Advantages of Teaching
Before choosing to pursue any profession the pros and cons of entering that particular field of work need to be weighed. In a survey by the National Education Association that appeared on the organization’s website during a two week period, 79% of the respondents said they would consider going into teaching compared to the 21% that said they would not (National Education Association website, 2002). Obviously, choosing teaching as a career must have some rewards if so many people are considering entering the education field. One of the positive reasons swaying people to become teachers is that teachers are able to have very flexible schedules.
Flexible Schedules
Teaching does require putting in many hours.
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Coming out with a degree in education has a high likelihood of finding a job, due to the dire need for teachers.
Due to the great demand for teachers many extra incentives are being offered to entice potential teachers to commit to the profession. Many state and districts have started to implement creative recruitment strategies. Some of the perks for newly hired teachers include “subsidized mortgages, job sharing arrangements, labtop computers and health club memberships” (Peske, 2001). Pursuing a career in teaching not only gives a good chance of having secure employment but also offers extra perks.
There are several specific subjects that in particular demand teachers, that provide an even better opportunity for job security. Science and math are two areas where there is an extreme need for teachers. “The growing shortfall of qualified teachers - is so acute in math and science that 95 percent of urban school systems report an immediate need for teachers” (Hartigan, 2002). The need for science and math teachers is so great that some schools hire qualified individuals from foreign countries (NewsMax.com, 2001). The fact that in order to fill the need for math and science teachers the U.S. must turn to other countries evidences that if someone goes out looking for a job in teaching with a background in science or math they will find plenty of teaching opportunities.
Another area where teachers are needed is
According to Lundberg (2003), “adult students are one of the most rapidly growing segments of today’s college student population, making up approximately 40% of all college students” (665).
To communicate effectively with anyone, you need to speak clearly, using different pitch and tone to create interest. You should talk at a pace that is neither to slow or monotonous, nor so fast that others can’t understand it. It is important to know the stages of language development. You should also be aware that if you are working with a pupil with special needs, their communication development will be different; this could be for reasons such as autism, speech and language problems, or a hearing impairment.
Education is the most vital part of man’s existence. The concept of education started in the ancient days and continues to the modern age. Education has existed before this current age, but modern education has been labeled as the most significant part of any possible profession. This assumption is not making waves in the United States of America only, but in the whole world wide. Despite the unique and distinct languages that exist throughout the world, young and developing minds still seek education and new knowledge as technology keeps changing. Education is the backbone and the platform in which we build and develop our own unique ideas that has become
For me, the decision to become a teacher is more of a way of life than a career. I have always loved school, practicing at being school marm from a young age, and voraciously devouring every shred of education offered me in my career as a student. If it were possible, I would be a student for the rest of my life. And then I still would not have learned enough. As a teacher, I hope to instill this appetite for knowledge in secondary students. They are, after all, the future leaders of the world, and what better place to expand the minds of the generations to come than here in Appalachia where education programs, especially the sciences, which I plan to teach, are poorly funded and children’s dreams
America has encountered a change within the teaching profession: concerning, experience, age, credentials, and ethnic background (Feistritzer, 2011). It is almost as if the year of 2005, overturned the trend of older employed teachers (Feistritzer, 2011). A six-year survey shows that the amount of teachers under the age of thirty has increased drastically, and that most teachers have earned master degrees. Also, although teaching has been a predominately white profession, more Hispanic and African American teachers were hired between the years of 2005 and 2011 (Feistritzer, 2011).
The low pay for our educators is causing many negative effects. New York Times shows that the low income is causing sixty-two percent of teachers to have a second job outside of their teaching jobs. Just to have enough money to support their families and make ends meet. Most everyone decides to college to prevent having these struggles with money, and to avoid having to work multiple jobs, when they get older; however, not when it comes to living off of only a teacher’s income, the struggles to have enough money are interminable. This low pay is also causing most teachers to retire, and find new jobs. New York Times states, “every year 20 percent of teachers in urban districts quit. Nationwide, 46 percent of teachers quit before their fifth year. The turnover costs the
In the last two decades, the United States has seen drastic reforms to in education. Teachers now face rigorous performance rate testing and underfunded schools (Klien). In Colorado, teacher pay has “declined by 7% over the past decade” (Whaley). For years, teaching primary or secondary education was considered a respectable and stable job. However, Colorado is now facing problems regarding the teacher workforce. Colorado is experiencing a labor shortage in educational school teacher positions in due the declining perception of teaching impacting the quality of the education in Colorado. The severity of this shortage will continue to increase in the next 5 years and will affect the other Colorado Industries.
There are many contributing factors to low teacher turnover, however, the main issue is a lack of support and respect for our teachers. Instead of working on maintaining and providing support for our current educators, the conversation usually surrounds expensive and often ineffective recruitment programs. The harsh fact is that it is very expensive to live in our valley and the current teacher salary/benefits are not enough to attract top talent. We need to have a serious conversation with our teachers in order to learn what incentives they need to be successful in their roles as well as to maintain a comfortable living. Teachers are the one profession that truly molds the future of our
Most parents want their children to have a better educational experience than they received including having a memorable teacher. You remember that one teacher who made history come alive or provided real life examples for the use the Pythagorean Theorem. Maybe your special teacher made grammar meaningful as you expressed our ideas through writing. Imagine if your favorite teacher poured their wealth of experience, knowledge, and magical know how into one of your child’s teachers. However all this educational wisdom becomes like a vapor as teachers relocate or retire which has becomes a reoccurring event in the Arizona public schools. According to the Arizona Department of Education 35.3% of classroom teacher left their teaching position
The issue of teacher shortage today is continuing to grow. The effects of the achievement gap are reaching the teachers, not just the students: “...good administrators and teachers, who are doing their best under difficult circumstances, will be driven out of the profession…,” (Boyd-Zaharias 41). The achievement gap is part of the reason teachers feel they are underpaid, which happens to be one of the leading cause in teacher shortage considering, “Teachers were paid two percent less [than comparable workers] in 1994, but by 2015 the wage penalty rose to 17 percent,” (Long). Being a teacher requires passion in order to stay in the field, especially if the money in teaching is decreasing. Money is an important aspect for people when it comes to their careers, therefore, fewer people want to become teachers. This lack of teachers and the lack of college students studying to become a teacher leads to unqualified teachers and larger classroom sizes (Ostroff). Both of these causes are eventually affecting students’ learning environments. I chose this issue in education for my project because I have personally felt these effects, and I know others who have as well. As a future educator, I want to see better wages and better benefits, but this can only happen with qualified, passionate teachers. I plan on being one of them, and I plan on sparking a change. I am a future educator fighting to end teacher shortage.
There is a consensus among the concerned stakeholders that the quality of teachers is the leading factor in determination of student performance. In the case of United States, the student performance can only be given an impetus by the efforts which the state can make, under all costs, to develop and retain high quality teachers. The measures undertaken determine the level of turnover of the school teachers. Lazear (2009) similarly argues the length of employment is a critical factor in averse risks of employment a trend contrary to teachers treatment. The turnover of public school teachers will refer to the rate at which the state, which is the teacher’s
With beginning teachers usually earning entirely less than other college graduates, the profession is at loss of top-notch, quality people who tend to find jobs seeking more money. Almost 50 percent leave the profession within 5 years, lured by higher pay and prestige elsewhere in the booming U.S. economy (World, 1999, par. 7). Starting teachers average a $25,735 salary in the United States compared to an engineer earning $56,820 or a physical therapist earning $56,600 (Engineer, 2000, par.1). And what signal does it send out about the value of good teachers and a good education when a 45-year-old teacher with a master’s degree earns $45,000 a year and a 25-year-old out of law school often starts at $80,000, considering a six year education for a master’s degree and a seven year education for a law degree (Greenhouse, 2002, par. 4)? A teacher is also given no compensation for the long hours spent basically in overtime work. The teacher’s day does not end when they leave school because if lesson plans, grading, or planning is not completed, it will have to be finished on their own time. Accountants, paralegals, and engineers all are compensated and get paid overtime for work that does not get completed in a regular day or if they want to stay and
Lurking over our great country is a troubling issue that is plaguing the professional educational workforce. When compared worldwide, American teachers work the most hours, yet are paid in the lowest brackets when related to the top 32 nations (Teachers Pay). In addition, when you compare a teacher’s salary to other four year degree salaries, teachers are among the 5 lowest paid degrees (O’Shaughnessy). Not only are the salaries among the lowest in the American workforce, a typical teachers at home workload exceeds all other professional jobs by 20% (Current). Furthermore, teachers were only given a 2.3% salary raise in 2009. Yet the rate of inflation rose to 3.1% causing a loss in purchasing power and creating a hardship on the
The future of the world is in the hands of the children. Whether the future be a positive or negative one depends on the children and the education they receive. The education of a child is so valuable that one needs to consider the importance of the child's education. Also, one needs to consider how to go about nurturing those bright minds so one day they can become independent individuals. As Educators, one needs to be aware of the short-term effects as well as the long-term effects in which education may play on the child's views of the world.
Elementary teachers not only introduce their students to the basic concepts of core subjects, they also help pave the path to each student’s future success. Education to become a teacher is long and tedious, and while the income may not be the highest available, watching students develop a new skill or grow an appreciation for learning can be very rewarding. Because there will always be a need for education, even with the recent budget cuts, teaching jobs will always have to be available somewhere.