Career Spotlight: Teaching

There’s no doubt that being an educator is one of the most rewarding, yet often challenging career fields on the job market. Here are the big things you need to know and do if you would like to become a teacher.

1. Job description: Teachers educate.

The overarching goal of a teacher is to educate students. If you become a teacher, you will formulate daily lesson plans, create assignments and assessments for your students, and implement disciplinary measures when needed.

Teachers may also act as mentors and counselors. Students often come to teachers with concerns, whether they relate to school or to their home lives. Teachers need to know how to respond and handle these situations to best support and benefit their students.

Your job as a teacher won’t stop there, though. There is a lot of home work involved, and on some days you may spend hours grading student work and calculating averages for each of your students. The more students you have, the more work you will likely have to complete.

2. Decide which grade level you want to teach.

If you want to become a teacher, you’ve got plenty of grade level options. There are kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and college teaching positions available, with widely-varying levels of pay.

In general, teachers with high levels of education, such as a doctorate degree, have the most opportunities in the world of education, with higher pay levels. If you wouldn’t mind spending several extra years in school, the doctorate path may be right for you.

3. Evaluate your personality.

Do you get excited about learning? If so, you’ve met one of the personality characteristics of most good teachers. Students can easily tell if a teacher is disinterested in his or her subject matter, and if the teacher is disinterested, how can he or she expect the students to be interested?

A love for learning isn’t the only personality trait that comes in handy as a teacher, though. Patience is also a good quality to have. Subjects you may find impeccably easy may not come so quickly to your students, and chances are, some of your students will understand certain topics before other students. Learning to work with all of your students, without being visibly frustrated, is a necessary skill.

4. You got your bachelor’s degree in education. Now what?

You have earned your four-year degree, but is that enough to get a job as an educator? It depends.

If you dream of becoming a college professor, a bachelor’s degree won’t be enough. Some college professors hold master’s degrees, while many others hold doctorate degrees. Committing yourself to a few more years of school is necessary if you plan to teach in the collegiate world, although those with higher levels of education can also find opportunities in grade schools.

If you think teaching may be your calling, that’s great! If not, that’s okay, too. Teaching isn’t for everyone, but for those who do plan to become teachers, good luck on your future career!