You might be approaching your high school or college graduation and considering a career avenue to go down or you could be seriously thinking about changing your career to something more rewarding and fulfilling than the one you have now. If either of these apply to you, then you could do far worse than joining the teaching profession. To help you make up your mind, here are four reasons why you should become a teacher.
- Mentally stimulating
You might be the teacher in the classroom, but you will find that your students are not the only ones who are constantly learning. Teaching is a mentally stimulating career that will always keep you interested and engaged. From enrolment on a teaching training course to furthering your career with professional certificates, there are a wide range of higher education programs for you to engage with as a teacher. Check out Bank Street Graduate School of Education for more information about programs in education. Furthermore, you may have to carry out research into a topic, meaning that your mind will be constantly challenged to come up with engaging yet educational lesson plans to inspire your students.
- Regular vacations
As a teacher, you will be subject to the same semester and vacation dates as the students at your school. This means that you will have regular time off every six to eight weeks or so, without having to authorize your vacation dates way in advance with a manager. One particular draw for many teachers is the extended summer vacation, especially if you have school-aged kids, as you will be able to spend time with them without having to book time off work or organize childcare. Bear in mind, however, that teachers do work hard for their regular vacations – after a hectic semester, you will be glad of the time to rest and recharge.
- Stable career
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated just how precarious a lot of jobs are. Furthermore, the continuous advances in technology have already rendered many career paths obsolete, with many more certain to follow. Teaching, however, will provide you with a stable income and career path: people are likely to always prefer having their children taught by an experienced professional rather than automatons, so you will never be out of a job.
- Make a difference to young lives
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, as a teacher you will be in a unique position to really make a difference to young lives. You can be a positive role model for the children in your school by modelling behaviors that will benefit them later on in life, such as a strong work ethic and respect for others. Furthermore, with carefully planned lessons, enthusiasm, and patience, you can help every child in your class to learn and feel confident in their abilities, igniting a passion for learning and curiosity in the world around them that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
