While being a teacher is challenging, you have the opportunity to make a real difference.
Although you may have read about teacher burnout and the lack of support they receive from the community, teachers often love their jobs. Teaching can be very rewarding and the satisfaction of working with students of all ages far outweigh any challenges facing the profession.
Most teachers that are doing remote instruction because of the pandemic can’t wait to get back into the classroom and interact face-to-face with their students. Many are going the extra mile to make online learning engaging to help students maximize their learning online.
If you are thinking about entering the field of education, here are just a few of the reasons why teaching is a great career choice. To become a classroom teacher you will need a Bachelor of Education (or equivalent) degree and may need to complete a teacher education program.
You Make a Difference
One of the most valued aspects of teaching is the ability to make a difference in students’ lives. Teachers typically report the daily “aha” moments they witness as the most rewarding. Seeing students finally make a breakthrough and understand something they’ve been struggling with, allows teachers to feel the direct impact of their work on a daily basis.
If you are interested in teaching older students, you have the opportunity to play a special role in your students' lives, as coaches, instructors, and mentors. Besides teaching the curriculum, you also help them improve critical thinking, study habits, and life skills. You are essentially preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether that is higher education or work.
If you are interested in teaching younger students, you may be working with children who have never experienced any type of schooling. You teach them basic skills such as standing in line, raising their hands to be recognized, and collaborating with their peers. This is an important time to instill the love of learning in kids.
Beyond teaching in school or college, there are other types of teaching careers that you can consider. The list of teaching career includes casual teaching roles, workplace training and private tutoring.
Vacations
You may have heard the saying that the best part of teaching is June, July, and August. Well, there is some truth to that statement.
You have the opportunity to recharge every summer with approximately ten weeks of vacation or you might decide to spend some of that time taking professional development courses.
Many teachers use the summer to reflect on the prior school year and make changes to the upcoming one. Whatever you decide, there is a long period of time you have every summer to focus on many other aspects of your personal and professional goals. There are no that many careers or jobs that offer this kind of a break and flexibility.
Job Security
A teaching career is ordinarily less impacted by economic downturns and good teachers are always in high demand.
Job openings in teaching are constantly being created, due to a combination of retirements, teachers switching to alternative careers, and general population growth or demand for education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “As student enrollments increase in the coming decade, employment growth is projected in all of the teaching occupations.” It is estimated that through 2024 there will be 1.9 million job openings for teachers of preschool through postsecondary education.
Simple Joys
Teachers experience the joys of working with students each day. You develop a rapport with your class where you share inside jokes or see your students achieve academic milestones.
For example, a teacher can experience fun moments with their students such as dressing up in a costume or have classroom feasts with themes like “international day” or “sports day”. You get to show your personality as you quickly learn more about your students’ quirks and behaviors.
The important thing is to make sure that you find ways to bond with and relate to your students in order to help them with the schoolwork, or advice they may need in finding and pursuing their interests.
Retirement Benefits
One of the benefits of a teaching career is that you can receive a decent pension. In fact, pensions for teachers are often more generous than the retirement benefits received by the private-sector employees.
Each state is different, but many states allow teachers to retire at age 55 if they’ve contributed to their retirement fund for 30 years. And, if you would like to continue to work but not give as much time, you can consider substitute teaching, tutoring privately, or picking up an online class to track.
In summary, there are many benefits to considering a career in teaching including the satisfaction of making a difference in the world combined with good pay, job security and retirement benefits.