1. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Teacher

Go to Teachers.net and spend some time visiting a teacher chatroom or chatboard.

There are many areas to choose from, so we suggest you select one that reflects your particular career interests -- perhaps a specific subject or grade level.

As you "listen in" on the discussion, construct three different "You Be the Judge" sheets like that starting on page 6. They need not be as long as the "You Be the Judge" in the book, but you should use at least one teacher quote to support each advantage and disadvantage you identify. Can you detect any differences between the comments of first-year and veteran teachers? How do their attitudes differ?

If you have time, you may want to join in the discussion by soliciting opinions and practical advice about your own career goals. Find out what these teachers find most challenging about their jobs, and what is most gratifying. In what ways do their perceptions mirror the "You Be the Judge" in the text?

2. A Closer Look at Teach for America

Teach for America is a controversial program in which highly motivated volunteers undergo a very brief teacher training program and enter some of America's most difficult classrooms. Many educators see programs like this as the height of irresponsibility and the opposite of profession building. To learn more about Teach for America, click here to visit their web site. As you peruse this site, make a list of the pros and cons of this type of program. What is your opinion of its value? For a very different approach, visit the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards site. In your opinion, can these two programs complement and support each other, or are they in conflict by definition? Explain your answer.

3. Why Become a Teacher?

First, make a list of the reasons behind your decision to explore a teaching career. Make sure you rank them in order of importance. When you are finished, look at the "Reasons Given for Choosing a Teaching Career". Compare your reasons with those given by others. What did you learn about yourself, and your future colleagues?

Next, click here to read about how some educators in Japan answered the question, "Why become a teacher?" How do their answers compare to your own? Did any of their answers surprise you? Discuss the cultural and/or professional factors that might account for motivational differences between Japanese and North American teachers.

Want to explore this in greater depth? Check out inter-mission 1:5.