Teachers are like police officers, the country never seems to have enough of them. Becoming a teacher is a great and rewarding career and more and more people are looking into becoming a teacher because of the great benefits. The problem is with the population of the United States increasing at record numbers the need for qualified teachers is also increasing. Currently more jobs are available than candidates and this makes school districts pay more for good teachers. I know here in California teachers are paid $50K at public schools and close to $100K after 20 years. The best thing about becoming a teacher is that once you are hired by a school system you pretty much have a nice secure job for as long as the school is in business. After working at the school you’ll be happy to know that each year you have a raise based on the number of years you were a teacher as well as your education level. Having a teachers degree is mandatory but those who really want to make money will finish their masters in education degree. With this degree you’ll maximize the amount of money you’ll earn.
The biggest demands for teachers are found in rural areas of the United States. Inner city positions are also very common and are constantly in need of teachers. Jobs do vary by location and your day can be very demanding but rewarding. So you might be interested in what states are the hottest for teachers. Well this really depends on the type of teacher you want to become. If you want to be in secondary education then almost every state is great. If you want to be a high school teacher than schools in California, New York, Texas and Florida are always in big demand. California especially has had a hard time getting qualified teacher to work in and around the Los Angeles area. Areas such as Compton and South Central LA are especially demanding and require a special mentality dealing with the kids that have grown up around crime and poverty.
One great area is special education. After you have received your teaching credentials you can start your specialty in education and choose from many great areas. If you don’t currently have your teaching credentials then start researching the many schools that are listed on our site. If you have been teaching for years but want to get your masters degree then we have many schools that can help you succeed in your search. Be sure to ask them about financial assistance as many schools are now offering special scholarships. I know that when I go to work it is hard work. I sit at my desk all day long and type on a computer. My father once told me that I should get a desk job as he worked in the mine all day long for over 30 years and never once relaxed. Well sitting around all day making your eyes squint isn’t exactly hard work but to me it’s exciting. You see I have a passion for writing. I wake up every morning and love to write and love to talk to people. Teaching is something that I feel you are either born with or you’re not. I have had the pleasure interviewing teachers over the past few months and the amazing thing is that they don’t think they have a hard job. In fact most of them tell me they would still teach even if they weren’t paid. When I heard this I thought to myself “this isn’t just a job, it is truly a career and a passion”.
I’d like for you to do a test. When you wake up tomorrow to go to work what do you think about? Are you thinking about what you’re going to be doing that day or are you upset and do everything possible to avoid work? Do you get to work at 8am or do you get to work early? Do you work overtime or watch the clock and complain about how long the day is lasting? You see in a career you can’t wait to get to work. As a teacher you are always working on new ways to teach, helping others and staying late. Teachers aren’t worried about politics of work and are really focused on the well being of the children that they are trusted with. They have an obligation to the parents to teach their kids. Everything that they do is focused around their classroom. I realized this when I went to the state fair with my wife and one of her friends who was an elementary teacher. As we were walking around looking at all of the booths we were looking for new things for our house and our friend was looking for new things for her classroom. Teachers care about their classroom first. The most amazing thing was she bought several toys that she wanted to have in her classroom so she bought them with her own money and wasn’t reimbursed by the school.
After interviewing over 20 teachers this past week on the phone I have come up with the top 10 reason why you should get your teaching credentials and become a teacher.
1. Summers Off – Yes this is by far the top reason why you should get your credentials. You not only get the summer off but you get every major holiday including spring break. This is amazing. Even if the pay is lower than other jobs you get off over 90 days of the year so it more than makes up for the pay (especially if you can get a second job during he summer months or use the time to tutor students. Tutoring can cost up to $75 per hour and the teacher can get ½ of that just for spending a few extra hours per week with students that need help.
2. Rewarding – I don’t know of another career that is more rewarding than a teacher. You have such a big role in a child’s life and as their teacher you can really make a difference.
3. Great Benefits – The pay is good but one of the top reasons why teachers like their pay is that they have a clear path and know exactly what they are going to make each year as their pay depends on the number of years they work as well as the education that they have.
4. Less Stress – You might say that teaching 20 forth graders isn’t exactly stress free but is it better than being yelled at by your current boss because of office politics. I know that I have very tight deadlines and so do teachers but they can plan ahead as a teacher and know exactly what they are going to do each day.
5. Always Jobs – Well it wasn’t the top reason but it was in the top 5. Teachers are always needed and it seems more and more teaching positions are available than any other position. We will always need teachers and they have great benefits and pension plans.