Interview with a High School Teacher

* What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in this field?

I am a special education teacher. I just got a permanent teaching job this year. However, I have been substituting for about 3 years. I substituted while I was finishing up my education degree.

* On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What might need to change about your job to unleash your full enthusiasm?

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate my job satisfaction at about a 9. It would be a 10, but this is my first year teaching. It has been pretty stressful and pretty time consuming. In addition, we were just notified that the school has a budget shortfall. Supposedly they will be laying off about 400 first, second and third year teachers. That is upsetting, but layoffs happen no matter where you work.

* If this job moves your heart – how so? Ever feel like you found your calling or sweet spot in life? If not, what might do it for you?

I love teaching and I love teaching special education. I have always wanted to be a teacher but it took me a while to actually earn a degree. I was a single mom for many years and I did not have the time or the money to go to school. After my kids left the house, I decided to go back to school to be a teacher. I love helping the special education kids to do the best that they can do. I really get a sense of satisfaction from helping people.

* Is there anything unique about your situation that readers should know when considering your experiences or accomplishments?

I was a single mother for many years. I worked 2 jobs to support my family and there wasn’t much time to do anything other than work and parent. I had a bachelor’s degree in accounting and I worked in an office during the day and I worked at a grocery store as a clerk in the evening. Of course, I always dreamed about being a teacher, but I just pushed it off into the back of my mind. When my kids left the house, I got remarried and moved out of state. There was a fast track program available for people with a college degree that was being offered. As part of the program, I could get a master’s and be able to teach after about a year and a half of night school. I jumped at the chance! About halfway into the program I got laid off from my job and became a substitute teacher. I substituted during the day and then took classes at night. It took me about 2 years go get through the program, and I have an incredible amount of student loan debt, but I did it. I am 55 years old and I am a teacher!

* What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in this job?

Well, when you work with high school kids you see a lot of strange stuff. You will see kids with blue hair, nose piercings and all of that. That’s just the beginning though! It gets a lot stranger. When you work with special education students, it can be a little bit crazy at times too. I could write a book about the strange things I’ve seen.

* Why do you get up and go to work each day? Can you give an example of something that really made you feel good or proud?

I get up and go to work each day because I have student loans to pay off! No, that’s not entirely the truth. We had a student who really had a lot of trouble in school. She dropped out and I happened to see her in the store and I talked to her. A week later, she decided to come back to school. She is doing well and should graduate this year. She told me if we hadn’t had that talk, she probably wouldn’t have come back. That made me feel really good. It makes me proud to see the accomplishments that my students have made during this year. I’m so proud of them and all the hard work they’ve done!

* What kind of challenges do you handle and what makes you really want to pull your hair out?

There are challenges when you are teaching. It is the little things that really make me want to pull out my hair. For example, when the copying machine breaks and you really need to make copies for your next class. Right now, the computer that the school issued to me isn’t working right. I can not log onto the school website or pick up my emails using the computer so I have to read my emails at home. It sounds like it is a little thing, but it is irritating. Of course, the drama with parents and other staff members can really, really get you down if you let it, but I do my best to not let it get to me.

* What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough and/or happy living within your means?

I have a master’s degree so my starting salary was higher than that of the other new teachers. I will earn abut $35,000 this year! I did not go into teaching for the money, though. Even so, it can be difficult at times to accept the fact that I am 55 with a master’s degree and making $35,000 a year. My husband works as well, so we make enough to get by. It will be a little bit crazy financially until I pay off my student loans which should take a few years.

* How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?

We do get a good amount of time off! However, most of the teachers that I know get summer jobs in order to help pay the bills. I am hoping to get a job teaching summer school this year. In addition, most of the teachers I have met spend their summers getting ready for the upcoming school year. So, you may be on “vacation,” but not really.

* What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?

In order to become a teacher, you need a bachelor’s degree in education at the very least. You will also need some teaching experience. If there is a shortage of teachers in your state, you may be able to qualify for the program that I did. I was able to go back to school and get a master’s teaching degree in a few years. To succeed in the field, you will definitely need good “people skills” as well as good communication skills. It is also important to like working with kids!

* If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?

In 5 years, I see myself doing exactly what I am doing now. I love teaching!

This is a true story as told to DiversityJobs Street Smarts, where you can find career interviews for the job you’ve been looking at, like a substitute teacher or an ESL coach.   Visit to find an interview in your desired field today.