The field of education offers numerous choices and employment avenues. This is particularly true of the teaching profession where teachers can choose the student audience they intend to teach as well as the subjects they are going to impart knowledge. Teachers can teach at different levels such pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school and of course, college level. Apart from subject level teaching such as Mathematics or Biology, there are also opportunities for adult literacy teachers or ESL teachers.
Careers can span roles such as tutors, assistants and class room aides for those who are foraying into the teaching discipline. Experienced teachers can complete the appropriate programs to move into areas such as researchers, curriculum specialists, counselors, writers and day care administrators.
Training degrees span Bachelor, Master and Doctoral programs available through online and offline channels. A Bachelor degree is usually for 3-4 years whereas Master and Doctoral degrees last 2 years. They also require dissertation and internships under the guidance of experienced educators. Importantly, a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching or its equivalent is a must to enter into the teaching profession.
A Bachelor degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts in Education and Teaching or Teacher license usually covers child development and learning, educational psychology, pedagogical techniques, classroom management, curriculum design and assessment and trends in K-12 education. A Master’s degree offers enhanced career and salary prospects apart from the fact that some states may prescribe it as a minimal expectation. Course work may include advanced study into program development, curriculum design and development. The program is intended to also prepare educators for leadership and administrative roles.
License requirements apply for any teaching position and this varies based on the state where you are teaching. As part of the License requirements, potential teachers need to successfully complete a teacher training program involving supervised practice teaching. They also need to qualify in the state administered examinations. Though a Bachelor’s degree is sufficient in most states to start the ball rolling for your teaching career, yet some states may specifically require a Master’s degree in Teaching. In some cases, such states may either provide the option of acquiring the Master’s degree upfront before beginning your teaching career or alternatively, may prescribe that you complete the same within a set period, usually within a few years.
If you already possess a Bachelor’s degree in another discipline, then you may not need to undergo a Bachelor degree in Teaching. Instead, you may just need to go through a one year teacher training program to ensure that the licensing requirement is met successfully.
Career outlook for licensed teachers is strong with job growth of 12% forecasted through 2016 by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries are fairly lucrative and are largely dependent on the level of education, experience, location and employer. K-12 teachers averaged in the range of $50,040-$52,450 in 2007. Niche and in-demand areas such as teachers in Mathematics also attract higher salaries and greater employment prospects.
