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Chances are
you spend much of your time at school, so you’re already
familiar with what teachers do for a living. Teachers instruct
students how to read, write, do arithmetic, and more. Although most teachers work long hours during the
school year, most are off during summer vacation.
If you're good at explaining things, and are strong in subjects like language arts, math, history, and computers, then
consider exploring a teaching career.
Teachers
can be many things such as:
Grade School
Teacher—If you become a grade school teacher, you
will teach a bunch of different subjects: math, English, reading,
science, music, and even art. If you like doing many things
at once, working with younger children, and can move easily
from one subject to another, elementary education might be right
for you.
Middle/High
School, & College Teacher—Being a teacher at this level means you would work with older students
and focus on just one subject. Maybe you're super in
science. Maybe you get all fired up about chemistry. Maybe
you're a math guru, or a history buff. That's the
great thing about a job in this field! It doesn't matter what
subject you're passionate about, because great opportunities abound in every area.
Special Education
Teacher—Maybe you'd enjoy working with
children who learn at a slower pace or have disabilities.
This job requires a great deal of love and patience. But if that's you, then go for it.
Interview
with teaching assistant, Robin Bowman:
 Robin
has enjoyed teaching since she was just a tot. She always
played school, whether with neighborhood kids or with her
dolls. Either way, she was usually the teacher. Later
in high school, when she visited a daycare with her psychology
class, she clicked with the preschoolers immediately.
"I've always
loved kids, and now working with them is a plus."
Robin didn't go
right into teaching. In fact she went to college for art,
but soon found that wasn't where her heart was. In her twenties
she began working at a grocery store, and even became manager.
But it wasn't until she was in her thirties that she really
found her true love—teaching.
"I first started
volunteering at the daycare when my kids were little. Then
I worked as a pre-school teacher. And today, I'm doing what
I enjoy most, working with 1st to 4th grade students that have
disabilities."
Robin did take
some child development classes and going to college helped
land her the job. But what helped the most is the care and dedication she has for her students.
"It's been
an amazing job. A couple of our kids couldn't even read when
I first got them in class, and now they can. It makes you feel good
at the end of the day to know you had a big part in that."
So what's Robin's
advice to anyone wanting to become a teacher? Simple. "Make
sure that you're not teaching for the wrong reason (because
you have summer off, or you think your work day is over by
three o’clock). Do it because you truly love kids and want
to help them learn."
What You Can do to Get Ready:
When you're ready, you can start by baby sitting your siblings or a neighbors' kids. This will give you an idea whether you like working with kids.
As in Robin's case,
you'll have to attend college and get an education degree. Some teaching positions require a Masters (graduate) degree as well. In the meantime, you might
want to volunteer and help tutor younger students.
What it Pays:
Salary
depends on degree, job position, and location. When she began
teaching at a small town elementary, she made low pay. Today
her hard work has paid off and her income has doubled. In
today's hi-tech teaching industry, teachers can make anywhere
from $33,000 all the way up to $71,000. Not a bad deal for
having a huge impact on others!
Other
Resources:
Click on the links below to get your career off to a good start. Read about
what teaching positions exist, and discover which one
might interest you.
Recruitingteachers.org/channels/clearinghouse/becometeacher/default1.htm
Bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/life/you_and_school/working_in_schools/training_teacher.shtml
Ehow.com/how_3591_become-teacher.html
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