An interesting career option (or detour) for history majors is to teach history in an independent school either at the middle or upper school level. In hiring rookie teachers, many private schools place a higher emphasis on content preparation than on teacher education and certification. They are on the look out for bright, enthusiastic young people who love kids and know their subject areas very well. Often times these schools are looking for people who can teach, supervise extracurricular activities, and coach athletic teams. Boarding schools also need dormitory supervisors. Hours can be long and pay has traditionally been slightly lower than that of public school teachers (although this is changing in many schools.) The rewards, however, are many. Most independent school classes are relatively small (12-18 kids). Students are generally well-motivated. Parents typically are supportive. Individual teachers usually have a great deal of flexibility and autonomy in setting their own curriculum. Innovative ideas can usually be put straight into practice without going through a great deal of bureaucratic red tape. Some people find that two years of teaching in this type of environment is a great transition from college to graduate school or to other professions. Many people find that this is a great long-term career choice.
The best way to pursue a teaching job in an independent school is to contact one of the national placement agencies. Schools contact them with openings, and they in turn forward candidate's dossiers to the schools. Placement fees are generally paid by the hiring schools. These agencies also host a series of recruiting events and job fairs. The biggest usually take place in conjunction with the national meeting of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) which meets in a different locations around the US each February.
Three important placement agencies are:
Last updated on April 12, 2005