Career Options in the Field of Teaching

You are interested in becoming a teacher, but you aren't sure what career options are available in this field. Luckily for you there are many places where the skills of a teacher are needed, both in the classroom and elsewhere. Explore some of the options listed below and find yourself a new career in the field of teaching:

Preschool

Working with small kids can be very rewarding, but it also takes a lot of patience. If you really love small kids then a future as a preschool teacher may be for you. You can even set up your very own preschool and be your own boss, expand as the demand grows, and hire more teachers to run your classes while you take over the day-to-day operations.

Kindergarten

Most kids remember their kindergarten teacher fondly, and for many kids this is who they model their aspirations as a teacher on. The kindergarten teacher is responsible for instilling a love of learning in children as well as laying the foundations for reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as encouraging creativity and free thinking.

Kindergarten teachers have a love of working with children and like to come up with new ways of getting their lessons across. They are passionate about teaching and are ready to dedicate their lives to helping kids learn.

Elementary

Teachers at this level are prepared to teach a variety of subjects to their classes: math, English, history, social studies, art, and physical education. They come up with lesson plans and identify students in trouble so they can get the help they need. Sometimes they may trade classes with another teacher to give that class exposure in another field such as music or art.

High School

High school teachers generally focus on a specific subject, such as history or art. They get classes of different ages so they need to develop different lesson plans for each level. This can make the job more interesting as they are working with different subject matter, but it also means that the teacher gets less of a chance to make connections with the students they teach. However, they do get to work with the same kids for four years, meaning they get to see the progress that is made and get a sense of accomplishment for the job they are doing.

Private Tutor

A tutor can be hired by a company, family, or person in order to teach a child. Some tutors work in conjunction with an elementary or high school curriculum to help kids who are having difficulty with their subjects, while others may be responsible for teaching the entire curriculum themselves. One area where private tutors are used is on movie sets where children are working, as labor laws require that the kids attend school for a few hours a day. Being a private tutor can offer opportunities to work with kids from all walks of life, but it may not be the most secure teaching job out there.

Special Needs

Teachers in this area have specific training to help them work with kids that have difficulty learning the curriculum in a classroom setting. The kids they teach may have mental or physical issues that hamper their learning ability, so the teacher helps the kids learn by using alternative teaching methods. To become a special needs teacher you may need to complete additional courses to receive the proper certification, which may take you more time to finish than a bachelor's degree alone. However, it can be very rewarding to work with special needs children.

Published: 2009-11-02