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So You Want To Teach

So You Want To Teach?

Providing education HOPE for educators

I find that most educational blogs are either academic blogs full of banal research findings and written in teacherese, or else they are cathartic blogs full of rants and complaints. I have no problem with that, it’s just not my style.

This blog is different

I strive to keep an informal atmosphere and writing style, while freely transferring practical information in meaningful and positive ways. I find that many of the site’s visitors come here out of desperation. I want my readers to be able to get something useful out of this that they can go and implement in their own classroom.

A brief bio
My name is Joel Wagner (contact me). I began teaching band in 2002. Though I had a lot of information, my classes were out of control. I was tired, frustrated, disrespected by students, lonely, and on the brink of quitting.

I had had enough. I resigned from my school district right before spring break of my second year and made it my personal mission to learn to be a great teacher.

So You Want To Teach? is the ongoing story of my quest for educational excellence.

7 thoughts on “About

  1. Thanks for stating that your first 2 years of teaching were a horrible failure. This gives me hope. I’m halfway in that boat also.

  2. I hated my first year as a band director so much, that I quit and became a nurse! I am now teaching general music to K-5 and have been blessed to have found my vocation in life.

    1. I find it interesting that you were a teacher, nurse, and now back to teaching. I am a nurse considering switching careers to to elementary education. My only fear is the large pay cut, HOWEVER, I want to be passionate about my work and I am not passionate about nursing!

  3. Keep your nursing job. Take some yoga classes and learn to garden, volunteer at a daycare or preschool one morning a week. Donate money to your local school PTA, but we need nurses – a wiser person than me told me along time ago- you should not get your pats on the back at work. Those need to come from what we do outside work. Think about it.

    Then if you are completely sure- get a job as a school nurse! Our state has them and I know these jobs pay big bucks. And at the same time, you can utilize your passion for being a teacher!

  4. I am similar to Jakes…I am a nurse and considering switching to teaching. Of course everyone thinks I am crazy for thinking of switching. I like the teaching aspect of nursing, but do not like the hospital environment, MD office would be to routine, school nursing would not be my thing either (passing out adhd meds all day) …..I want an outlet to use my creativity, organizational skills, assessment skills (in creating teaching plans for students) and teaching skills. I also like the time off aspect as I am a mother of two young children who will be beginning school soon.
    I think we need good teachers as much as we need good nurses.
    ((also i have no desire to teach adults or teach nursing students)).
    is there anyone who thinks switching is a good thing???

  5. I’m a music teacher myself (although I’m freelance). I ran into your site via a Problogger comment you posted. Just wanted to say that this place is pretty interesting, not too crowded with information and not lonely of activity. I’m going to bookmark this and see what good tips I might gain from this place.

    You’re also always welcome to stop by my place and poke around if your curious as to what kind of site your blog is involved in inspiring. :)

    Have a great one!

    Cheers!

    – G. E. Marrs (MusiciansDojo.com)

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