1. Elementary school kids are idiots and you’re teaching the most basic of the basic over and over. There is little to no stimulating education going on and you don’t have to be remotely intelligent in order to be an average elementary school teacher.

2. The kids in elementary school do not know who is boss, they don’t understand things like morals, they think of right and wrong, she should learn her psychology. Only when kids get to 15-18 can they start to truly analyze social situations.

3. High school teachers can actually interact in a more complex manner with their students.

4. High schools have better resources than elementary school teachers and can partake in better projects. Can she take her kids on a tour of the physics labs at University of Michigan? Can she take her kids to Cedar Point to ride roller coasters all day? No, they’re too short to ride. Have fun at the zoo chasing around 6 year olds all day.

5. Most people don’t choose high school because its high school, they choose it because of the topic they teach. I love chemistry and I cannot teach elementary school chemistry, nor would I want to.

6. High school allows for more coaching activities and more social activities such as dances, sporting events, clubs and so forth.

7. High schools have larger faculties and so you’ll have more friends than she does.

8. High school has a wider range of learning abilities and thus is more challenging.

With that being said, I don’t for one second actually think that elementary teaching is a bad thing or high school is better. I could make a list of 8 things that other people would like better about elementary school teaching. But with a little preparation and some confidence you should never lose an argument justifying what you want to do with your life.

That is not to say that your friend won’t encounter the same issues at the elementary level. The main difference is that the onset of puberty makes the issues even more confronting.

I wish you both all the best and commend you for being willing to work with children.

Teaching English…sometimes doesn’t. It’s the most-hated, totally required subject out there.

If you have 150-180 students, then do the math to figure out how many pages you’ll be reading for a five-page paper. Then think about how you’re going to have the students right two five pagers a quarter…It’s a tough gig.

By the way, which subject have you chosen as your major? Some districts offer bonuses if you teach math, science or special education.

Good luck.