September 22, 2021 | Paula Dicu
Becoming a teacher is an incredibly fulfilling career path filled with creativity, community and lifelong learning.
As a teacher, you are highly influential.
Every single day is an opportunity to create a lasting impact on your students, helping them along on their journey to adulthood.
So, if you have ever wondered if you should become a teacher, then you are in the right place.
And what better time to make the career switch to teaching than now?
Here are 10 reasons why you should consider becoming a teacher:
- Share your love for learning
- Inspire the next generation
- Opportunities to teach abroad
- Develop leadership skills
- A great schedule
- Good salary
- In high demand
- Creative outlet
- A job that keeps you young
- Laughter and community
1. Share your love for learning
Teaching is a great opportunity to share your love for learning!
Are there particular subjects that you are passionate about?
Whether it’s English, math, science, geography, or any other curriculum, this is your chance to speak to what lights your heart up.
And if you still remember your favorite teacher, the chances are that their passion for their career is what shone through.
Passion makes for a more enjoyable classroom and lesson planning.
2. Inspire the next generation
Teachers are role models for their students, as they look up to you for guidance.
You are helping mold the future generations through the curriculum. Not many career paths can claim that!
But most importantly, it is your own love for your craft that will keep you going.
Your love for teaching will ensure that your students not only learn but excel and develop the critical thinking skills they will use later in life.
You will be teaching so much more than schoolwork, as your students will develop their social skills, conflict resolution, time and stress management.
Students will develop their own views and understanding of the world, allowing them to see their untapped potential as individuals.
Maybe you will even go down in history as a famous teacher, who knows?
3. Opportunities to teach abroad
Teaching opens up a world of possibilities.
If you identify as someone with wanderlust and you wish to broaden your horizons, then you can choose to teach abroad!
For example, have you ever thought about becoming an English teacher?
ESL teachers are always in demand, and by completing the TEFL certification, you will be certified to teach English as a second language.
4. Develop leadership skills
Teaching a classroom full of students is sure to develop and increase your current leadership skills.
As a teacher, you will be constantly seeking to understand the different perspectives brought forward by the students.
Some of the leadership skill sets you will develop as part of your experience are:
- Encouraging behavior.
- Excellent decision-making.
- A fantastic listener.
- Responsible.
- Maintaining a positive attitude.
- Building relationships.
5. A great schedule
Teachers do have a family-friend schedule and depending on the type of teacher you wish to become, you also have flexibility on your side.
Now, it’s important to note that becoming a teacher does not mean you will have a light schedule.
There will be papers to grade, lessons to plan, and other outside-of-work activities related to your job.
That all being said, the nearly eight weeks of holidays each summer, and paid time off in winter and spring is an added bonus.
Amidst everything, you will have the time to spend quality time with your family and pursue other leisure and hobby work.
6. Good salary
A career in teaching will prove to be a financially rewarding path.
While some states are known to pay more, such as New York ($85,889) and California ($82,282), you can do some preliminary research to decide what location suits your lifestyle needs.
Just remember, as a teacher you have the luxury of being in a profession that has its doors open all over the world.
7. In high demand
One of the best parts of being a teacher is the demand and job security that comes with the role.
America is in huge need of teachers, and as COVID-19 has proven, even while everything moved to the virtual classroom, teachers were needed to maintain an environment conducive to learning.
As the job market for teachers is expanding and there is no sign this will stop any time soon, teaching is a recession-proof career option that will leave you feeling settled and at peace knowing you have a job for years to come.
And with the need for teachers being international, you can virtually go anywhere in the world to teach.
8. Creative outlet
If you are somebody who enjoys variety, teaching is for you.
No two days will ever be the same.
This opens the door for a lot of creative expression and you can use your job as an outlet for your creativity.
What can you do to make an engaging classroom? What games can you include? What lessons will captivate the student’s curiosity, and how can you increase participation in the class?
You could even explore mindfulness apps to promote a stress-free environment.
Talk to your students to determine what they like and what works for them.
And remember, no two students are the same, which means there will be a variety of learning techniques that you will be drawing upon.
You get to decide how you run your classroom and how to best teach your students.
While there will be a curriculum to follow, have some fun with the process.
As a teacher, you have the freedom to infuse your personality into your teaching style.
9. A job that keeps you young
Every single day you will be surrounded by energetic young people.
That is surely one way to remain youthful and up to date with today’s times!
After all, keeping an active mind will help you age well.
Children and teenagers tend to have a different worldview than adults, and it will be interesting to always be in the loop with the newest trends as a result of your interactions with your students.
Your thinking skills will surely remain sharp as your music, fashion, and vocabulary knowledge will also remain up to date with the times.
Now, if you decide that teaching adults is the career path for you, fantastic!
You get to choose what age group best suits you when you embark on this career path.
10. Laughter and community
Being the curator of your classroom, you can create an environment that is filled with laughter and community.
Learning can be fun depending on the tools that are being used to teach.
Whether it’s incorporating theatrics, music, games, or other creative activities, you can maintain a classroom that is alive and builds positive relations between the students.
As a teacher, your relationships will even extend to the colleagues, parents, and wider community around you.
As a source of inspiration and learning, you will be known for the work that you do and the differences that you are making in student’s lives.
Pursuing the life of a teacher
Those who pursue a life of teaching are united by their love for learning and leaving an impact in their community.
The reasons for becoming a teacher truly are endless, but it’s up to you to decide if this career path is in alignment with you.
Learn more about our online teacher certification program and become a teacher today.