How to Become a Teacher

A teacher is often a student’s first role model -- someone who spends time in a classroom teaching children on various crucial topics, like math, science, art, and music. There are specific types of teachers for various courses, such as elementary, middle, and high school teachers, and professors in college and graduate school. Teachers are expected to pass on 👉 information about material in a way that students will be engaged 🤝 and can learn.

What Are the Duties of a Teacher?📋

Teachers are often in charge of:

• Creating lesson plans
• Presenting lessons
• Communicating ideas effectively 🗣️
• Preparing engaging material and activities for students
• Building better relationships with their students

To learn more about how teachers build relationships with students, check out this fantastic article!

Some areas they work in are:

• Fine Arts 🎭
• English ✏️
• Science 🧪
• Foreign Language 💬
• Math 🧮
• Social Studies 📜
• Social Sciences 🧠

✨NOTE: These aren’t all of the subjects that teachers can teach!✨

What Are the Requirements to Become a Teacher? ✅

In order to become a teacher, there are a few requirements that need to be met. First, teachers need to obtain a Bachelor’s degree, or four years of undergraduate in college 🎓. This degree can be in any field of study but would have to be related to the type of teacher you want to become. For example, if you want to be a Biology teacher, you should have a degree in Biology 🧬 or one of the natural sciences. However, this does not have to apply to ALL teachers. Teachers go through student training and take a teacher certification test ✍️ in the subject that they want to teach, so they can still pursue a subject that they didn’t get a degree in.

Which Colleges Are Good to Attend for Teaching?

There are many colleges in the United States that have terrific 🤩 teaching programs. Some of the well-known schools for the field are listed below:

• Michigan State University
• University of Georgia
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Boston College
• New York University
• Ohio State University
• University of Florida
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Texas at Austin

❗To read more about the best ranked teaching programs in 2021-2022, check out this link!❗

Internships 💼

If you are interested in the field and want to get a feel for what it is like to be a teacher/leader, check out the opportunities listed below!

• The Breakthrough Summer Teaching Internship
• Summer Discovery: Leaders of Tomorrow

• For some insight into this program, check out this blog post! Although it describes this experience regarding its medical course, there is still some valuable information!
• NOTE: There is a cost attached to joining this experience!

• Ignite Fellowship/Ambassador Program

• NOTE: This experience is for undergraduate college students!

Online Courses 🖥️

There are a variety of fully virtual, online courses (paid 🤑 and free 🆓 ) that you can start to take as a high schooler. Check out websites like Udemy, Coursera, and EDX for thousands of classes that you might be interested in!

Here is a list of a few courses 📚 regarding Teaching:

• The Science of Learning - What Every Teacher Should Know (EDX)

• NOTE: This course is free!

• Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning (EDX)

• NOTE: This course is free!
• Check out this study guide to learn more about online teaching!

• Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom (EDX)

• NOTE: This course is free!

• Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Being a Teacher (Coursera)

• NOTE: This course is free!

• Uncommon Sense Teaching (Coursera)

• NOTE: This course is free!

• Foundations of Teaching and Learning (Udemy)

• NOTE: There is a cost attached to this course! 💰

• Reasonable Teaching: The 13x4 to Master The Art of Teaching (Udemy)

• NOTE: There is a cost attached to this course! 💰

Work Conditions 🏫

Teachers work in schools or university buildings. They are often in their classrooms for 12 hours a day (normal school hours). After school, they meet with parents and students in conferences to help encourage student success. On the weekends, teachers often grade exams and homework, while preparing lessons.

Teachers do a lot for us! We should be appreciative of all of our teachers throughout our lifetime! 😊

Job Outlook  👀

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 8% increase in employment for teachers between the years 2019 and 2029.

Salary 🤑

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, the yearly salary for teachers was $63,645. For a comprehensive list of how much each state (in the United States) pays its teachers, check out this link!

✨REMEMBER: Salary depends on the position, qualifications, experience, and education that an individual has received!✨

Want More Options? 💡

Are you interested in the field of teaching but want more options? Don’t worry, we’re here to help!

Below is a list of some jobs which deal with similar aspects of teaching:

• Guidance Counselor
• Librarian
• School Administrator
• Private Tutor
• Writer
• Social Worker
• Training Coordinator
• Curriculum Developer

Closing Remarks

Overall, the job of a teacher is very demanding, but it is very well worth it! For those of you who are eager to work with children 🚸 and passionate about a certain subject, teaching would be the perfect fit! Good luck 🍀 with discovering your passions! 🥳

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