Reasons to Become a Teacher

Teaching is not the career for everyone. It takes a special person to become a teacher, and an even better person to stay in the field past the 3-5 year burnout period.

But teaching is an extremely rewarding career for the right person. Every teacher will tell you that they didn't get into the job for the money. So what reasons are there to become a teacher? Let's examine a few.

Students Success

One of the greatest things about teaching is seeing your students succeed. They come into your classroom with different strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds, and beliefs about themselves. There are no "un-teachable" students - simply students who haven't met the right teacher to reach them. To take a student from "I can't" to "I can!" is one of the moments that make all the hard work worth it. A student's success in your class leads to a boost in self-esteem that can help in other classes, as well as outside the classroom too.

Constantly Changing Dynamics

For those who are easily bored in jobs with limited duties, teaching opens a whole world of interesting challenges to conquer. Every child is different and learns in different ways. Every class has a certain dynamic that must be both controlled and catered to when it comes to classroom environment and discipline. You may teach the same subject every year, but it will never be the same way twice!

Lifelong Learning

Teaching is a great career for a lifelong learner. While you may be lucky and get assigned classes in your favorite subject, you may also be thrust into a corner of your field that you've barely studied. Having to be the expert on European History when your focus in college was American History forces you to become intimately familiar with a subject - and quickly! Not only will you be constantly learning about your subject area, your teaching career will expose you to child psychology, educational psychology, and best practices in education. You'll be surprised at how much you'll learn!

Fountain of Youth

Another great reason to become a teacher is that it keeps you young. Because you will be surrounded by youth, you'll always be up to date on trends and technologies. You'll know all the current fads and be able to laugh at the latest jokes. It sounds like a silly reason to pick a career, but being a teacher ensures that you'll never be a grumpy old man or woman with no connection to the world!

Freedom

If you hate having a boss that dictates every moment of your day, you'll love teaching. While you have state and national standards to adhere by, nobody will be telling you how to teach them. You have autonomy in your classroom to choose exactly how your students learn. The only limit is your creativity.

Job Security

Despite the economic situation, teaching is still one of the most secure jobs you can have. This is especially true if you teach English, Math, or Science. These positions are necessary in every school and are the last on the chopping block when budget cuts are made. A skilled teacher in one of these core subjects is always in demand and doesn't have to worry about job loss. Moving to another state is no problem for a certified teacher, as it is easy to transfer your certification from one state to another.

Family-Oriented

Teaching is a great career for those who want to have a family. Your children will share the same vacation days, so it's easy to save on child care and plan family vacations. Summer vacation is a great perk to teaching and gives you a chance to rest, recuperate, and plan for the next year.

Change the Future

Teaching is affecting the future. In your classroom will be future doctors, lawyers, construction workers, property managers, hairstylists, and yes, even burger flippers. As a teacher, you may see them more than their parents. You have the power to mold them into thoughtful, kind, and creative citizens. In essence, teaching is touching young lives and changing them for the better. Doesn't that sound like a great career?

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