So, you are thinking about becoming a teacher, eh? There are many reasons for wanting to become a teacher – you may love working with kids (or adults); you may think that there is nothing more important in the world than a good education; you may want to stay in the education system the rest of your life; or you may not know what else to do with your major. These are all valid reasons for becoming a teacher (except maybe for the last one…), but the most important reason for becoming a teacher is a deep love for helping people grow both intellectually and emotionally.

Here are some important steps to take on the road to becoming a teacher:

· First of all, you must decide if becoming a teacher is really the right path for you. Get experience working with kids – work at a summer camp, teach soccer lessons, babysit nephews, volunteer in a classroom. Get experience working with kids of different ages, too, so that you can start to decide which age group you would most prefer to teach.

· The next step on the road to becoming a teacher is deciding whether or not you want to teach elementary or secondary education. To teach elementary education, you will need to get an elementary teaching degree. To teach secondary education, you will need to get a degree in the subject that you would like to teach.

· Find out what sort of teacher certification program is needed in the state you want to teach in. Different states have different steps towards becoming a teacher. In some states, you can even get your teacher’s certificate while you are teaching.

· Find a job as a teacher’s aide or as a substitute teacher. This will give you a much better idea as to whether or not becoming a teacher is the right road for you to be following. It will also give you valuable experience.

· To receive your proper teaching credentials, you should expect to have to take many standardized tests and also get some mandatory classroom experience before you start student teaching. You may need to add an extra year to college experience if you decide that you want to teach.

· It can be hard to find a teaching job. It is often said that there is a shortages of teachers, and that may be true, but there are certainly plenty of teachers that want to fill in practically any opening in a school. Make sure that you use the service of your campus career center. They can help you do a job search and can also connect you to different school districts that have openings.

· It is a good idea to join a professional teaching association. You can find out about job openings, network with other teachers, get good tips and ideas on lesson plans, and more.

It can seem like it is a very long road to becoming a teacher, full of potholes and speedbumps, but one you have a job and a classroom full of young minds to enrich, you will know that it was worth it… or you will need to go out and find a different job.

Anne Clarke
http://www.homeroomteacher.com/