The religion one stands out the most obviously - Would you expect a Muslim woman to not wear her hijab? A Sikh to not wear their turban? Why should some of society's norms get approval and others don't? At the very least, dressing as you're most comfortable will show the students that gender can be performed in a wide variety of ways. I totally disagree with that article about not giving away your identity by what you wear. Hi! First of all, best of luck starting student teaching! You're in for one heck of a ride and I hope you enjoy teaching. #iteachmath and #iteachphysics are fabulous entry points. It's worthwhile tuning in to our conversations - you may meet some local teachers and you'll get a sense of what our process looks like. There's a sizable math and physics teaching community on Twitter.Another perennial teacher hiring need is computer science - could you teach programming? Python and Java are the big languages right now. Meanwhile, over here in independent school-land, it was easy.
I had trouble breaking into that world in public schools. Public schools tend to classify engineering classes under vocational programs and they are often taught by vocational ed teachers. I mean, robots are cool, but how they wormed their way into high schools is a little bananas. For instance, I've been teaching/coaching robotics for most my 15-year career. Consider the engineering content you could possibly teach.I'd say pitching yourself as both math & physics is your best bet. That said, when a school needs a physics teacher, they *really* need one. Then, once in a school, I morphed into physics teaching when the teacher retired. This is why I chose to get my Masters of Arts in Teaching in math instead of physics. Schools have more math teachers than physics teachers.By then, I'd already accepted a job in a small independent school. On making the career switch, public schools wouldn't even talk to me until I got accepted into a certification program.ATOMS is a science-specific job board I recommend checking out. Hiring season is now through mid-March-ish (whereas public schools hire later, through May or June-ish). Check out job posts on the website for independent schools association in your state and the NAIS job site. They can be a great destination in and of themselves or can be a first job to get you into a public certification program. Independent (private) schools usually don't require a teaching certificate.I also came into the profession after several years working as an engineer. Materials Engineer turned math and physics teacher here.