I’m a 20 year old with an enormous passion for history. But I’m hesitant to funnel tens of thousands of dollars into formal college education. I know that’s what most employers are looking for, formal degrees. I went to college for a semester for European History and International Affairs, but I don’t learn well in classroom environments at all, independent study is right up my alley and the way I learn best. I wanted to know if it was possible at all that employers in the tour guide industry or even maybe high school history would consider applicants or individuals that understand and can teach course work (or history in general in tour guide case), even without a formal degree. Have read a great chunk of classic novels and have kept my textbooks from college and studied them independently cover to cover. There’s so much more I need to learn, I realize, and it’s going to be a few years before I’ll even be considered for a job in the field, but that gives me much time to well round and refine my knowledge. But I’m just wondering if this is possible if I demonstrate a very comprehensive knowledge of the field, requirements, and curriculum? It’s wishful thinking, but it’s better to ask than not know if it’s an option or not. (And when I speak of tour guides, think of the kind that lead groups in European cities)
I don't know where you are, but at least in the US, having a formal college degree in something is more or less a requirement to teach. What matters most to schools/districts is having a valid license for your teaching area, and the license application process is next to impossible to complete without a valid college degree from an accredited institution. If you apply to a postgraduate teacher training program, possession of an undergraduate degree in history or a related field is often an entry requirement. Beyond this, history/social studies is a very competitive job market in the US; I went through a lot of interviews before I landed my first job, and you won't necessarily get a position teaching something you know the most about. Even having a postgraduate degree in your content area won't necessarily help you. To put it bluntly, schools have baseline regulatory requirements they have to meet, and knowing your content area is a small portion of what they need their applicants to do. In the situation you describe, you'd be better off 1) finishing a college degree so you can teach or 2) going the tour guide route. The problem with option 1 is that it's expensive, especially since having at least a master's in something is more or less required now (I would not recommend getting a bachelor's in education). Option 2 is going to depend very heavily on where exactly you are - big market in some areas, small in others - and building a client base. It does, though, have the advantage of not having entry requirements as stringent as teaching, though I should point out that some cities require permits, though these permit requirements are not always enforced.