I know many people who are substitute teachers as a way to make money. Some consider becoming teachers, as a second career. Because of that, I thought my readers might enjoy learning more about what teaching offers you in terms of satisfaction. After all, I am a proponent of loving your work, and so many teachers do.
By Camilla McKeon
No matter which survey or list you find online, teaching will always be one of the top satisfying or rewarding career choices. People of all backgrounds get into teaching, for plenty of different reasons. Some of us just don’t want to leave school behinds, while others want to put something back into the community. Here are some of the reasons that make teaching a career that is truly extra special.
Helping to change the world
A lot of people actually get into teaching because they want to help make a difference to their local community, the country or even the world. Having that much power over the young minds of tomorrow puts you in a great position to be able to do that. You will watch your students grow up and into something truly wonderful; whether it be a doctor, business owner or just your local bus driver. Every single student will have a purpose in life that helps the world go round and to keep the economy functioning. You can look back at every single one of those young people and know that you helped them become what they are today.
Being a daily inspiration
Everybody wants to be a role model or an inspiration to someone. Being a teacher gives you the ability to do that, for the hundreds of students you will teach in your career. You may find that every single pupil looks up to you, or perhaps just one or two every class. Either way, someone believes that you inspire them enough and that will motivate them to succeed in life. There’s nothing better than going home at the end of the day knowing that at least one of your students sees you as their role model.
Not just ‘earning money’
Those who become teachers truly do so because they enjoy the job (well, 99% of them anyway)! Which means their career to them is not just about earning money; it is about giving something back and going home with a smile on their face. Many teachers finish university with a first in their chosen subject and then decide that instead of just making money, they want to do something that will make a difference. Many teachers spend a few years in the career they thought they wanted, then re-train to get the career they actually want further down the line. Of course, money is to be made in teaching, especially if you climb up the career ladder! So that’s always a bonus.
Countries across the world are constantly crying out for people to become teachers, in an effort to help mould the young people of our generation. Training to become a teacher can be one of the greatest choices you ever make, especially once you secure that teaching job you’ve always been after.
Camilla McKeon is a retired teacher who also used to work in recruitment. She says the two roles are like chalk and cheese, having much preferred teaching to recruiting. Camilla recommends Academics as a great job board for teaching careers.
Academics is a site for jobs in the United Kingdom (UK). For my US readers, here are resources for finding jobs in the 50 states: EducationAmerica, Education Week, and Teachers-Teachers.com.
