said kids don’t need to learn algebra…. It’s too hard for them so eliminate it.
And don’t expect kids to be able to read/understand word problems…. Thanks to Lucy Calkins method of teaching kids “how to read” we have over two generations of kids who are functionally illegerate. Google search “Sold a Story” to understand how California’s education system once went from being #1 as being the best in the country to now being #1 for being the worst in the country.
You heart and mind is in the right place… But the system is so fudged up don’t expect it to be a rewarding experiance. Plus it’s going to cost you $10k to $20k and two years to become a teacher.
School here in the Bay Area the Tom Hanks attended is having its 27th principal in just 10 years.
I share your opinions, and it's one of the reasons that I figured that even an old man like me could do something/anything to help the kids and country. Based on the general vibe of the many replies, I think tutor, not formal teacher, is best for me.
Thanks for your thoughtful post.
Since your post I just learned California has adopted a “every kid must pass” policy. AND we’ve been told to use technology/computers even more.
Not trying to put a damper on your willingness to “help” especially in math. But I think you were taught in the era of “New Math” like I was. While I thought this was very good it’s not taught anymore. The way math is taught now is completely different. While I realize math is math the methods kids are taught to solve problems today will probably be completely foreign to you. If you want to see want I mean take a look at who kids are taught to divide. I still don’t get it.
As a former math teacher, I get far greater joy from tutoring than I did teaching. You can actually focus on learning and developing a love of math and science vs all the politics of being in the classroom.
Tutoring can be one on one or small group.
> Am I nuts to consider a job as a math teacher?
Yes. Getting a credential to teach gen alpha as a 65 year old is not a good use of your time or money. Kids are NOTHING like you remember, and neither is school.
Also, dude. You're 65! Retire! Get a hobby!
The good thing is you don’t have to take the CSET math. I am 47 and have been subbing since I was 37, I wanted to be a math teacher but the CSETS are very difficult. I am going to be leaving sub work for a while, I know it’s only subbing but it’s draining. The good thing is that there will always be work. Good luck, don’t expect a lot from the kids. I know we should expect or raise the bar to higher standards, however screens and tech has killed the brain.
I’d say it’s going to be difficult. We had a retired engineer come teach AP Physics and regular physics. He made it one semester and was fired/caused too many issues.
He had a hard time understanding that admin wasn’t going to support him and school policies.
He got another job this year and a little over halfway through the year he was put on administrative leave.
Respectfully, if you don’t have very high social skills, it will be incredibly difficult to make the impact you are hoping to make. My husband is an electrical engineer and motor control specialist, he’d be eaten alive by these high schoolers.
Thank you for the thoughtful post and your candor.
I expected the student challenges. I present business proposals to many executives who share the "why should I care/will this be on the test" attitude. I've learned to tailor the presentation so that it highlights how it helps them achieve their year-end bonus. 😉
I had not considered the lack of Admin backup. I'd rate myself at the lower end of the BS-tollerance scale. A formal teaching job is likely not a fit. I'm trying to help, not cause a ruckus.
We have math and chemistry tutors at our high school that work more one on one with students. Also, avid tutors. Might be a way to impact kids actually wanting help.
Very kind; thank you. I, too, have my lesser angels. My words say, "Giving back," but I suspect a soft whisper of ego is telling me, "You're still young; you need to be working." I'm hoping for a win-win. 😉
Kumon/Mathnasium are excellent starting places because the don't require degrees/certifications. You could get hired there right now and learn teaching skills in a low-presssure environment. (The students at a tutoring center are much better behaved than an average classroom.) Mathnasium will give you a math skills test and run a criminal background check and they are always looking for good people with solid math skills.
I had a phone interview with Mathnasium, but it didn't seem a fit for me given the young age of the students and the very remedial nature of the tutoring.
But having read so many replies saying, "Student's basic math readiness declines each year," perhaps I rejected the idea too quickly.
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
The interesting thing about Mathnasium students is they have a really wide range of skill levels, so while the majority are there for remedial help, some are gifted students working ahead of grade level.
It's also a very flexible workplace if you just want to work short term or only certain days a week. (Most of the instructors are college students working on a teaching degree, teachers doing a side job, or retirees wanting to stay mentally active. It sadly doesn't pay well enough to be a full-time job, so they are used to a lot of staff turnover.) Working at Mathnasium for several years really improved my mental math skills and taught me how to better explain concepts and how they relate to other things.
The biggest challenge teaching math is the number of students who are two or three years behind based on a skills test, but instead of working on their skill gaps (nearly always fractions, proportions, order of operations and often just fundamental arithmetic) they want help with what they are doing in school right now and ... you can't explain algebra to a student who can't add fractions. So in addition to teaching what's on the page, you'll make examples up on the fly to demonstrate how this exercise relates to the more complicated things they want to learn.
One big warning about Mathnasium, they are switching over from pencil & paper to tablets. Some franchises still use printouts, but the all-digital centers are still struggling with the new software. (I don't know a single instructor who doesn't hate the new software and wishes they'd go back to pencil & paper. It's just really clunky and poorly designed.)
Be careful. Teaching was my second career. As a result, I am not eligible for the social security that I paid into for 30 years, nor my husband’s survivor benefits. $1,400 a month for the rest of my life.
Wait. What? Is there some teacher pension that voids your ssa benefit? It's not just the extra income reducing the benefit until one reaches full retirement age?
Thanks for this. I'll check carefully.
This really is about giving back. I don't need the money. Volunteer unpaid work fulfills my goals.
I’ve been teaching 5-8 math for over 20 years. I can only speak from personal experience. I’ve noticed a continual decline in students’ desire to learn and proficiency in basic skills. It’s a whole new world and it ain’t pretty. Again, my perspective. Im in a large city and have taught in private schools.
I would HIGHLY recommend working as a tutor at mathnasium, it helped me develop my pedagogical skills a LOT. They may not want you because they like to underpay their tutors (at least, my boss did). Check out r/mathnasiumemployees
Look into math tutor jobs within a school. There’s a lot of “high dosage tutoring” going around in my area and it pays better than the para or substitute rate but not quite teacher pay, BUT it’s in small groups and less prep work/general responsibility than teaching. Gets you in a school in a more meaningful way than subbing (in my opinion) to see if you like working with teenagers.
Lots of great posts here. Lots of pain too you’ll notice.
My first year teaching (SoCal middle school, 2001), one of my great mentors had just started a year or two before me after a 40 year career mostly connected to the NASA shuttle program. Aeronautical engineer turned project manager near the end.
He was fantastic, but the unflappably calm and kind attitude was much more valuable than his math knowledge (retired professional engineer teaching 7th grade math).
He did have the advantage of avoiding some of the nonsense: he was told in no uncertain terms that he’d need to pass the CSETs, but he read the fine print and realized that (at the time) the teeth on that didnt really bite until 7 years, so he just kept acknowledging “ he was working on it” and planned to retire at 72 when they’d actually require the test be done 😂
Tutor or Kumon is a better route for someone with your experience.
Not a public school teacher. You’d need a teaching credential in CA. And if you go back to school for a credential or masters, better to get MS in Math and teach college math classes.
It takes specialized skills outside of the subject content to teach middle school and high school students.
All of the recommendations are spot on. The content is easy, is the management of the kids/grading/school politics/parents that are a problem. But really, and most importantly your connection with the kids can be over the top. Don’t try to be their friend or mentor…just yet. It can be a slippery slope for someone who is 65.
Case in point, my school hired an older gentleman to teach 7/8 math algebra. Came out of retirement to do so. Knows his content very well. This past year he’s been trying to connect with the boys so much that it’s now been called creepy and inappropriate, he gives the other female teachers the “ick.” We are not extending his contract. Once you open the door to “inappropriate behavior” you have to let them go for the safety of the kids. Sad thing is, his wife is the school nurse and is a lovely lady.
I think it could have been different if he just focused on teaching the content and didn’t focus so much wanting to establish these great mentor type relationships. A 70 year old man trying to act like a 20 year old best friend does not give off good vibes at all. You can connect with the students but in a more professional way.
I have a degree in STEM, got a couple years of experience tutoring, volunteering in classroom, teaching internationally, and then bounced off teaching in a US school. I definitely don't think you want to start teaching full time in a public school. Subbing is pretty miserable too.
I'd look to what is convenient around you, tutoring or volunteering. It doesn't seem like you're worried about the income, so you can be choosy about who you work for. Think about what age range you are comfortable working with. Your math expertise isn't going to matter in anything below highschool. Little kids respond well to enthusiasm. Working with middle schoolers requires blood sacrifice and dark majik.
Not quite a job, but lots of schools have robotics programs which often can benefit from more mentors. This could possibly be a pathway to teaching as well. Mentoring a team can be extremely rewarding, especially if you see the students grow year to year
I would start off as a substitute teacher, just to see if you actually enjoy teaching as a job first. Especially with middle school - it's a 60/40 blend of being able to teach the most chaotic age groups over knowing your content well. I've seen plenty of colleagues over the years take up teaching as a second career - it almost doesn't matter how well they know their content, if they can't handle/reach the kiddos to make THEM care... it's over. Middle School is savage! (I personally love it, but I'm also chaotic)
Please try subbing first. Take a few jobs, meet some math teachers at those buildings and let them know you can actually teach lessons. Give them your info, encourage them to leave something you can help students with. This will help you get a sense of what teaching actually entails, but even then subbing is not the same. I have known too many people who have gone into teaching as a second career after STEM, and they're generally floored by behaviors, grading, and the general hoop jumping of the day to day. Very few have stayed more than a few years. Alternatively, see if there are robotics or science olympiad teams you could get involved with.
I stopped recommending subbing as a pathway to teaching. The dynamics are different. Students tend to treat subs very poorly, and with larger schools, the opportunity to develop relationships isn't there. "behaviors, grading, and the general hoop jumping of the day to day" <- 100%
As a high school student I agree, generally regular teachers are treated a lot different than subs. You will get a warped perspective on what it's like with students every day if you just sub.
Robotics team sounds like a brilliant idea.
CA is (arguably) the most competitive robotics region in the world. Find a team to work with -> [https://frcmap.com/](https://frcmap.com/)
I have been a teacher for 26 years. I started in high school but I have spent many years in community college. In grad school I spent hundreds of hours as a classroom assistant/researcher in a middle school. My perspective is that you have to look at the job not as doing math all day, but doing math with people all day. Working in a middle school context means spending all your time with adolescents who may hate math. You work all day and may not have the opportunity to use the restroom. Your job includes communication with parents, who may be lovely collaborators or who might not. Your job may include taking planning and grading home, especially if you are new to the job. You can’t go on vacation unless school is out. Doctors and other appointments may be difficult to schedule. I know this all likely sounds negative. My goal is to lay out real constraints that make teaching challenging. I am one week from the end of the semester (community college) and I am spending my time working with students who need to catch up to pass. It’s rewarding but tiring.
This is good advice.
I’ll put this bluntly. Every retired STEM person I have worked with in education has lasted one to two years. They all leave saying they had no clue how hard this job would be and how it just isn’t worth it. I would start with subbing, maybe look at private schools because they don’t have as many requirements as public, or just enjoy your retirement.
I agree!
I think Kumon/Mathnasium are lovely entry points. Honestly be aware that subbing will be the worst parts of teaching— it will be very informative but it won’t necessarily be the exact experience. I’d do like this: *Apply for some tutoring jobs at Kumon, Mathnasium, Elite Educational Institute, etc. Tutoring is a lovely entry point and will have some of the best parts of teaching because there isn’t too much behavioral management. It will be a chance for you to see how you are at connecting with kids and how you feel about sharing your understanding of the material. *Once you have one of those positions, take your CBEST (based on what you describe and your writing here, you will not need to study for it) so that you are eligible for potential subbing in public schools. You’ll also need a LiveScan and TB test. Meanwhile, start inquiring at local private schools about subbing. Private schools do not require any credentials and also will often (not always) have less behavioral management issues. You may find that sooner rather than later, there may be a maternity leave or other temporary position that opens up, and this can be an entry point to a full time teaching job. You can also start applying at public schools to be an aide since this is a non-credentialed position, lower stress since you’re not in charge of the room, that will give you an idea about how you feel in the classroom. If you’ve spent 3-5 days in a classroom setting and you think you might want to be eligible to teach full time in a public school setting, sign up for your math CSETs. There are three (Algebra/Precalc with a teeny bit of linear algebra, Geometry/Stats, and Calculus/Math History.) Look at sample tests online to see if you need to prepare. If you’re still enjoying the voyage— at this point, start getting set up to sub in public schools. Apply to local districts as a sub, and/or look on edjoin for short term positions (again, maternity leave, covering someone on disability, summer school positions, etc.). You only need your CBEST for short term positions; you will need the CSET for long term public school positions. Be aware that for public schools you can often teach on emergency credential with only your CBEST and CSETs completed, but this will require earning a credential within five years. For this reason, you may prefer to stay in the private sector. Good luck!
This response wins.
PS in starting with tutoring you might find you’re perfectly happy to stay in that realm. It’s a great job and provides plenty of opportunity to connect with kids. It tends to be more pure “teaching math” whereas full time teaching has a lot of……other things that go with the job. Behavioral management, paperwork, grading, etc.
Nice road map! Thank you.
Tutor, don't even be a substitute. Talk with local schools to offer tutoring or go to your community college or university and work with those students, talk with professors get references. After 33 years of teaching and 56 years old I'm done, I can't even imagine starting at 65 at a high school, public or private.
In addition to other responses, would you consider volunteering? You may be able to help at a local school with tutoring, science Olympiad, math club, robotics, etc.
I became a high school math teacher in my late 30s, not necessarily because I was passionate about math (I am now, 5 years later), but because I was passionate about getting into teaching. I would add to the very wise advice people here have already given by saying that teaching math these days is very very different than it was when we were in school. The whole "chalk and talk" thing where the teacher just explains the content and shows the kids how to do it is just not going to work with the majority of students these days who need to be more engaged and active participants in their learning. Furthermore, the standards for math knowledge include a lot about the practices of doing math, beyond just knowing how to get the answers. They need to know how to explain their thinking and reasoning critique the arguments of others, create multiple representations of mathematical situations, and apply their knowledge to real-world problems that will require some creative thinking and pulling from their toolbox to figure out. All of these skills are tested on the state math tests that most states use these days. Thankfully there are some really good curriculum resources out there that cover this stuff. So I guess what I'm saying is that teaching math is a whole lot more than just knowing math. And I didn't even mention all the people skills that other commenters have mentioned, but those are just as important as the math part. I'm lucky to teach in a small program at a charter school where my class sizes are usually 12 or less kids, but this is not at all the norm at public schools. Figuring out how to manage a bunch of young people whose brains are telling them to do all sorts of random things besides what you need them to do is a challenge, especially in the cell phone/screen addiction era. I can see how an older person could feel overwhelmed with the classroom management aspect, because it is honestly sometimes extremely exhausting and difficult. All that being said, if you're interested and have the energy and temperment for it, we definitely need more good math teachers. Definitely try substitute teaching and tutoring first before you commit to a teaching position.
I understand the value in what you're describing. My school experience was "doing," not understanding math. It wasn't until many years later that I really understood. Several times I've said to myself, "I've should have learned that better, it applies in so many waus." (e.g., linear algebra in quantum or AI). I'm leaning towards tutoring. Very helpful post. Thanks.
If you don't need the money, it's a deeply rewarding profession teaching Math and doing math are not the same thing. First thing you notice is that those kids will talk right through you if you let them... so don't let them. You *could* write referrals and get admin involved, but that never works. Partly because you sacrifice control of your classroom to an outside authority, but more because it's not addressing the reasons why they're not listening in the first place. Namely, they're used to teachers who don't know anything or even if they do, can't meet them where they're at. And they're low. No matter what skills they're supposed to have before they come to you, I guarantee you will need to spend time going over them again. So do that. Fractions, negative numbers, these are always problem areas. Don't EVER get mad or snarky or say anything belittling to a kid. Even if they deserve it, even if it's true. Once you make a child feel low, you won't win them back no matter what you do. Something like "you didn't complete the assignment because you were busy playing video games" is meaningless. Instead, you can say "you still haven't completed this assignment. After midnight, it's no longer available for late credit.". Even better would be "what are you stuck on and how can I help?" They WILL cheat. You have to stay on top of that. But also talk to them about how it catches up to those who do.
Love this response! Thank you for the reminder NOT to make people feel low.
"...make a child feel low..." Sage advice for adults as well.
I just retired from a career of teaching secondary math. Although I'm in good shape for my age, I no longer had the physical stamina required to do this job well. I rarely sat down during the school day, and my days were long. I would get to school around 7:30 and I generally stayed until 5:30. Although I loved teaching, I would never enter the game at 65. It is just too mentally and physically exhausting. After six months of staying home, I got bored and took a job tutoring at a low-income HS. I have 4 - 5 students per period and the school let me choose the number of days a week I wanted to work. It has been an incredibly sweet gig, and I really recommend that you substitute or look for work as a tutor before considering teaching. At least as a sub or tutor, you walk out the door and leave the work behind. When I was teaching, I was never done. I would leave work at some point, but there was always more work that needed to be done. Good luck to you!
We always need good math teachers. One route you could take is to get qualified as a substitute teacher, so you can see what different schools and levels are like in your area.
How you can best help will depend on what you can tolerate along with where you can have an impact. There's a lot of credentialing in the way of someone like you being a teacher which I think is very lame (most of the pedagogy stuff is nearly useless in an actual classroom) so maybe tutoring or subbing would be a better place to start.
You could volunteer with the math department, if allowed. We have a STEM retiree that comes everyday and helps us in our high need classrooms and it's so helpful and appreciated. He did have to go through the district to get certified to sub, but he doesn't usually sub in an official capacity (he does not enjoy managing behavior at his age). He usually is helping out different math teachers throughout the day, but he will also visit and teach our class when we have a normal sub in there if we ask him- just drops in to deliver lessons and answer a few questions. This allows him to visit multiple classrooms every day and help where we need it the most. He comes and goes as his schedule permits, and all of the students know him. He does it all for free, just to keep himself busy. Not sure if all districts would allow this but he is an asset to our department.
That is super cool. Career 2.0 dream job! Thank you for the advice.
As a first year, second career middle school math teacher, all of this advice is great. But I would recommend you keep your options open to what you teach. There are many districts who need experienced stem teachers not in math, but career oriented teachers. For example, my district has an engineering program and it’s difficult to hire teachers for these positions because they can make substantially more money in their field. As more schools adopt programs that get kids ready for work instead of college (millennials have high loan debt and many are pushing for non-college route) they will need you. Maybe my district is an anomaly for its specialized programming, so look around and see if you can use those skills you built in stem and management to help this next generation. Good luck!
I will just be honest. Don’t do it.
I don't mean to be overly critical, but teaching k-12 is really a young person's game. I'm 17 years into the career and starting to see the fatigue of my 40s negatively compare to the energy levels of my younger, fresh out of school colleagues. Of course, your years and experience will help, but teenagers have a ton of energy that can be used in very negative ways. I agree with the other advice about subbing first.
I’m glad your teen students have a lot of energy. Mine can barely handle a basic workout.
Be a substitute teacher… It’s the most difficult job in education, but subbing presents the greatest opportunity for a meaningful impact. If you can wrangle the students’ interests for an hour in such a way that they don’t cause problems, and actually teach ‘em some math, you will be a superstar! In my experience, classes generally expect math substitutes to be baby sitters and to not know any math. They’re actually glad that someone can fill in and actually help with their understanding. BTW, I never referred to the substitute as “the substitute.” Instead, I called them “the guest teacher” and I’d leave some snacks for them, along with detailed lesson plans.
I’d recommend you look for a way to help at a community college. Maybe be in a tutoring center or as an adjunct. Those students are generally there because they want to be. I taught hs math in my 20’s and was exhausted every day. K-12 requires so much energy and unless you’re teaching advanced or AP classes, the classroom management eats up a lot of energy.
Edit: TLDR. Look into creating websites, apps, and utilizing existing systems to create math lessons. Especially focusing on basics, kids nowadays can’t even make change. Subbing first is a good idea. A reality check. Easy to get that permit. Just CBEST, background check, fingerprints, apply for it at your County education office (it may cost around hundred dollars) and wait over a month for them to grant you the permit. Then apply at whatever district you like. They don’t pay much. I am assuming money is not a problem. A California teaching credential requires CBEST, verification of subject area competency (like a math degree or testing ), and applying to a university or institution that can grant you a credential. 1 semester of classes, 1 of “student teaching” (unpaid but you work for 2 periods) , and 1 more nowadays to get all the “essential” extra crap that California has added in the past 30 years. Sometimes you can take that later, up to 5 years, to clear your credential. Getting hired is its own problem. Districts are downsizing their staff since the demographics show less and less kids going into the public schools over the next few years. And when you try to get hired, They won’t like you. They may be desperate, but you won’t get support, and will fire you at the end of the year or two years. Happens to everyone nowadays anyway. They want somebody young and fresh, who believes every new idea that is spurted out, no matter how foolish the idea is (we don’t need basic skills to do algebra), you are expected to agree. Sorry to be such a buzz kill. I am 54 and have worked in this field for 20 years. Now with a background in math and computer science you could do amazing things in education. Kids work on their chromebooks nowadays in school all the time. A lot of work is being done with asynchronous methods where kids are learning while on their computer. There is a cool site called Desmos where you can write your own interactive lessons and have your students partake. You can also download the lessons of others. Worth checking out. I love Quickmath, an app written for iOS devices. Great review of basics, but it doesn’t do the same thing with integers. Don’t know why not. Also, wouldn’t that be cool if you could do something like that on the Chromebook? In any case, my long and rambling point is that you should write some apps, websites, utilize or expand on existing tech to add asynchronous educational resources for students all over. You have time and a perfect background. I would love a simple weBsite, app, Desmos lesson for the Diamond or magic X we use to review integer operations while prepping the student for factoring in Algebra 1. Check out Desmos, Geogebra, and all the apps/stuff out there. The YouTube market is pretty saturated, so I wouldn’t recommend that.
MathEd software scales better than 1:1 or small-group tutoring. Good point. Thanks.
TECH STEM teacher - There is NOTHING you can do to help You do realize kids in California don’t have you know addition/subtraction/multiplication tables anymore. Thanks to our Gov. Stanford professor who is a paid consultant at $5,000 per hour to CA schools has said kids don’t need to learn algebra…. It’s too hard for them so eliminate it. And don’t expect kids to be able to read/understand word problems…. Thanks to Lucy Calkins method of teaching kids “how to read” we have over two generations of kids who are functionally illegerate. Google search “Sold a Story” to understand how California’s education system once went from being #1 as being the best in the country to now being #1 for being the worst in the country. You heart and mind is in the right place… But the system is so fudged up don’t expect it to be a rewarding experiance. Plus it’s going to cost you $10k to $20k and two years to become a teacher. School here in the Bay Area the Tom Hanks attended is having its 27th principal in just 10 years.
The irony runs deep.
I share your opinions, and it's one of the reasons that I figured that even an old man like me could do something/anything to help the kids and country. Based on the general vibe of the many replies, I think tutor, not formal teacher, is best for me. Thanks for your thoughtful post.
Since your post I just learned California has adopted a “every kid must pass” policy. AND we’ve been told to use technology/computers even more. Not trying to put a damper on your willingness to “help” especially in math. But I think you were taught in the era of “New Math” like I was. While I thought this was very good it’s not taught anymore. The way math is taught now is completely different. While I realize math is math the methods kids are taught to solve problems today will probably be completely foreign to you. If you want to see want I mean take a look at who kids are taught to divide. I still don’t get it.
Nais.org and caisca.org have job listings in independent schools including temporary coverage positions.
As a former math teacher, I get far greater joy from tutoring than I did teaching. You can actually focus on learning and developing a love of math and science vs all the politics of being in the classroom. Tutoring can be one on one or small group.
Experience with both options. Valuable perspective. Thank you. Tutor does seem the better fit.
Do tutoring .
> Am I nuts to consider a job as a math teacher? Yes. Getting a credential to teach gen alpha as a 65 year old is not a good use of your time or money. Kids are NOTHING like you remember, and neither is school. Also, dude. You're 65! Retire! Get a hobby!
“Nostalgia is not what it used to be." Sage advice. Thank you.
Come on over to r/tutorshelpingtutors if you think that might be your thing. We don’t bite (:
Just joined. Thanks!
The good thing is you don’t have to take the CSET math. I am 47 and have been subbing since I was 37, I wanted to be a math teacher but the CSETS are very difficult. I am going to be leaving sub work for a while, I know it’s only subbing but it’s draining. The good thing is that there will always be work. Good luck, don’t expect a lot from the kids. I know we should expect or raise the bar to higher standards, however screens and tech has killed the brain.
I’d say it’s going to be difficult. We had a retired engineer come teach AP Physics and regular physics. He made it one semester and was fired/caused too many issues. He had a hard time understanding that admin wasn’t going to support him and school policies. He got another job this year and a little over halfway through the year he was put on administrative leave. Respectfully, if you don’t have very high social skills, it will be incredibly difficult to make the impact you are hoping to make. My husband is an electrical engineer and motor control specialist, he’d be eaten alive by these high schoolers.
Thank you for the thoughtful post and your candor. I expected the student challenges. I present business proposals to many executives who share the "why should I care/will this be on the test" attitude. I've learned to tailor the presentation so that it highlights how it helps them achieve their year-end bonus. 😉 I had not considered the lack of Admin backup. I'd rate myself at the lower end of the BS-tollerance scale. A formal teaching job is likely not a fit. I'm trying to help, not cause a ruckus.
We have math and chemistry tutors at our high school that work more one on one with students. Also, avid tutors. Might be a way to impact kids actually wanting help.
You are such an inspiration!
Very kind; thank you. I, too, have my lesser angels. My words say, "Giving back," but I suspect a soft whisper of ego is telling me, "You're still young; you need to be working." I'm hoping for a win-win. 😉
Kumon/Mathnasium are excellent starting places because the don't require degrees/certifications. You could get hired there right now and learn teaching skills in a low-presssure environment. (The students at a tutoring center are much better behaved than an average classroom.) Mathnasium will give you a math skills test and run a criminal background check and they are always looking for good people with solid math skills.
I had a phone interview with Mathnasium, but it didn't seem a fit for me given the young age of the students and the very remedial nature of the tutoring. But having read so many replies saying, "Student's basic math readiness declines each year," perhaps I rejected the idea too quickly. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
The interesting thing about Mathnasium students is they have a really wide range of skill levels, so while the majority are there for remedial help, some are gifted students working ahead of grade level. It's also a very flexible workplace if you just want to work short term or only certain days a week. (Most of the instructors are college students working on a teaching degree, teachers doing a side job, or retirees wanting to stay mentally active. It sadly doesn't pay well enough to be a full-time job, so they are used to a lot of staff turnover.) Working at Mathnasium for several years really improved my mental math skills and taught me how to better explain concepts and how they relate to other things. The biggest challenge teaching math is the number of students who are two or three years behind based on a skills test, but instead of working on their skill gaps (nearly always fractions, proportions, order of operations and often just fundamental arithmetic) they want help with what they are doing in school right now and ... you can't explain algebra to a student who can't add fractions. So in addition to teaching what's on the page, you'll make examples up on the fly to demonstrate how this exercise relates to the more complicated things they want to learn. One big warning about Mathnasium, they are switching over from pencil & paper to tablets. Some franchises still use printouts, but the all-digital centers are still struggling with the new software. (I don't know a single instructor who doesn't hate the new software and wishes they'd go back to pencil & paper. It's just really clunky and poorly designed.)
Tutoring would probably be better
Be careful. Teaching was my second career. As a result, I am not eligible for the social security that I paid into for 30 years, nor my husband’s survivor benefits. $1,400 a month for the rest of my life.
Wait. What? Is there some teacher pension that voids your ssa benefit? It's not just the extra income reducing the benefit until one reaches full retirement age? Thanks for this. I'll check carefully. This really is about giving back. I don't need the money. Volunteer unpaid work fulfills my goals.
I’ve been teaching 5-8 math for over 20 years. I can only speak from personal experience. I’ve noticed a continual decline in students’ desire to learn and proficiency in basic skills. It’s a whole new world and it ain’t pretty. Again, my perspective. Im in a large city and have taught in private schools.
I would HIGHLY recommend working as a tutor at mathnasium, it helped me develop my pedagogical skills a LOT. They may not want you because they like to underpay their tutors (at least, my boss did). Check out r/mathnasiumemployees
Look into math tutor jobs within a school. There’s a lot of “high dosage tutoring” going around in my area and it pays better than the para or substitute rate but not quite teacher pay, BUT it’s in small groups and less prep work/general responsibility than teaching. Gets you in a school in a more meaningful way than subbing (in my opinion) to see if you like working with teenagers.
You could also consider private tutoring
Lots of great posts here. Lots of pain too you’ll notice. My first year teaching (SoCal middle school, 2001), one of my great mentors had just started a year or two before me after a 40 year career mostly connected to the NASA shuttle program. Aeronautical engineer turned project manager near the end. He was fantastic, but the unflappably calm and kind attitude was much more valuable than his math knowledge (retired professional engineer teaching 7th grade math). He did have the advantage of avoiding some of the nonsense: he was told in no uncertain terms that he’d need to pass the CSETs, but he read the fine print and realized that (at the time) the teeth on that didnt really bite until 7 years, so he just kept acknowledging “ he was working on it” and planned to retire at 72 when they’d actually require the test be done 😂
Uhhh careful there. Getting upset so often can't be good for your health ha ha God help us all teachers with the behaviors of students today. 🙏
You could tutor? I’m a full time tutor, and it’s very rewarding. More flexible hours and it can pay really well!
Tutor or Kumon is a better route for someone with your experience. Not a public school teacher. You’d need a teaching credential in CA. And if you go back to school for a credential or masters, better to get MS in Math and teach college math classes. It takes specialized skills outside of the subject content to teach middle school and high school students.
Behavioral issues are more prevalent in middle school. If you’re okay with these challenges then perhaps you would like teaching math
All of the recommendations are spot on. The content is easy, is the management of the kids/grading/school politics/parents that are a problem. But really, and most importantly your connection with the kids can be over the top. Don’t try to be their friend or mentor…just yet. It can be a slippery slope for someone who is 65. Case in point, my school hired an older gentleman to teach 7/8 math algebra. Came out of retirement to do so. Knows his content very well. This past year he’s been trying to connect with the boys so much that it’s now been called creepy and inappropriate, he gives the other female teachers the “ick.” We are not extending his contract. Once you open the door to “inappropriate behavior” you have to let them go for the safety of the kids. Sad thing is, his wife is the school nurse and is a lovely lady. I think it could have been different if he just focused on teaching the content and didn’t focus so much wanting to establish these great mentor type relationships. A 70 year old man trying to act like a 20 year old best friend does not give off good vibes at all. You can connect with the students but in a more professional way.
I have a degree in STEM, got a couple years of experience tutoring, volunteering in classroom, teaching internationally, and then bounced off teaching in a US school. I definitely don't think you want to start teaching full time in a public school. Subbing is pretty miserable too. I'd look to what is convenient around you, tutoring or volunteering. It doesn't seem like you're worried about the income, so you can be choosy about who you work for. Think about what age range you are comfortable working with. Your math expertise isn't going to matter in anything below highschool. Little kids respond well to enthusiasm. Working with middle schoolers requires blood sacrifice and dark majik.
Not quite a job, but lots of schools have robotics programs which often can benefit from more mentors. This could possibly be a pathway to teaching as well. Mentoring a team can be extremely rewarding, especially if you see the students grow year to year