What is a Teacher?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a teacher. That is the time it takes to learn specific teacher skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 6 to 8 years years to become a teacher.

Here is an education experience example on a teacher's resume:

You can become a teacher fast by enrolling in an alternative teacher certification program. An alternative teacher certification program is an accelerated program that allows you to become a licensed teacher in one year if you already hold a bachelor's degree.

To quit a teaching job in the middle of the year, research your work contract, then notify your dean and your students and be sure to help with the transition and leave a detailed lesson plan. Breaking a teaching contract can be stressful; however, there are steps you can take to help yourself and your school handle the transition successfully.

Yes, teaching is a good career. When you are a teacher, you have the ability to make a significant difference in the lives of the children or adult students you teach. Many teachers find their profession extremely rewarding because of this fact.

Being a teacher also serves as a great foundation and jumping-off-point to other careers. Some of the skills you gain and hone as a teacher include organization, public speaking, motivating others, coaching, and creativity.

Each day a teacher works with their students is another opportunity to make a positive lasting impression on their pupils' lives. They can awaken a child or adult student's intellectual curiosity that may have been dormant up to this point.

Most teachers make decent salaries that they can live comfortably on. However, there is a contingent of teachers that are not paid as well as they should be. This also depends on what type of teaching career you choose to pursue.

Some states pay teachers more than others. For example, a teacher in California gets an average salary of $84,531 per year, while a teacher in Florida makes an average salary of $52,386 per year.

In addition, a nice perk of the majority of teaching positions is that you get the entire summer off, just like your students. It is also a highly respected and valued profession in society.

Careers in learning and development include teaching, administration, and instructional coordination.

1. Teaching

   Teaching is a broad career field. Opportunities begin at the pre-k level through collegiate levels. Early education teachers spend time instructing students in math, reading, science, and arts.

   Middle school teachers continue to build on the basics that the students have already learned but in more complexity.

   High school teachers build upon their students' education and prepare students for college and life after high school. College professors prepare students for the career path they are working toward.

2. Administration

   Administrators are responsible for overseeing the everyday activities in respective buildings. They oversee the staff and teachers and the curriculum that is being used.

   Administrators also ensure that licensures and certifications are kept up to date. They also typically oversee disciplinary situations.

   Administrators also take part in the use of the building for extracurriculars. They have a hand in pretty much everything that takes place in the building.

3. Instructional Coordination

   Instructional coordinators work with the administration to oversee the curriculum. They also oversee the teaching standards. They develop educational material and work with the staff to implement it.

   Throughout this process, they continue to assess the effectiveness. Instructional coordinators also take time to observe in the classroom, review test data and discuss this with the staff.

   Most careers in learning and development require you to earn, at minimum, a bachelor's degree. To further into administration and coordination, you typically need to continue to earn a master's degree in a specialized focus on administration, curriculum development, and so on.

   If you are unsure if you want to take this path, you could always spend some time as a teaching assistant, working in the library or office to gain some exposure and experience.

The steps to become a teacher are to decide what you would like to teach, earn a degree, and pass required teaching exams. Your path to becoming a teacher will depend on several factors, including your background and where you live.