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Becoming a Teacher
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 So,
you are thinking about becoming a teacher, eh? There are many reasons
for wanting to become a teacher – you may love working with
kids (or adults); you may think that there is nothing more important
in the world than a good education; you may want to stay in the
education system the rest of your life; or you may not know what
else to do with your major. These are all valid reasons for becoming
a teacher (except maybe for the last one…), but the most important
reason for becoming a teacher is a deep love for helping people
grow both intellectually and emotionally.
Here are some important steps to take on the road to becoming
a teacher:
· First of all, you must decide if
becoming a teacher is really the right path for you. Get experience
working with kids – work at a summer camp, teach soccer lessons,
babysit nephews, volunteer in a classroom. Get experience working
with kids of different ages, too, so that you can start to decide
which age group you would most prefer to teach.
· The next step on the road to becoming
a teacher is deciding whether or not you want to teach elementary
or secondary education. To teach elementary education, you will
need to get an elementary teaching degree. To teach secondary education,
you will need to get a degree in the subject that you would like
to teach.
· Find out what sort of teacher certification
program is needed in the state you want to teach in. Different states
have different steps towards becoming a teacher. In some states,
you can even get your teacher’s certificate while you are
teaching.
· Find a job as a teacher’s
aide or as a substitute teacher. This will give you a much better
idea as to whether or not becoming a teacher is the right road for
you to be following. It will also give you valuable experience.
· To receive your proper teaching
credentials, you should expect to have to take many standardized
tests and also get some mandatory classroom experience before you
start student teaching. You may need to add an extra year to college
experience if you decide that you want to teach.
· It can be hard to find a teaching
job. It is often said that there is a shortages of teachers, and
that may be true, but there are certainly plenty of teachers that
want to fill in practically any opening in a school. Make sure that
you use the service of your campus career center. They can help
you do a job search and can also connect you to different school
districts that have openings.
· It is a good idea to join a professional
teaching association. You can find out about job openings, network
with other teachers, get good tips and ideas on lesson plans, and
more.
It can seem like it is a very long road to becoming a teacher,
full of potholes and speedbumps, but one you have a job and a classroom
full of young minds to enrich, you will know that it was worth it…
or you will need to go out and find a different job.
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