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APA Committee on
Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy

What Schools Are and
Are Not Looking For

Although there are significant opportunities for employment as a teacher of pre-college philosophy, administrators for grades K-12 are not looking for philosophers, per se. You will have to seek out the opportunities by taking the initiative and 'marketing' both yourself and philosophy. Most schools do not offer philosophy. Fortunately, many schools might expand their curriculum to include some philosophy if urged to by a successful and persistent teacher.

Even in schools that do offer philosophy, however, be forewarned that administrators will hire you as a teacher, not as a philosopher. In many cases, your interest in philosophy will be considered a desirable extra. However, some skeptical administrators will press you to provide a justification for them to hire someone trained in philosophy rather than someone else trained in a discipline more often taught in high school, such as English, History, or Math; and an advanced degree might raise the issue of over-qualification. Be prepared to address these concerns and to 'accentuate the positive'.

If you want to teach grades K-12 despite likely having to break your own path to do so, you should be aware of what schools look for in a candidate for a teaching position.

• Certification - Although this is not required by private schools, candidates looking for a public school position must have teaching certification.
• Strong academic background - Candidates for public or private schools need to have a solid academic record. They must be qualified to teach in one or more fields other than philosophy, such as English, Social Studies, or Science.
• Flexibility - Candidates need to be able to fill multiple roles in a K-12 school. Schools look for people who can help with extra-curricular, athletic, clerical, and administrative duties.
• Energy and enthusiasm - These are not only necessary for successful teaching, but are viewed by employers as marks of potential good employees.