Teacher Career

How To Get Started In An Exciting New Teacher Career

Are you bored or unfulfilled in your current job? If you enjoy helping others and watching them learn and grow, getting started on a teacher career might be just the change of scenery you need. Even if you have never entertained the idea of becoming a teacher, it may be worth looking into.

The benefits and rewards of a teacher career might just surprise you, and after all, what do you have to lose? The education, training, licensing, and responsibilities of becoming a teacher can sound overwhelming to someone just starting out, but as outlined here, the proper resources and organization will put you right on track to an exciting new career in education.

Teaching is not just about loving kids. It will not make you rich, so a certain amount of passion for the job is essential. In 2009, the average annual salary reported for elementary, middle and secondary school teachers was between $50,380 and $55,150. It takes a serious time commitment, both before and after becoming a teacher, and a number of inherent traits to become a great teacher.

You will be involved in formulating your curriculum, maintaining your classroom, after school meetings and activities, committees, tutoring, grading homework, assignments, and projects, and calling and meeting with parents, to name only some of the responsibilities in a teacher career.

Personality Markings of a Good Teacher

Good teachers need to have a firm grasp of the content they teach and be comfortable explaining things to others. They must be able to keep their cool in frustrating situations and have the common sense and practicality to quickly size-up a situation and act appropriately. A sense of humor, which has been proven to be a powerful teaching tool, is ideal and should be used as often as possible in teaching methods.

A teacher should have a general liking for people, particularly for young people within the range they intend to teach. A good teacher is inherently fair-minded and able to assess students based on performance alone. They should set high expectations for students as well as to themselves and hold to them.

It is important for teachers to be organized and detail-oriented and to exert good time-management skills. Most importantly, a teacher should always be open to learning. You learn to teach more by actually teaching than anything else. Teachers, just like anyone, will make mistakes and need to be able to learn from them and use them to improve. If these traits sound like you, it may be time to reveal your inner teacher.

A minimum of four years of higher level education, and in some states an additional one-to-two year master’s program, will be necessary to begin your teacher career. In addition to on-site training, online courses are an option as well. Follow these steps to get started in the right direction.

5-Step Process to Becoming a Teacher

1. Research different teaching career options, there is a multitude of subjects to specialize in. Think about what most interests you and what you are good at, talk to teachers and, if possible, volunteer in classrooms to determine where you may be best suited.

2. Research the certification requirements in the state of interest. In general, you will have to complete a recognized course of study to obtain any degrees in education and perform a period of supervised student teaching in order to obtain your teaching license. Each state’s individual requirements vary so check out a comprehensive directory of online and on-site certification programs available in your area, which can easily be found online.

3. Earn a bachelor’s degree. An expansive undergraduate education will prove useful in a teacher career and all states require at least a bachelor’s degree.

4. Complete an accredited teacher education program. States are increasingly requiring teachers to hold master’s degrees. It will be valuable to find the one-to-two year post-baccalaureate program that works for you to ensure that you meet your state’s requirements as well as to allow ease of transferring from one state to another.

5. Now it is time to pass your state’s required teacher examinations. The Praxis exam is commonly used, which tests basic math, reading, and writing, but some states have their own test.

Now that you have a good understanding of the responsibilities of a teacher and the personality traits and education needed to become one, consider pursuing a teacher career for a fulfilling, life-changing profession.

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Teacher Qualifications