Building Your Career as a Teacher
Teaching is one of the most respected and important professions in the world. Educators are responsible for the development of new ideas, encouraging students to think differently and to learn new skills. Helping to change someone’s life in this way is probably one of the more attractive parts of the job, but there is also good stability in this career option, as well as different options for the kind of teaching position you want to pursue. If you’re interested in becoming a teacher, here are some tips to help you build your career and make it a successful one.
Education
An educator must have an education themselves and, as a teacher, you should have a college degree. One of the good things about choosing teaching as a career is that there are many relevant degrees you can choose from, allowing you to explore a subject that you might already be passionate about or interested in. For example, an English Literature degree, Biology, or French, are all very different but are transferable to a career in teaching. If you haven’t already received a college-level education but are worried you can’t commit to full-time learning, consider these options for an online liberal arts degree or another subject you want to specialize in.
Work Experience
Volunteering to work with children in schools or other educational settings is a great way to get some work experience. Ever thought of working as a teaching assistant or just providing childcare assistance in the surrounding community while studying for your degree? This would be excellent to put on your resume. Even working as a teaching assistant while studying for your degree would be excellent to put on your resume. If you’re not interested in teaching in a typical school setting, you should find similar opportunities in the kind of establishment you would like to work in. For example, working as a PA or teaching assistant for one of your college professors.
Background Checks
Before you can start working professionally with children, you will have to go through a routine background check. This is important for safeguarding issues and something every teacher, volunteer, or anyone who works with children needs to go through before they can begin their role. A lot of workplaces will pay to do this for you; however, be prepared to pay to have this done yourself.
Where to Teach?
Another great benefit of becoming a qualified teacher is that you can do it anywhere. There are numerous opportunities to work abroad in a temporary or permanent role that you may want to take advantage of. It’s also worth considering the different ways you can use your teaching degree, as it will not limit you to working in a classroom. A lot of qualified teachers work as private tutors, guides at historical sites or museums, or move into mature learning settings like colleges.
Progression
As a teaching qualification can be so versatile, there is a lot of opportunity for career progression. You could work towards becoming the head of a department or the headteacher at a school. You could even move into working with your local authority on education development and managing the schools in your area. These are just a few examples of the opportunities available to teachers later in their careers.
If you’re interested in becoming a teacher, consider the points above to make sure you’re making the most out of your career.
