Teaching in America

[Amit_kumar]

Its quite good experience to teach in America. People here are very friendly. Pay rate is quite good. The only problem there is that it is quite expensive to live there.

[gfell]

Where abouts did you teach in America and what were you making? What did you find as expensive?

[JACOBKELL]

Speaking about America, how much is cost living there? How much is average monthly payment, monthly bills, food cost, rent cost etc.

So the real question is not just how good is job enviroment.

[gfell]

Well it all depends on where you are working and living in America.

The cost of housing is almost double in New York (most expensive city in the US) compared to that of Chicago.

You should perhaps look at the Big Mac index to gauge the cost of living around the world. You need to work a total of 13 minutes in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Miami to afford a Big Mac. Compare this to working 90 minutes in Nairobi, Kenya.

[rwall7943]

The cost can very in the US depending on where you live. In the south you can live fairly cheap, also living in a lower populated area is cheaper. The US is very diverse, and a great place to live and teach.

[craftewriter25]

Here in Knoxville TN area we are in dire need of teachers, period.

There are alot of Spanish illegal immigrants that are working here and their children refuse to speak English except when absolutely needed.

Average home is bought is expensive, apartments are getting that way also. You kind of break even on everything, so many teachers take second jobs to have extra spending cash.

The average population here are lucky to have a high school diploma, many are under educated, have poor speaking voice, ethnocentric language is prevalent, so its like speaking a third language. Many 9th graders have no idea what parts of speech are, many never played with MAD libs.

So here education is very poor. Schools are more like prisons, with concertina wirem barbed wires, locked gates and fully armed police officers roaming and sitting in on classes.

Many schools are religious in orientation, that is they use more religion to explain things than actual facts. Many students can't find themselves on a blank map or know where other countries are. Many think that all of say, NY state is NY city. Many consider Iowa a large corn field and they think all of California, though they are not sure where it is is like LA.

Many don't know how to read. With the states requirement for minimum for graduation 3rd grade level you can see it is rather poor.

[Margy]

Sounds like a really grim picture you are painting. Didn't realise education was so tough in certain parts of the US. I suppose teachers also need to fear for their lives at times. Nowadays I see too many school hostages and suicides been broadcast via the news.

If students start of in a "warzone" type of school, then how can we expect the world to get any better. These children will grow thinking the worst of people and society.

[Tutor]

I do agree - not only in certain parts of America but in various other countries - violent students with arms roam in the school. Its like having a nightmare and one of the reasons people are reluctant to choose this profession.