TEACHING

A wide variety of options are open to students interested in educational careers at a time when the nation's need for bright, committed teachers has never been greater.

Opportunities are available in both public and private schools, and they will be there in the future: half of the nation's 2.5 million teachers in the public schools alone are expected to retire or resign in the next ten to fifteen years. With the increasingly diverse student population, minority teaching candidates are especially in demand, as well as bilingual teachers, and teachers of science, math, and special education.

The Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (UTEP) allows students to obtain certification to teach in middle or secondary schools, not only in Massachusetts but also in states with which Massachusetts has reciprocity. Students fulfill a specific academic concentration while taking UTEP classes, which fulfill elective requirements. Entrance to the program requires an interview and approval by the UTEP Admissions Committee; inquiries should be directed to Lissa Hodder at 495-9357.

Teach for America is a national teacher corps that enables recent graduates to teach in rural and urban public schools. Look for announcements in the OCS Newsletter about their annual information meeting, which precedes the deadlines for their application. A few other possibilities for non-certified students interested in teaching in the public and parochial schools do exist. Come browse through shelf D-4 in the OCS Reading Room.

As a Harvard graduate with a B.A. or B.S., you can also teach at a private school. New teachers not only teach classes themselves (or assist a master teacher), but also advise students, lead extracurricular activities, and coach athletic teams. Dormitory supervision is usually a part of the boarding school teacher's job. Several private school placement services, as well as actual schools, come to Harvard to interview; their visits will be included in the Recruiting Calendar this year. Schools with internship programs are listed in Section D in the Reading Room; you can apply directly to these. Some opportunities to teach abroad in private international schools are also available through the HOST Program, whose schedule can be picked up on the 3rd floor Teaching Shelves at OCS.

Gathering experience through tutoring or working with children during your college years can help you to prepare yourself for a teaching job. Seniors with no such work experience should consider applying for a summer teaching internship, or working for a summer teaching program. Several of these programs interview at OCS from January to March.

Remember that teaching can be an extremely rewarding experience, even for those who choose to enter the profession only for a short period. Many students want to teach before going on to graduate or professional school, and educational institutions are eager to tap their energy and idealism even for just a few years.

To help you learn more about teaching, view several of the videotapes of past OCS panel presentations on the subject, and follow the teaching section of our OCS web page, at www.fas.harvard.edu/~fasocs/Fields Check the OCS weekly Newsletter "Teaching" section, as well.

For seniors interested in teaching next year, we have planned a series of open-ended meetings, whose format will be informal and sharing; first semester dates remaining are Oct 29, 4-5; Nov 12, 12-1; Dec 3, 4-5; Dec 17, 12-1; Jan 28, 4-5. All meetings will take place in the Conference room at OCS.