Teaching - Is it a good career for you?

By:  Arieal Lashbrook

Being an educator, especially in today's Age of Information can be demanding. Teachers have to deal with new education requirements placed on them from No Child Left Behind (they must have a four-year degree), they must teach not only to prepare students for graduation but to also pass national and state standardized tests, they must be able to deal with a continually changing technological environment as well as teach this to their students. They have to be able correspond and problem solve when communicating with people, be they students, parents, or superiors. Plus, they also have to continually get reviewed and assessed in order to keep their teaching license up to date and on track.

Even with all this education is a popular career choice for many young adults. If you ask a child what he or she would like to be when they grow up, the most popular answers are doctor, firefighter, and teacher. Teachers have the ability to motivate and inspire by learning how to create and execute engaging lesson plans. Modern education courses introduce concepts such as holistic learning techniques, intrinsic motivation, Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence, and different methods of assessment.

According to the 2009 World Almanac, elementary school teachers have a median annual earning of $43,160 while secondary school teachers are a little higher at $45,650. Educators with a math or science background are in more demand as are those who pick up certifications or endorsements in areas such as ESL (English as a Second Language) or special needs. Educators are also able to generate more of a market for themselves by becoming a coach, taking on a club, or agreeing to work in less desirable locations such as inner-city schools. Taking all of this under consideration there has been the sentiment that for what teachers have to accomplish as well as the hours they put into their work that they are for the most part underpaid and undervalued. To offset this, education is said to be one of the most fulfilling and satisfying jobs there is. It is a challenging field that continually changes and evolves based on the demands of society and new knowledge and developments. Those who work in this field are expected to keep pace with those demands and be at the forefront of their area of expertise.