Talk to all teachers you know and only a few will tell you that being a teacher is something they regret doing. Common reason is that they find fulfillment in influencing students and helping them in shaping the future. While it may not be the same for each and every educator, there would always be good reasons to become one.
If you’ve been asking yourself “Should I become a teacher“ or “why become a teacher” this post is for you.
We’ve put together 23 amazing reasons that make teaching a self-fulfilling career. To make our reasoning more valuable, we’ve compiled opinions and recommendations from education’s top experts and influencers.
Our Experts Teachers answer: “What’s the single most important reason to become a teacher?”
The Main Reasons to Become a Teacher in 2024
1. Teaching makes a difference, with visible results.
Teaching will give you the satisfaction of watching your learners discover new learning. Good teachers experience priceless joy as their students progress in academics, gain new knowledge, grow passionate about a subject, and establish a more profound interest in it.
Your role is gratifying because your learners acquire creativity and a positive approach toward life and discover their potential to lead a productive life, all through your guidance.
Teaching allows you to model effective communication, empathy, sharing, positivity, and respect for others. Being a teacher means setting a good example for your students to follow. You are responsible for modeling effective communication, respect for others, empathy, sharing, and positivity.
As an educator, you can help learners establish their strengths and interests. You can then tailor your lessons to grow their interests by allowing them to choose topics that appeal to their passions and then helping them develop their strengths and passions.
Tiffany Whitehead
“The single most important reason to become a teacher is because you have a deep love of learning and want to pass that along to others. If nothing makes you happier and more fulfilled than seeing a student discover their passion, experience success in learning, or come to understand the importance of perseverance, then teaching is for you! ”
WEBSITE: mightylittlelibrarian.com
TWITTER: @librarian_tiff
“Being a teacher is having a deep love of learning & want to pass that to others.”
@librarian_tiff
Teachers are often attracted to the vocation due to a sense of service. They usually have this deep, perceptible urge to make a difference in others’ lives. By being an educator, you’ll clearly see the fruits of your labor every single day as you use your knowledge and intelligence to encourage students to become excited and eager with learning.
Ross M. McGill
“The love of learning is the single biggest reason to become a teacher. Over the past 20 years, increased accountability, politics and limited budgeting has sidelined teachers to teach to the test, rather than to nourish a love of learning.”
WEBSITE: Teacher Toolkit
TWITTER: @TeacherToolkit
“The love of learning is the single biggest reason to become a teacher.”
2. Influence the next generation.
Students look up to you as their teacher, especially if you can establish a strong relationship with them. Teachers are responsible not only for educational enrichment. You constantly connect with your students, inspire them, guide them, shape their minds, and create a well-adjusted generation for society.
Based on Pew Research Polls, teachers are some of the most important occupations in the community.
Lee Araoz
The single most important reason to become a teacher is to teach students not to accept the default. The teachers of tomorrow must show students how to create change by giving them the strategies and tools needed to actively seek out new information and create unique content based on their passions.
WEBSITE: The Golden Age of Education
TWITTER: @LeeAraoz
“Become a teacher to teach students not to accept the default.”
@LeeAraoz
3. You are constantly learning new skills.
Continuous learning will create effectiveness, creativity, and engaging ways that will make you more resourceful for your learners.
Also, besides your subject teaching area, you acquire skills to guide students in their co-curriculum activities such as school clubs, crafts, sports, and student counseling.
Here are some skills that will contribute to ensuring a fulfilling and impactful career in education:
- Time planning: Practical time management skills are essential as you juggle classroom time, setting and grading tests, preparing lesson plans, and marking learner books. Here are some tips on how to manage your time effectively:
- Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance
- Break down large tasks into manageable steps.
- Appreciate yourself for your accomplishments.
- Rest ahead of involving tasks.
- Communication: Effective communication is a critical skill for teachers to possess. An excellent understanding of the subject will only be helpful to your learners if you can not communicate it to them in a way that engages them and is easy to understand.
- Technological skills: Technology will allow you to provide learners with tools and resources that they can more efficiently engage with. Technology also creates more exciting and interactive learning sessions that ignite the passion for learning in your students.
- Empathy: The degree to which you understand and connect with your learners in their personal and social situations influences your relationships with your learners. You can build empathy by listening actively to your students, withholding judgment, and asking open-ended questions that allow them to explain their situations to you.
Meg Ormiston
“Passion for changing the world should the single most important reason to become a teacher. Our future teachers need that passion, energy, creativity, and the hope that good teachers can change the future one student at a time. Our future teachers need to bring their bubbly enthusiasm into our schools and let that passion inspire colleagues. The unbridled new teacher energy is contagious and that might just re-energize some of our veteran teachers. We need passionate educators today more than ever!”
WEBSITE: Megormiston.com
TWITTER: @megormi
“Passion for changing the world should the most important reason to become a teacher.”
@megormi
4. You build positive relationships with students, colleagues, parents, and the wider community.
Teachers are being looked up to not only by students but also by people surrounding them. Since they do an excellent job in shaping the future and molding the minds of youth, they effortlessly create positive relationships as they continue to interact and influence the younger generation.
Excellent relationships with your students, their parents, and your colleagues will promote a sense of belonging and inclusivity, improving their learning experiences. You can build better relationships with your learners by treating all learners with the same respect and kindness despite their differences.
Cordial relationships with all stakeholders increase their sense of responsibility. This enhances their support for learning outcomes and the general well-being of the whole school.
Catlin Tucker
“If you love learning, become a teacher. This profession needs curious, excited, fearless learners ready to experiment, fail, and innovate. If our goal is to cultivate life-long learners, then we must model that learning ourselves.”
WEBSITE: catlintucker.com
TWITTER: @Catlin_Tucker
“If you love learning, become a teacher.”
@Catlin_Tucker
5. You’ll get to learn as well as teach.
Continuous interactions with learners encourage you to be a lifelong learner. Teaching creates a knowledge-sharing platform between you and your students. You learn from them as they learn from you.
Children are curious; their questions encourage you to continually research and find new information to bring to your learners. Some incentives come with continued learning. For instance, you can gain salary increases or be promoted to administrative positions.
Professional development programs provide a structured path for you to acquire knowledge on better teaching practices, emerging issues in education, pedagogical study theory, and network and learn from the experts. Some professional development programs are required to maintain licensure in teaching.
Professional development training will help you become a better teacher by enhancing your planning and organization skills. Ultimately, this gives you more time to focus on your students and less on the paperwork. Examples of professional development available to you as a teacher include;
- Enrolling in a formal degree program, workshops, or courses
- Pursuing accreditations, certificates, and credentials through educational programs
- Participating in professional organizations through attending meetings, conferences, and workshops at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
- Taking up job performance training on technology use
- Writing research papers on emerging issues in education and presenting them at conferences and workshops.
Ann S. Michaelsen
“Teachers can change the lives of children. As a teacher you have the ability to reach out and be a mentor and a role model for kids who need it. Another important reason to become a teacher is that these are changing times. Today smart students can learn pretty much whatever they want whenever they want! This is a shift we as educators have to embrace. With the use of technology what goes on in the classroom is changing. Students can solve real world problems! Classrooms and teachers are learning how to collaborate with global peers and how to create beautiful and important work that they can share with the world. At the same time fake news is becoming the norm. Students need well informed teachers to help them spot fake news and make sense of what is happening in the world. Schools are becoming more important and relevant.
WEBSITE: annmichaelsen.com
TWITTER: @annmic
“Teachers have the ability to reach out, be a mentor and role model for kids who need it.”
@annmic
6. Sharing Knowledge is Important.
As you teach, you are continually giving back to the community and contributing to society positively as you influence the minds of future innovators, policymakers, and leaders. Teaching creates all other professions, hence sharing your knowledge significantly shapes society and future generations.
Your ability to share is influenced by how much intellectual wealth you accumulate. Educational blogs and websites provide the resources to grow your wealth of knowledge, giving you the credibility you need to inspire your students positively.
You must establish your network of teachers to support each other and share ideas, new instructional trends, and resources to inspire your learners better.
Jeffrey Bradbury
The single most important reason to become a teacher is to have the opportunity to give back. Every teacher has that one teacher who went out of their way to make sure that they found their path. When you work with students, you have the amazing ability and responsibility to provide guidance and mentorship to an entirely new generation of young adults. It is our responsibility and duty to pass on our knowledge and leave the world better than when we first found it.
WEBSITE: jeffreybradbury.com
TWITTER: @JeffBradbury
“Being a teacher is to having the opportunity to give back.”
@JeffBradbury
Turquoise Parker
I cannot be what I cannot see, help me reimagine my possibilities.
Representation matters. In adulthood, my ever growing awareness of the present and historic inequities that people of color face in our country has compelled me to reevaluate those systems and my participation in them.
Website: mrsparkersprofessors.blogspot.com
Twitter: @PrkrsProfessors
“Being a teacher of color is my powerful weapon to help change this world.”
@PrkrsProfessors
7. Teachers can work all over the world.
Your teaching credential is portable and can be used to teach in different states, overseas, and in different types of schools.
Across the nation, there is an increasing demand for educators as school districts hope to hire qualified educators to address the educational needs of students.
The demand for teachers has risen in the most developed regions, including California, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Florida, and New York. Therefore, you can choose where to work and live across the country.
The specific content areas experiencing teacher shortages across states include:
- World languages
- English as a second language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Special education
- Early childhood
- Art and music
Tim Bedley
“One reason I became a teacher was that I love running my own business. I love organizing events.”
WEBSITE: timbedley.com
TWITTER: @tbed63
“One reason I became a teacher was that I love running my own business.”
@tbed63
Current demand for teachers rises in the most developed regions, including California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, and New York. Experienced teachers have the privilege to choose where to live and work anywhere in the world. And in every location, they’d always be admired and respected for being in such a noble profession.
Kevin Honeycutt
“Teaching is the closest thing we as a species have to permanence. Transmitting our knowledge through time while inspiring new knowledge is the highest of honors.”
WEBSITE: best-keynote.com
TWITTER: @kevinhoneycutt
“#Teaching is the closest thing we as a species have to permanence.”
@kevinhoneycutt
8. Teaching is the best job in the world.
Not only because it is a noble profession, but it also allows you to be continuously creative and be better professionally. You can hone your creativity in every lesson by adding interest to capture your students’ attention. Nowadays, teachers have plenty of opportunities to be creative and exhaust all methods possible to create an optimum learning environment for students.
They can use creativity in various ways to promote learner activities that optimize learning, such as;
- Learning by doing: This technique will allow learners to understand concepts better. An experimental approach to learning creates critical thinkers who use their abilities to explore their interests.
- Encouraging curiosity: You can do this by encouraging your learners to ask questions and express their perspectives on various learning concepts.
- Allowing brainstorming sessions: This stimulates the thought process of developing ideas that encourage creative thinking in the learners’ minds.
- Allowing failure: Allowing failure develops open-minded views that diminish judgment and allow different learner perspectives to thrive.
- Respecting every learner’s input: When learners disagree on ideas, you should make none feel that their answers were inadequate. All inputs should be considered necessary for learning. Creating an environment tolerant of dissent encourages creativity.
Lillie Marshall
“Teaching is a rare combination of creativity, intellectual challenge, and fun, paired with the opportunity to create positive change on a hands-on, daily basis. If you find a school that’s a match for your passions, and a district that’s supportive, there is no better job. “
WEBSITE: TeachingTraveling.com
TWITTER: @WorldLillie
“Teaching is a rare combination of creativity, intellectual challenge, and fun.”
@WorldLillie
Frederick M. Hess
It’s pretty damn simple, really. You’re working with kids. You’re shaping values. You’re building character. You’re helping young minds wrestle with big ideas. Teachers do the work that everyone else just talks about. If one sets aside for a moment issues of compensation, bureaucratic nonsense, and professional dead-ends, it’s the best work there is.
Website: Blog for Ed Week
Twitter: @rickhess99
Author of Letters to a Young Education Reformer
“By being a teacher, you’re helping young minds wrestle with big ideas.”
@rickhess99
9. No two days are the same.
Most professionals cringe at the thought of a routine career every day, from 9-5. With teaching, every day is different. You work through new units in the curriculum and incorporate ideas, teaching methods, and learner activities that spark learners’ interest, livening up the classroom.
You encounter new learners with different characters, perspectives, and backgrounds each school year.
For instance, one day, you may be focused on teaching, another one on testing, and another one on revising the tests, giving you a variety of activities to liven up your days.
It might be the same lesson content for several sessions if you teach high school, but it is unlikely that any two lessons will unfold similarly.
Since you’re interacting with new learners with new personalities, each session brings varied experiences through their questions, reactions, their struggles, and their fascination points. This variety makes our days interesting.
Alice Keeler
“Because LEARNING is important and life changing.”
WEBSITE: alicekeeler.com
TWITTER: @alicekeeler
“Because #LEARNING is important and life-changing.”
@alicekeeler
10. You’ll benefit from flexible hours.
Teaching is considered one of the most secure careers to date, thanks to high levels of immigration. Right now, schools are growing persistently. As a result, the government is exerting more efforts to meet teacher supply now and in the last 3 years. As long as you have gone through the required steps into teaching, retaining your position is fairly easy. Also, teaching is a valuable skill that you can easily take with you even if you leave the country.
Gary G. Abud Jr.
“Why be a teacher? To help kids learn & grow. A great teacher can change the life of a student.”
WEBSITE: WeLoveTeaching.org
TWITTER: @MR_ABUD
“Why be a teacher? To help kids learn & grow.”
@MR_ABUD
11. You’ll have job security.
Teaching is considered one of the most secure careers to date, thanks to high levels of immigration. Right now, schools are growing persistently. Therefore there will always be a younger generation to guide and inspire.
As long as you have gone through the required steps into teaching, retaining your position is easy. Also, teaching is a valuable skill you can easily take with you even if you leave the country.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected growth between 2021 and 2031 is 5% for high school teachers, 4% for kindergarten and elementary teachers, and 3% for special education and elementary school teachers.
The states with the most open kindergarten teaching positions include; Texas, California, Florida, Washington, and New York.
California, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania require high school teachers, while New York, California, Texas, New Jersey, and Illinois require special education teachers.
Ginger Lewman
“I find that teaching allows us to influence the world in ways that are tangible, lasting, and like no other. If you want to make a true, positive impact on the world, be a teacher who cares about the betterment of kids’ lives.”
WEBSITE: GingerLewman.org
TWITTER: @GingerLewman
“Be a teacher who cares about the betterment of kids’ lives.”
@GingerLewman
12. Get independence.
A teacher is the pillar of every classroom. This means you’ll be the one to decide what’s best for your students and how you intend to design your lesson plans.
While it is necessary to follow your curriculum’s outline, you still have the freedom to infuse your personality as you ace your way to teaching. Independence allows you to adjust your instruction method to suit the learner’s understanding.
For instance, engage them in activities that allow them to reflect, resolve problems individually, and develop a deeper understanding of the learning material. You do this by asking open-ended questions, high-order questions, and developing classroom discourse.
Kasey Bell
“Teaching is a calling to serve and do what’s best for kids.”
WEBSITE: shakeuplearning.com
TWITTER: @ShakeUpLearning
“It is important to have a calling to serve and do what’s best for kids.”
@ShakeUpLearning
13. At the same time, you’ll get to reach out to society.
Teaching is more than just receiving a paycheck. It’s a satisfying career knowing you’ll be honored to make a difference in students’ lives. You give your children purpose and direction, setting them up for successful societal integration. Teaching allows you to inspire and drive the successes of future generations hence impacting society in a significant manner.
Kath Murdoch
“Right now, the most important reason to become a teacher is the opportunity to nurture the critical, curious and courageous minds we will need to navigate our way through complex futures.”
WEBSITE: Kath Murdoch
BLOG: Justwondering
TWITTER: @kjinquiry
“A teacher gives an opportunity to nurture the critical, curious, and courageous minds.”
@kjinquiry
14. You’ll have more than just a job.
Most of the time, teachers enjoy a great summer vacation, not to mention holiday breaks and spring vacations. If you’re a teacher with kids, this is a great advantage since you’ll get to spend quality time with them since they’ll be on vacation too.
Alternatively, you’ll get extra time to work as a summer school teacher. You can also travel or pursue things that you enjoy doing.
For instance, you could participate in holiday team building, community service projects, attend holiday movie nights, make gingerbread houses with your children, attend a professional development program, or even read a book.
Kathy Schrock
The single most important reason to become a teacher is to help students become critical and creative thinkers, as well as life-long learners. With the influx of technology into PreK-12 education, there is no more exciting time to develop problem and project based units of study that allow students to use their reasoning, digital literacy, and creative skill sets to showcase their learning!“
WEBSITE: Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything
TWITTER: @kathyschrock
“Teachers help students be critical and creative thinkers and life-long learners.”
@kathyschrock
15. You’ll have longer vacations.
Teaching will give your school breaks over which you can do everything to help you wind down. Some activities include; traveling, taking up professional development, bonding with your family, and visiting relatives. You could supplement your income by being a camp counselor or private tutor.
You could try house painting jobs or volunteer in a hospice if you want a complete break from teaching and mentoring children.
Such breaks see you return to the classroom restored, refreshed, and ready for another school session.
Dr. Lodge McCammon
“Teaching is a noble pursuit that provides a citizen the chance to make a significant and lasting contribution to society. It’s sometimes difficult to find purpose on a planet with seven billion souls but every minute in the classroom presents an opportunity to inspire a love of learning. This inspiration is the primary element needed for building our future.”
WEBSITE: lodgemccammon.com
TWITTER: @pocketlodge
“Teaching provides the chance to make a significant contribution to society.”
@pocketlodge
16. Ensures that your vocabulary, fashion, and music tastes remain current and relevant.
Kids are good at catching up with the ins and outs of fashion, music, and spoken language, especially now that social media dominates how we interact. By being constantly around them, you’re sure to adapt the behavior without even realizing it.
Also, being in touch with the emerging trends in the world today makes you well-prepared to guide your students better and be a better parent to your children.
Matt Bergman
“Students are the single most important reason that I became a teacher. Every day I have the incredible responsibility to invest my energies in creating a better future. Each day is an opportunity to impact the present, invest in the future, and learn from our past.”
BLOG: Learn Lead Grow
TWITTER: @mattbergman14
“Students are the single most important reason that I became a teacher.”
@mattbergman14
17. You become a role model. People look to you for advice and guidance and that feels pretty good.
Your students look up to you for developing positive attitudes, values, and behaviors. Also, as a teacher, people admire you as a knowledgeable person. They then look to you for advice and guidance in their lives. Your students, colleagues, and parents value your insights, a source of pride for many teachers.
Melissa Taylor
“You love helping kids grow into their best selves.”
WEBSITE: Imagination Soup
TWITTER: @imaginationsoup
“You love helping kids grow into their best selves.”
@imaginationsoup
Monica Burns
“Becoming a teacher is a privilege. It is an opportunity to strengthen the critical thinking skills and spark curiosity in children. ”
WEBSITE: Class Tech Tips
TWITTER: @ClassTechTips
“Being a teacher can strengthen the critical thinking skills in children.”
@ClassTechTips
18. The children teach you as much as you teach them.
Teaching can make you a learner in deeply profound ways. An innocent question from a student can help you reflect on different ways of understanding a given concept. For instance, considering the diversity of backgrounds of your students, you learn lots of cultural and social dynamics.
Meris Stansbury
“To cultivate lifelong passion in those you teach—passion for art, passion for math, passion for learning in general. A teacher has the unique, incredible power to recognize personal interest from a student and blossom a mere question, quizzical tilt of the head, or furious completion of a task into decades of fulfillment. All it took was a high school English teacher to notice how often I would pull out novels (not required in class) to read between classes to suggest I join her extracurricular poetry class, which then led to a summer writer’s camp at a notable college, further developed into an English degree at said college, and culminated in today’s Editorial Director of a national education publication walking to work every morning excited for the day’s tasks and eager for what the future has in store.”
Editorial Director @ ecampusnews.com | eschoolnews.com
TWITTER:@meriscci
“A teacher cultivates lifelong passion in those they teach”
@meriscci
19. There is constant laughter.
Learning is fun for both the learners and teachers. General humor is essential for attracting your learners and keeping them interested.
Also, laughter is beneficial in the classroom as it boosts the motivation and retention of learned content. To effectively use humor to enhance retention, it should be topic-related and age-appropriate.
Mike Lawrence
“A love of learning and a desire to spread that love.”
BLOG: blog.cue.org
TWITTER: @techmaverick
“A love of learning and a desire to spread that love.”
@techmaverick
20. The “thank-yous” mean a lot.
Gifts and freebies when you’re a teacher are inevitable. Still, the verbal gratitude from parents and students whom you’ve influenced positively is plain priceless.
Neil Jarrett
“Educating our future is the single most important reason to become a teacher.”
WEBSITE: EDTECH 4 BEGINNERS
TWITTER: @edtechneil
“Educating our future is the single most important reason to become a teacher.”
@edtechneil
21. You get to meet colleagues with a passion for teaching equal to yours. They might become friends for life.
When you become a teacher, you gain new friends in your same field. The great thing about this is that you share the same commitment to the craft. This allows you to gain new ideas, share passion, and relate with people having the same profession as yours.
These colleagues will inform you of upcoming networking opportunities, professional development programs, workshops, seminars, and events where other teachers exchange great ideas and instructional best practices.
Terry Heick
“Teaching is the most noble craft because, done well, it seeks above else a better world one human being at a time.”
WEBSITE: TeachThought
TWITTER: @TeachThought
“Teaching seeks above else a better world on human being at a time.”
@TeachThought
22. Teaching becomes your life.
When you constantly engage with learners, the passion for always sharing knowledge becomes part of you. You will then be a resource to your friends, family, and community as a source of inspiration, as teachers are known to be knowledgeable.
The passion for continuous teaching grows from the little joys you experience when someone seeks your guidance in various parts of their life. The memories of the great joy and satisfaction of imparting knowledge become a lifelong treasure.
Teaching is not simply a job with plenty of vacation days – you wouldn’t change it for the world.
Kayla Delzer
“I think one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is having the ability to influence kids, and shape the kind of world I want to live in. I’m able to make a difference in the lives of students and their families in meaningful ways every single day. It’s incredibly fulfilling and humbling all at the same time.”
WEBSITE: topdogteaching.com
TWITTER: @TopDogTeaching
“Teaching gives the ability to influence kids & shape the world.”
@TopDogTeaching
Stavros Halvatzis
“Truly gifted teachers do more than facilitate the transfer and understanding of information. They inspire lives by instilling values. I was privileged enough to have been taught by several such inspirational teachers. It’s one of the reasons I went into teaching myself – in the hope of emulating them.”
WEBSITE: www.stavroshalvatzis.com
TWITTER: @SHalvatzis
“Gifted teachers inspire lives by instilling values.”
@SHalvatzis
23. The youth need you.
According to the Economic Policy Institute’s publication of 2019, the teacher shortage is real and continually worsening. A shortage of educators has negative implications on the public education system as a whole, but mainly on the youth in school that depend on these educators for guidance, inspiration, and education.
23. The youth need you
An Economic Policy Institute research shows, the teacher shortage is real and continually worsening. A shortage of educators has negative implications on the public education system as a whole, but mainly on the youth in school that depend on these educators for guidance, inspiration, and education.
By becoming a teacher, you’ll directly impact young lives and help them reach their full potential.
24. Teaching boosts your creativity
Teaching boosts your creativity in several ways. For instance, you’re constantly challenged to find new and engaging ways to present material, manage a classroom, and connect with students. This requires creative thinking and problem-solving skills. You step outside your comfort zone and try new teaching methods – expanding your own creative abilities.
Great teachers don’t just teach facts; they make learning fun! Creativity helps you ditch boring lectures and design lessons that are like games or even building projects. This keeps students engaged and excited to learn, and your classroom full of surprises.
Creativity also helps teachers reach every student. Not everyone learns the same way. By being creative, teachers can find different ways to teach the same thing, making sure all students get the help they need to succeed!
25. Good teaching inspires other teachers
Teaching isn’t a solo act. It’s a collaborative profession where educators can learn from and support each other. Here’s how you can create a positive and inspiring network by becoming a teacher:
- Encourage mutual mentorship: You can guide new teachers and gain fresh perspectives from your peers. E.g., Best practices, lesson plans, and teaching tips to help each other grow.
- Create professional development buddies: You can easily find a teaching partner to explore professional development opportunities together. E.g., Attending workshops, book clubs, or online courses and sharing learnings with your colleagues.
- Support open communication: Discuss classroom struggles and offer constructive feedback to create a collaborative spirit.
- Teamwork: Collaborate on projects, co-create lessons, or even plan team-teaching sessions. A supportive environment strengthens the confidence and well-being for all teachers.
26. Teaching is a clear career path
Teaching is one of the most stable and rewarding careers in the US. With a teacher shortage across the US, qualified educators are in high demand. This means less stress about job hunting and a clear path forward.
But teaching isn’t just about stability – it’s about growth! As you gain experience, you can specialize in a subject, take on leadership roles, or even become a curriculum developer. Plus, there are lots of professional development opportunities, from online courses to conferences, ensuring you’re constantly learning and evolving.
The most rewarding growth, however, comes from your students. Every year brings fresh minds to inspire and learn from.
You get a clear path, a supportive learning environment, and the chance to make a real difference – all while building a secure future for yourself.
27. Teaching is a very sociable career
Do you enjoy interaction and collaboration? Teaching might be your perfect fit. Unlike solitary desk jobs, teaching is at the center of a dynamic community. You’re surrounded by energetic students all day, fostering connections and building a positive learning environment.
But, the social aspect goes beyond the classroom. As we’ve seen, you’ll often collaborate with colleagues, planning lessons, sharing ideas, and offering mutual support.
Schools also host events like science fairs, plays, or sports games, creating opportunities to connect with parents and the wider community. These interactions build your social bonds and provide valuable insights into your students’ backgrounds and experiences, making you a more well-rounded and effective teacher.
28. Long vacations allow you to rest well
Teaching is a profession that goes beyond the classroom. While lesson plans, grading, and after-school activities can extend beyond the final bell, you also get rewarded with extended breaks.
Unlike most professions, teachers have long summer vacations, allowing them to truly rest and recharge. This translates to quality time spent with family and friends, helping you build strong personal connections and lasting memories.
In fact, very few jobs offer such extended breaks, and that’s precisely because teachers deserve them. The long hours and dedication they pour into their students’ lives necessitate a period of dedicated rest and rejuvenation. These long breaks ensure teachers return to the classroom refreshed and ready to inspire the next generation.
29. You have numerous international opportunities
While you’ll find countless professional development opportunities and conferences across the US, teaching opens doors to international experiences as well.
Here’s how you can explore the world as a teacher:
- Teaching English online: The rise of online learning platforms lets you connect with students worldwide. Imagine teaching English to a class in Japan from the comfort of your home!
- International exchange programs: Many schools participate in exchange programs, allowing you to collaborate with teachers from other countries and potentially even teach abroad for a semester.
- Global collaboration projects: In the age of virtual classrooms, you can work anywhere. Partner with a teacher from another country for a collaborative project, allowing your students to connect and learn from their peers across the globe.
The beauty lies in the options. You don’t have to leave your town to explore international opportunities. You broaden your horizons while giving your students a global perspective.
30. You teach what you love
As a teacher, your daily work revolves around a subject that truly excites you. You have a chance to dedicate your professional life to a field you’re passionate about. Whether your love lies in the intricacies of science, mathematics, literature, or the beauty of music, teaching allows you to transform that passion into a fulfilling career path.
Beyond personal fulfillment, sharing your passion with young minds creates a ripple effect. Your enthusiasm becomes contagious, sparking curiosity and igniting a love of learning in your students. The classroom becomes a vibrant space where your passion for a subject comes alive, growing an appreciation for the knowledge you impart.
Becoming a Teacher is In Demand
Becoming a teacher will bring highly sought-after input for curriculum instruction, learner guidance, and inspiration.
Source: Learning Policy Institute
The illustration above shows the projected teacher supply versus demand up to the year 2025.
Benefits of Becoming a Teacher
If you’re ever wondering, “why should I be a teacher” or having doubts about the occupation, below is a list of some benefits this career has to offer:
- A fulfilling job with tangible results – As a teacher, you’re able to see the impact that you’re having on the lives of students. You can watch them improve, become a role model, and so much more.
- Time off during holidays – With teaching, your time off follows the school calendar. While it may not be exact, many teachers are able to take time off during the winter holidays and over the summer.
- Shaping the next generations – While it may sound cliché, teachers are educating and impacting the lives of future generations. A majority of what they learn is in the hands of teachers, so as a teacher, you have great responsibility and influence.
- A dynamic work environment with new experiences – Being a teacher is hardly boring. You are faced with challenges and different scenarios each day. Not every student is the same, so your work environment changes with the students that you may be teaching.
- Work with parents and students towards the same goal – Many parents care a great deal about the education that their child may receive. Being a teacher, you are able to collaborate with parents on goals and objectives that they may want their child to achieve. Similarly, you can work with students to see if they have the same ideas and how best it would be to go about attaining them.
Steps to Becoming a Teacher
If you are interested in becoming a teacher but aren’t sure where to start, have no fear. Below is a list of steps you must take in order for you to become a teacher.
- Get a bachelor’s degree in education.
- Consider getting a master’s degree in education.
- Check the certificate requirements of your state.
- Apply for an internship to gain relevant experience.
- Apply for teaching jobs.
Subject areas where teacher demands are the highest.
Become a Teacher Today
Indisputably, teaching is a career to love and be proud of. There will be days of frustration, but the benefits outweigh them at the end of the day. If these advantages excite the educator in you, teaching could be the career you’re looking for.
Make a difference, discover potentials, and inspire others by getting a stable career in education. Ask about teacher certification programs available in your state. Or learn how to ace your teacher interview.
