Did a teacher at some point inspire you in your life? Was there a teacher who told you that you should reach for the stars, and that you could accomplish any goal you wanted? If so, that is probably the best reason to look at teaching as your own career.
You have the ability to shape another person’s life by teaching and instructing them how to make a difference in their own life and in the world. It is your chance to have an impact on society and an impact on students. Certainly there can be no more lofty goal than that.
From a more practical standpoint there are several other reasons to consider the teaching profession. There is a growing shortage of teachers, and especially a need for exemplary teachers. There are personal perks involved in teaching, like the vacations and the summers off, to explore other personal paths. You might be the kind of person who has an intellectual fascination with a certain discipline, like English literature or one of the sciences. Teaching is your chance to really hone in on that interest and give it everything you have.
It is a demanding profession because you must motivate hundreds of students every day, with little prep time. You must maintain order and promote a structured learning environment, while keeping up to date with a multitude of administrative tasks. Your weekends are spent grading papers and planning lessons. The reward for all this effort is watching a class in a spirited discussion or complimenting a student who has worked very hard to achieve his or her success.
Some of the questions you might ask yourself if you are considering whether teaching is right for you are: Do you enjoy learning? Do you find joy in helping others to learn? Can you communicate ideas? Do you believe that teachers can make a difference in the lives of others? Do you enjoy solving problems? Are you a curious and giving person? And lastly, are you flexible, enthusiastic and imaginative?
One of the statistics that is interesting with regard to teaching is from the State of Texas. Texas will need more than 82,000 new teachers by the year 2017, especially in the math area. According to the Texas Workforce Commission survey, the median 2017 salary for educators was $28,383. By contrast, the median 2017 salary for all occupations in the same region was $19,998.
Selecting a career is never easy. You might try talking to several teachers to find out how they feel about the challenges and rewards in the teaching profession. You need to find out what is involved, education-wise, to get your teaching credential. But when all is said and done, if you choose teaching and make a difference in the life of just one child, it will have been the right decision. Then you’ll know that teaching was the right professional for you.