Math Education
Math Teacher Job Description
Math education programs prepare educators to teach important lifelong skills to their students. Math teachers who both understand mathematical concepts and are effective communicators in a learning environment are in high demand. If you have a passion for math and work well with young people, teaching math may be right for you.
Is Teaching Math Right for You?
Whether you are helping students understand story problems or solve calculus problems, you will be teaching the essential formulaic processes that are fundamental to math development. Math teachers help students understand the logical reasoning associated with mathematical problems—a skill that must be mastered before students can advance to the next level. This is why schools are looking for effective and knowledgeable math teachers. It's a good idea to become a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) for up-to-date knowledge and resources.
There are many different teaching methods available to math teachers today, including interactive learning, textbooks and exercises. A typical day in the classroom may include anything from explaining the reasoning behind A²+B²=C² to helping students with tessellation creation. It helps to be comfortable with technology and hands-on learning, because you are likely to be using math software or tangible objects in your math classes.
One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching math is helping kids discover how to answer questions on their own through reasoning and problem solving. If you have a passion for numbers and want to pass that on to the next generation of students, teaching math can be a fun and rewarding career.
Math Teacher Credential and Certification Requirements
To become a math teacher, you need to obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Once you have your bachelor's degree or higher, you need to earn your teacher certification through an approved teacher education program. This program will include supervised student teaching, so you can learn classroom dynamics in tandem with earning your degree. To learn about certification requirements, contact the Department of Education in the state in which you plan to teach.
Math Teacher Alternate Certification
Many states have alternate certification programs that can place you in a classroom setting while you work toward certification. These programs were designed help address teacher shortage problems by quickly getting knowledgeable instructors teaching in the classroom. These alternative programs vary between and within states, so contact the appropriate state Department of Education if you think alternate certification might work for you.
Math Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program
Another benefit offered to aspiring math teachers is the loan forgiveness program for in-service teachers. In October 2004, President Bush signed the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act, which extends Stafford Student Loan forgiveness up to $17,500. Secondary school math teachers may be eligible, so this may save you a lot of money while getting you closer to your math teacher career goals.