What does a Teacher do?

Hey!  Remember school?  Hated it, right? 

Whether or not you thought school was your own personal form of torture, you've got to admit teachers have interesting jobs.  After all, most of us played school when we were kids, so we must have been impressed with the job of teaching.  We thought teachers were important, powerful, and influential, and many of us wanted to grow up to be a teacher. 

Teachers run classes and give tests.  They also get to play with kids to help them learn.  What a great job!  But, behind the day to day activities of running a classroom and teaching the next generation of children, teachers are truly responsible for the mental and social development of the children they teach.  So, just like we all thought when we were kids, teachers really are important, powerful, and influential!

A strong teacher must develop a “teaching plan” that takes into account state content standards for each subject they teach.  This plan should contain a schedule, testing plan, reading list, skill development list, homework list, and sometimes a presentation plan. Teaching plans are also sometimes called "lesson plans".  Lesson plans should clearly state what the goal of the lesson is, what state standard(s) the lesson teaches, and how what the children learn will be assessed.  Teachers also need to be aware of how well his or her class is learning. Teachers have a lot of flexibility in the way they teach and they can try new things to help kids learn. 

A strong teacher will have the following characteristics:

• Strong communication skills – both written and oral
• Motivation skills
• Trust-building skills
• Emotional intelligence

Although many successful teachers teach in the community where they were raised because some experts insist that it's easiest to teach children whose culture you understand, some urban school districts are so desperate for teachers that they are offering pay incentives to lure new teachers.  And, many new and veteran teachers are happy to dedicate their lives to teaching urban and underprivileged children.  After all, teaching is about educating, and everyone deserves a quality education.  Whether you're teaching in your home community or have traveled to an area just because the kids need great teachers, you're giving back and that's what counts.

Since there are so many types of teachers, it is important to really figure out what kind of teacher you want to be before you start your degree. We put together a list of simple questions that can help you figure out what kind of teacher you want to be:

• Do you like working with kids? If yes, you might want to start with a preschool or elementary teaching degree.
• Do you prefer a more challenging environment? Try special education or high school teaching.
• Do you want to help people transition to adulthood? Go for vocational teaching or high school teaching.
• Do you like planning or managing people? A curriculum or educational administration degree might be good for you.
• Do you like teaching multiple subjects? Elementary education might be a better fit for you since elementary teachers are generalists that teach multiple subjects.

This is only a basic summary of what a teacher does.  If you are truly interested in being a teacher, we suggest you contact a school by simply filling out the form on our site. You are under no obligation to join the school and you will be able to ask as many questions as you want on the phone.

We also recommend talking to your own teachers. They will serve as a good resource to help you make the right decision.