You'll also have to consider how to manage your retraining. Almost every one of our programs has reduced tuition.'' In GW's Transition to Teaching Project, students are paid to be permanent substitute teachers in Fairfax County, Va., high schools during their 13-month training. In another program, intern teachers in Montgomery County, Md., schools get a reduced salary. A third GW program offers returning Peace Corps volunteers free tuition and a monthly stipend. Most programs include coursework in teaching methodology, mastery of the subject matter, and some form of classroom internship.
Training is oriented to teamwork and incorporating into lesson plans the different ways kids learn.
Despite growing demand, teaching jobs are not universally available. The greatest need is in rapidly growing states, such as Texas, California, and Florida, and nationally in urban and rural districts, says Segun Eubanks, a spokesman for the National Education Assn. Subjects most in demand are math, science, special education, and English as a second language. As growing immigrant populations make schools more diverse, minority teachers are also in demand. If you think you want to be a teacher, the first step is to get a sense of how much energy and work it takes by volunteering as a classroom aid, tutor, or team coach.