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I'm a programmer who left startups to go be a teacher at a public elementary school. It told me to be in politics or a tech startup founder. I'm just not sure h

I'm a programmer who left startups to go be a teacher at a public elementary school. It told me to be in politics or a tech startup founder. I'm just not sure how those can match both the reward of lighting up little faces with fresh knowledge and the impact of directly working to improve what is (to me) the center of my community. So yeah can I suggest 'school teacher' as a result? Is it just totally outside of the realm of possibility here? Maybe I just didn't see it. (I did check the box that said I'm okay with a small influence!)

BenjaminTodd 11y ago
We do consider teaching, and it could be a good path if you're a very good fit, but we don't in general recommend it if you want to maximise your social impact. https://80000hours.org/career-guide/top-careers/profiles/teaching/ https://80000hours.org/career-guide/top-careers/profiles/tea...
- BenjaminTodd 11y ago
  I'd suggest considering going back to tech/startups, but trying to join one that's doing positive innovation in an important cause, like edtech or online education.
  - kickscondor 11y ago
    See and I (personally) think that's the wrong way to go about it. Wouldn't it be arrogant for me to try to innovate education from the office of a startup? Shouldn't I be in the kids' world - letting actual experience guide the innovation? Using the scientific method to discover what works and what doesn't? I'm glad you have the page in there, though! Best of luck with this project.
    - BenjaminTodd 11y ago
      If you want to focus on education as a cause, then I agree working as a teacher at some point makes a lot of sense. I think it'll be hard to work out what works just from that though, because the outcomes of education take many years and are often counterintuitive. You'd need to eventually do randomised controlled trials. I've written some more here: https://80000hours.org/2015/06/5-reasons-not-to-go-into-education/ https://80000hours.org/2015/06/5-reasons-not-to-go-into-educ... I'd also recommend checking out sources like this: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/about/what-works-network/ https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/about/what-works...
- jalcazar 11y ago
  I believe teaching is underappreciated but has a very big impact. Teaching influences people directly. If you have 80 hours or more to make impact sharing your skills in an awesome place look at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Lgzn4eYqlAsWKGQXvk4EojqCPQPbqNnwEkVqF3GYB2g/edit https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Lgzn4eYqlAsWKGQXvk4E...
plaguuuuuu 11y ago
We're talking SF-centric startup culture here. It's not enough to actually change the world for the better. You need to make millions of dollars and be 'changing the world' by disrupting some kind of market segment nobody actually cares about, and be some kind of Randian uberwhatever, otherwise you're a piece of shit
- eutectic 11y ago
  Millions of dollars seem like pretty good evidence that someone cares.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- DanBC 11y ago
  > 80,000 Hours is part of the Centre for Effective Altruism, a registered charity in England and Wales, Registered Charity Number 1149828 Centre for Effective Altruism, Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Littlegate House, St Ebbes Street, Oxford OX1 1PT, UK. An English charity recommending people joing the English civil service is pretty far away from SF Startup culture.
ryan-allen 11y ago
What do you teach in the public schools?

BenjaminTodd 11y ago

We do consider teaching, and it could be a good path if you're a very good fit, but we don't in general recommend it if you want to maximise your social impact. https://80000hours.org/career-guide/top-careers/profiles/teaching/ https://80000hours.org/career-guide/top-careers/profiles/tea...

BenjaminTodd 11y ago
I'd suggest considering going back to tech/startups, but trying to join one that's doing positive innovation in an important cause, like edtech or online education.
- kickscondor 11y ago
  See and I (personally) think that's the wrong way to go about it. Wouldn't it be arrogant for me to try to innovate education from the office of a startup? Shouldn't I be in the kids' world - letting actual experience guide the innovation? Using the scientific method to discover what works and what doesn't? I'm glad you have the page in there, though! Best of luck with this project.
  - BenjaminTodd 11y ago
    If you want to focus on education as a cause, then I agree working as a teacher at some point makes a lot of sense. I think it'll be hard to work out what works just from that though, because the outcomes of education take many years and are often counterintuitive. You'd need to eventually do randomised controlled trials. I've written some more here: https://80000hours.org/2015/06/5-reasons-not-to-go-into-education/ https://80000hours.org/2015/06/5-reasons-not-to-go-into-educ... I'd also recommend checking out sources like this: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/about/what-works-network/ https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/about/what-works...
jalcazar 11y ago
I believe teaching is underappreciated but has a very big impact. Teaching influences people directly. If you have 80 hours or more to make impact sharing your skills in an awesome place look at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Lgzn4eYqlAsWKGQXvk4EojqCPQPbqNnwEkVqF3GYB2g/edit https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Lgzn4eYqlAsWKGQXvk4E...

plaguuuuuu 11y ago

We're talking SF-centric startup culture here. It's not enough to actually change the world for the better. You need to make millions of dollars and be 'changing the world' by disrupting some kind of market segment nobody actually cares about, and be some kind of Randian uberwhatever, otherwise you're a piece of shit

eutectic 11y ago
Millions of dollars seem like pretty good evidence that someone cares.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
DanBC 11y ago
> 80,000 Hours is part of the Centre for Effective Altruism, a registered charity in England and Wales, Registered Charity Number 1149828 Centre for Effective Altruism, Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Littlegate House, St Ebbes Street, Oxford OX1 1PT, UK. An English charity recommending people joing the English civil service is pretty far away from SF Startup culture.

ryan-allen 11y ago

What do you teach in the public schools?