Become a Math Teacher

Problem solved: A career in math education

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If you love mathematics, you know it's not just about the numbers. Math skills translate into lifelong analytical skills—skills that are essential to addressing the greatest challenges of our day in fields as diverse as technology, engineering and science. If you get excited about problem solving and want to pass your knowledge and eagerness on to future generations, a career in math education is waiting for you.

Math Teacher Job Description

To become a math teacher, you must possess a deep understanding of mathematics, as well as a keen interest in teaching young people. By teaching math at the middle and high school levels, you'll help students understand mathematical structures, conjecture and verify solutions, think hypothetically, and comprehend cause and effect. By middle school, math curriculum entails significant amounts of algebra and geometry, which are crucial steppingstones to higher math and logic studies. At the high school level, you'll teach a broader range of math studies, including advanced algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, trigonometry and pre-calculus. Other typical duties include the following:

• Preparing lesson plans and grading homework for multiple courses at a time
• Compiling notes and delivering engaging, coherent lectures
• Accumulating specialized materials for outside reading and homework
• Coaching teens and young adults individually and in group settings
• Studying and utilizing the most appropriate learning strategies
• Engaging the class in stimulating discussions
• Conducting research and publishing your findings

What Kind of Work Environment Can I Expect?

A typical day in a middle or high school math class can include anything from demonstrating how to formulate algebraic equations to testing geometry proofs. There are various methods available to teach math today, including interactive learning, textbooks, workbooks and group exercises. In addition to lectures and demos, you may also incorporate hands-on activities into your teaching strategy. If your class is learning about probability, you might have them break into pairs, throw dice and compute the odds. Or you may have students go out into the hallways and compute the total cubic space of their lockers.

For students who need a little extra help, you might offer to host an after-school study group where students problem-solve together. Or you might divide your class into study groups that consist of differing levels of ability, so the highest achievers are able to provide assistance to their peers. As students work cooperatively, you can sit in on these groups and guide your pupils as needed.

How Does the Compensation Add Up?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time postsecondary math teachers earned an average annual salary of $65,450 in 2007.

Because math teachers are in extremely high demand, a career in teaching mathematics offers strong job security. As a public school teacher, you'll also enjoy comprehensive benefits packages and extensive summer vacations. Another benefit offered to aspiring secondary-school math teachers is the student loan forgiveness program. In 2004, President Bush signed the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act, which authorizes up to $17,500 in Stafford Student Loan forgiveness to highly qualified math and science teachers who serve five years in Title 1 schools.

What Kind of Education Do I Need?

To begin teaching math in a public secondary school, you'll need a bachelor's degree or higher in mathematics, in addition to completing your teacher certification requirements. However, if you are considering becoming a math teacher at this time, you are in luck. Math teachers are some of the most sought-after educators in the country. Due to a nationwide shortage of qualified teachers in the field, many states now offer alternative teaching certification programs that place math graduates in the classroom as they work toward completing a degree in education.

If you already have a bachelor's in mathematical science, you have several options. You can choose to complete a fifth-year course in education or to pursue a master's degree in education, which some states require public school teachers to earn within a certain number of years.

How Do I Get Certified?

All states require public school teachers to be certified. Since state requirements vary, it is important to check with your state's Department of Education to find out the minimum qualifications. Some states may even require you to continue professional development by taking supplemental courses. You can find more information on certification requirements in our teacher certification article, or find teaching certificate programs on our comprehensive database.

As a math teacher, you'll equip students with the skills to visualize, describe and analyze real-life situations in mathematical terms. Not only will your dedication to these goals have an impact on your students, your choice to teach math will have lasting effects on our social progress as a nation and as part of a larger, global community.