How do I break into high school teaching? I have a Harvard PhD in STEM but feel under-qualified.
I’m looking to get into teaching because I love STEM education.
I have an unusual trajectory: a Harvard PhD in biomedical science research in 2019, and have also tutored nonscientists in my government job for a couple years (2022-2025), taught basic biology concepts to grad students at Harvard (2015-2016), and tutored math at community college (2009-2012).
On one hand I feel super qualified, but also I feel out of practice. And not super familiar with high school science (I never took a science class in high school! Haha).
But I fell in love with math & science due to amazing instructors in community college, and I want to be one of those inspirations & guides for some other young people.
I just spent 1 year sailing 4500 miles and I’m in Guatemala, looking to get into STEM. My expenses are currently super low. The goal/idea is to teach high school science but not quite ready to get back to the U.S.
I’d like to make some money getting my feet wet, likely with tutoring, before going & applying for high school science teaching jobs in the early new year.
If anyone has any advice on how to get my foothold teaching/tutoring remotely, I’d love to hear it!