I want to teach

Dr. Merritt,

I attended your workshop in Denver and afterward started thinking about what you said about pursuing one's true calling. I have been in senior management for almost 20 years and want to pursue teaching in my area. I have bachelor's degree in Business Management and am close to completing an MBA.

Could you offer some advice on what I could do to become an instructor at a college or university? Is getting a Master's degree the best way to go? If you have any advice I would appreciate it.

-Paul H.
Denver, CO

Paul,

Thanks for your message. It was great being with you in Denver. I will give you some general suggestions which will help you move closer toward your goal:

--High School programs generally require certification as a teacher in a particular content area. Often, that takes as long as a year or so to complete. This may not be true in an adult, vocational high school (that typically accepts those who did not complete high school and now find themselves as adults wanting to complete their degrees and get some training that they can apply). I would check around and look into these types of adult high schools and maybe offer to teach on an adjunct basis – perhaps in the evening. If you do this a time or two, you will find out quickly whether or not it is for you.

--Universities most often require a minimum of a Master’s degree for part-time instructors. However, you could often get around this by teaching in their community education programs, which are generally offered in the evening. Look through one of the community education flyers from one of your universities and you will likely see several that would include your area of business management. Again, I would consider offering my services in order to get a feel for whether this is, indeed, for you.

--Community Colleges often recognize a BS with heavy amounts of experience. Call, visit, and or look on their websites and see whether any of them offer courses in your area. It is a good bet that they do. I would consider expressing interest in teaching and try it out.

None of the suggestions that I offer cause you to risk your present position and I think that’s a good idea. After you try it out, teaching may or may not be for you.