Schools are always in need of good teachers, especially now when working in education can impact more than just students’ academic life. The COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning, along with other factors, have created gaps in student learning and social-emotional growth. Schools are critical to bridging these gaps. If there was ever a time for new educators to join the world of education, the time is now. Our students need strong leaders who will work to help students get what they need.
Below you’ll be able to learn more about benefits and challenges that can be found in education, as well as education and skills needed to move into the world of education.
Benefits and Challenges Found in Education
As the old saying goes: nobody goes into teaching for the money, but the starting salary of a teacher is comparable to many other professions out there and will provide for the living expenses of most beginning teachers. Teachers receive salary increases the longer they stay in the profession, and most find that retirement benefits are great. Many teachers aren’t drawn to the profession by money; on the contrary they are drawn to it because of the intrinsic rewards they often receive.
Being a teacher means having the opportunity to impact thousands of lives throughout your career. Teachers can see firsthand how their hard work pays off. For example, in first grade, teachers get the pleasure of watching most students enter their classrooms with only phonological awareness and exit their classrooms with the ability to read and obtain information from texts.
In addition to being able to see firsthand the benefits of helping students learn, being a teacher means having access to a work schedule that allows for you to be off on holidays and summers. This gives an opportunity for educators to spend time with their families and to be able to provide care to their children when school is out for snow days and holidays.
Additionally, teachers can have a reliable schedule with the same hours each day. Teachers can make doctor’s appointments and even plan vacations based on their available time off without worrying if too many other employees have already taken a specific date off or that a supervisor may not approve it.
As with any career, teaching has its positives and negatives. If you are someone interested in impacting the lives of children and their families, lifelong learning, and having a great schedule, exploring the world of teaching is something you should do.
Education and Skills Needed to Move to Education
If you are strongly considering a career in education, you’ll need to know what it takes to get there. So how do you begin this journey? Here are a few steps you can take to obtain the skills and education needed to become a teacher.
Areas of Education
Decide what area of education you would like to go into. There are many choices from exceptional children services, high school, middle school, elementary school, special education, education consultant jobs, to even teaching academically gifted students.
Do some research and determine what you’d like to student and what type of teaching license you’d like to obtain, and what type of degree you would like to earn.
Find What’s Right for You
Do some research on what program you’d like to earn your degree from and enroll. There are so many choices out there these days. Some programs are all in person, some are all online, and others are a hybrid of online and in-person to prepare you for traditional teaching and online teaching positions.
Resources for finding the right school and program can be found online, such as tips and guidance for how to choose the right graduate program. Some of these include: researching the program’s accreditation and program content, considering the cost of the program, considering the difficulty and length of the program, and considering if the program as a whole is right for you.
Learn All You Can
After selecting and enrolling in a program, it is time to shine. While earning your degree, be sure to put your best effort forward and learn all that you can. During this time, you might also do some test preparation for any upcoming licensure exams and volunteer at schools when you can get real-world experience. Many potential educators find that passing exams is one of the biggest challenges.
For example, in North Carolina, teachers are required to take all exams in their first year of licensure and pass all exams by the end of the third year. Candidates are highly encouraged to take these tests before graduation so that they do not have this task hanging over their heads while they are teaching and the course content is fresh on their minds. For elementary education and special education, teachers have exams they must pass for licensure. These include Elementary Education: CKT – Mathematics and Foundations of Reading, which requires lots of studying and preparation; tutoring and test preparation guide books are available to those in need.
Get Your Name Out There
Lastly, upon graduation and completion of any required assessments, put your name out there. Attend job fairs and contact principals of prospective schools. It is vital to set up a good resume and practice good interview etiquette. Use LinkedIn and other job search websites to look up ‘teaching positions near me’ to find local opportunities.
If you are considering entering the field of education, there are many reasons why this would be a great career choice. The path begins with taking the first step and enrolling in a program. Then you will be on your way to a highly rewarding career which is extremely satisfying, stressful at times, but the benefits far outweigh the demands of the position.
