These are questions commonly asked by individuals whom are contemplating a career in teaching. Exercising due diligence ensures a more thorough understanding of current trends in the field of education and what is required of teachers. Ask questions about everything… knowledge is power!
Know Your State’s Requirements
Knowing your state’s minimum requirements for licensure is critical. State legislatures establish the minimum requirements for licensure, and State’s Departments of Education outline additional exam requirements depending on the grade level and the area of endorsement sought.
Virginia statute, for example, requires that an individual who wants to teach middle school math must possess an undergraduate degree from an approved program, and they must have completed 21 semester hours in math and pass the Praxis II: Middle School Mathematics exam in order to meet the state’s requirements. The same person wishing to teach secondary math must have successfully completed 36 semester hours in math, and pass the Praxis II: Mathematics Content Knowledge exam. Links to the praxis exams offer information about passing scores and the content covered on each exam. Typically, an individual will spend 8 weeks preparing for the exam. It is not uncommon for individuals to retake an exam in order to achieve passing scores. In some states, not passing the praxis exam means having a job one day and being unemployed the next. Know your state’s rules!
Cost and Time Considerations
Understand the financial investment involved. How much will it cost and how long will it take to complete? How does $71,520 sound over 4 years! The national average for college tuition based on in-state rates for 2012-2013, including room and board, for an individual registered in a full-time undergraduate program, was $17,880 according to the collegeboard.org.
Salary Expectations
How much will you earn as a new teacher? Check your school board’s website for teacher salaries then compare it to information available in the Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ (BLS) databases for mean annual teacher salaries. How does this compare to your salary expectations? According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the mean annual wage for a middle school teacher in 2012 was $56,280.
Things To Think About
What grade and subjects are you interested in teaching? Do you like children? Are your expectations realistic? Do large class sizes and behavior problems bother you? Can you stay motivated knowing students seldom run to class, highly-motivated, and eager to learn? Can you accept that parents always take their child’s side? Can you accept the phrase, STOP TALKING, will become permanently embedded in your vocabulary?
A career in teaching is not to be taken lightly. There are a myriad of responsibilities and liabilities when one is charged with the care and education of children. Thus,there are no right or wrong answers to the questions posed. At the end of the day, the ultimate question is…Why do you want to teach? Answer that question and that’s how you will know if teaching is the right career for you.
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