GUIDANCE OF PROSPECTIVE HIGH SCHOOLCHEMISTRY TEACHERS

LEONARD A. FORDState Teachers College, Mankato, Minnesota

The student whose major interest is in the field of chemistry findsit much more difficult to obtain a teaching position in secondaryschools today than a few years ago. It becomes increasingly importanttherefore to give proper guidance to prospective teachers whose inter-est lies in this field.An analysis has been made by the author of recent available teach-

ing positions and state and college regulations which apply to posi-tions in the secondary schools.

Letters from school superintendents to the local college teachers5placement office have been examined and requests for teachers ofchemistry are rare. Where chemistry is mentioned in the letter it is incombination with general science, biology, physics, and mathematicsin that order. Some combinations with physical education, music,and unrelated subjects occur. On examination of 105 requests forteachers in science none was for chemistry alone, 26 combinationsof science and mathematics, 25 requests for science alone and 18combinations of science with athletics or physical education.The same trend in subject-matter combinations was found by

F. R. Adams1 of the State Department of Education of Minnesota.Graduates of Minnesota .colleges in the spring of 1949 who were pre-pared to teach numbered 279. Of these 130 received positions in thestate with 38 in the science field without any other subject mattercombinations. It is doubtful that any of these teachers were teachingchemistry alone. The data further indicate that 40 teachers, whosemajor time in teaching was in science, were teaching some mathe-matics as well; 18 science teachers had combinations with physicaleducation and 13 with social studies. Others had teaching combina-tions of science with other fields. Data gathered by the UniversityPlacement Office showed the same type of subject-matter combina-tions for teachers of science. The conclusion to be drawn from thesefacts is that the chemistry teacher must be prepared to teach any ofthe sciences taught in the high school. Preparation in mathematicsis desirable and ability in athletics and music is helpful.The prospective chemistry teacher in a high school is required to

complete a specified number of courses in education and practiceteaching. These requirements range from 15 to 30 semester hoursand are prescribed by the institution and the state department of

1 Data supplied by F. R. Adams, Director, Division of Teacher Personnel, State Department of Education,St. Paul., Jan. 1950.

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18 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

education. Probably the best summary of state teaching require-ments is one by Woellner and Wood.2 Minimum requirements in ed-ucation courses are rather easy to interpret but specific requirementsto teach chemistry are often buried under such terminology as science,general science, physical science or single subject science. The pro-spective teacher may select one of four options to teach science in thestate of Indiana. The preparation in science ranges from 20 to 36semester hours in science. The academic requirement of a chemistryteacher in Michigan is not specified in terms of science. Twenty-foursemester hours of preparation is required in the major subject with15 semester hours in each of two minors. A teacher of science in Flori-da high schools must have 36 semester hours of preparation but ifhe teaches a single subject, 15 semester hours are sufficient. The sci-ence teacher in N. Carolina must have completed 30 semester hoursin science with 6 semester hours in chemistry if he is to teach that sub-ject.

Requirements for graduation in University colleges of educationand teachers colleges vary considerably. A comprehensive majorat the University of Wisconsin is made up of 55 semester hours in thescience field and at Minnesota the corresponding requirements is 43semester hours. The comprehensive major in science consists of 36semester hours at Iowa State Teachers College and 37 semester hoursat Mankato. The comprehensive major is more common in teacherscolleges and University colleges of education than in liberal artscollege.

Careful planning of the entire foul-year program in college is es-sential if the student whose interest lies in chemistry plans to teachin a high school. A carefully planned sequence of courses in chemistryas well as biology and physics must be planned. Mathematics coursesshould be made to fit into the program. The general education, in-stitutional and state requirements must be satisfied.

2 Woellner, Robert C., and Wood, M. Aurilla, Requirements for Certification, 15th edition, 1950-51, TheUniversity of Chicago PresS.

FISH SOUNDS CLUES TO WHERE CATCH IS GOODFishermen may be able to locate and identify schools of commercial fish, long

before they would be found otherwise, by using underwater listening devices.During exploratory cruises in the Gulf of Maine this summer, a group of U. S.

Fish and Wildlife Service scientists directed by Virgil E. Harris, electronics ex-pert, made underwater recordings of the sounds of schools of fish. The FWS re-ports that these recordings will be analyzed and work will be started to developlistening devices particularly sensitive to the sounds of fish of commercial im-portance, like tuna and mackerel.The FWS believes that if these listeners are perfected, commercial fishermen

will be able to use them to great advantage in tracking down the elusive harvestof the sea.