Choosing a Career in Teaching
Before choosing a career in teaching, take the time to find the right college or university. Although many schools offer teaching degrees, conduct a careful search to find a program that is ideal for your budget and goals. Teaching is one of the more stable career choices, and some teachers can retire early due to the pensions they have earned while teaching.
Significance
Teachers instruct students from preschool through the high school years. Choosing a career in teaching requires that you complete a bachelor's degree in elementary, secondary or special education. In addition to the educational requirements, potential teachers should enjoy working with children and teenagers in a classroom setting.
Function
Teachers instruct students in the subjects necessary to lead a successful life. From basic skills, such as reading and writing, to advanced skills, such computer repair, teachers help prepare students to master the skills they will need to manage their lives and careers.
Types
Teachers instruct students in a variety of subjects geared to the age and abilities of a specific groups. Subjects taught at the elementary level include reading, English, spelling, social studies, science and math. High school teachers often specialize in one or two subjects and must choose those areas as their content area specialties while in college. A degree in special education is necessary if you want to work in a special education classroom or would like to assist children who need extra assistance in learning.
Considerations
Investigate the cost of completing a 4-year degree program and the availability of student loans and grants. Find out the salaries for beginning teachers in the location where you plan to teach and ask how many vacancies per year usually occur in the district. If the starting salary is not high enough to cover your expenses, consider other districts.
If there are only a few elementary and high schools near your university, you will need to spend a semester at another location when completing your student teaching requirement. If this is the case, you will need to be prepared to pay for housing and other living costs near the elementary or high school where you will be student teaching.
Benefits
Teaching can be a rewarding and enriching job, particularly when you are able to observe the progress that your students have made in the course of nine months. Teachers may have a week or two off at Christmas and in the spring. In many schools, teachers do not work in the summer, freeing you to accept temporary employment to augment your salary. Most states provide retirement plans for teachers.
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