Give teaching at a community college a try. I did that for two years. I thought it would be much more of a challenge and have a more lasting impact on the carreres of the younger generation.
Alas, I quickly discovered that 70% of the incoming class had to take remedial English and math classes before they could even pass the entrance exams to take my class. What was I teaching ?
"Introduction to Microprocessors and Design".
I taught at Glendale Community college back in 1979 - 1981. This was right after Motorola introduced the first true microprocessor to the market, the M6800 and the M68000 the following year.
Since the microprocessor was so new, the college asked a few of us engineers who worked on the development team to create and teach some classes on how to use this new technology.
What we found, was that the incoming class did not have the math skills to comprehend the design equations, nor the English skills to be able to comprehend the lesson manuals ! Talk about a real eye-opener !!
The sad fact is that it has only gotten worse through the years. I guess that's what happens when the teachers are made to teach to the slowest member of the class, instead of the class average. I found that when I went to college, that I learned more during the summer classes, when the class was crunched to 6 weeks instead of 26 weeks, but yet all the same amount of classwork and testing was mandated. The instructor covered everyhting one time. If you didn't get it, tough ! Over half my classmates during the summer didn't pass. Those were the classes I aced. I got bored in the regular 26 week classes and I'm sure that thee are a lot of other students who do as well.
I don't agree with teaching to a tesst, but then I also don't agree with continually passing a student to the next grade and ultimately graduation, only to discover that Jonny can't even read !!
Our public schools need a serious make-over and they ned it yesterday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!