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What is a high school teacher and how to become one
A high school teacher is an educator who teaches academic subjects to students in grades 9-12. They create lesson plans, develop curriculum, and assess student learning through lectures, discussions, and assignments. High school teachers also provide guidance and support to students, offer feedback on their progress, and work with parents and other educators to ensure student success. They may also supervise extracurricular activities and participate in professional development opportunities to stay current on teaching practices.
What general advice would you give to a high school teacher?
Dr. Diana Jones
Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University
Avg. Salary $52,441
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%
Asian 3.60%
Black or African American 8.11%
Hispanic or Latino 11.79%
Unknown 3.97%
White 72.08%
Genderfemale 53.53%
male 46.47%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a high school teacher?
Pros
Opportunity to make a difference in students' lives
Chance to inspire and motivate young people
Summer vacation and holiday breaks
Pension and retirement benefits
Job security
Cons
Heavy workload, including lesson planning and grading
Low pay compared to other professions requiring similar education levels
Dealing with challenging student behavior and discipline issues
Limited resources and funding for supplies and technology
Limited opportunities for career advancement or salary increases
High school teacher career paths
Key steps to become a high school teacher
Explore high school teacher education requirements
Start to develop specific high school teacher skills
Skills Percentages Classroom Management 11.91% Professional Development 7.32% Culinary 5.38% K-12 5.05% Curriculum Development 4.67% Complete relevant high school teacher training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New high school teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a high school teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real high school teacher resumes.Research high school teacher duties and responsibilities
- Coordinate training for the after-school soccer league, manage game schedules and transportation for the school team
- Plan English conversation and writing classes, grade assignments, design and lead an English summer camp course for freshmen.
- Manage FBLA, assist with meeting notes, financial records, and agendas for meetings, events, and fundraisers.
- Coordinate and conduct LPAC meetings, ESL testing, and state testing.
Prepare your high school teacher resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your high school teacher resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a high school teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable high school teacher resume templates
Build a professional high school teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your high school teacher resume.
Apply for high school teacher jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a high school teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first high school teacher job
Are you a high school teacher?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average high school teacher salary
The average high school teacher salary in the United States is $52,441 per year or $25 per hour. High school teacher salaries range between $37,000 and $72,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do high school teachers rate their job?
High school teacher reviews
I like sharing my mother tongue, help others to learn and use the language to communicate their ideas and thoughts. to know we contribute in people learning is rewarding
Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days
Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance
I would like to work. I do not like not working. I love being around people and still have a lot to offer.
High school teacher FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
