There are some professions that are more like callings. Being a nurse or doctor is an example of this. Sure, the money is good, but you are usually drawn to a profession like that based on your need to take care of people and not so much for the money. It’s the same with being a teacher. It’s one of the most popular career options within the education sector. So, is a career in teaching right for you?
Most people that become teachers are doing it because they feel this urge to help children learn and grow into productive adults with a bright future. It is gratifying to make a difference in a person’s life in this way.
Yet, the teaching profession is not easy. The idea you have of what it will be like if you become a teacher may not exactly match reality. It is a challenge but not always in the way that you might expect.
In this article, I will go over what it is really like being a teacher so you can decide if it really is something you feel called to do.
Is A Career In Teaching Right For You?
Here’s What It’s Really Like To Be A Teacher
You have more responsibilities than you realize
There is so much more to being a teacher than just coming up with lesson plans and grading papers. Often, you are called upon to be a surrogate parent for a child, for example. You may find yourself picking up where parents are not fulfilling their duties.
This can include making sure the child gets enough to eat and that their healthcare is being taken care of by sending them to the nurse if they seem sick. This can be challenging especially when their home situation leaves something to be desired and it breaks your heart.
Then, there are also times when you are buying school supplies for teachers with your own money. You will be surprised at how little is provided by the school system for your materials that you need to be able to teach properly.
If your students are high schoolers then you may find yourself in something of a mentor role that is leaned upon to help them figure out their life after graduation. You may be the one they call for advice on where to go to college, or where they should be looking for a job. You could even be the one that helps them start on a path to being an educator too.
Related Article: Preschool Teacher Career and Jobs in India
It can get political
A lot of your time is going to be spent dealing with bureaucracy and the politics of the school system. Not to mention how you work with others with much different personalities and needs than yours. You will often find yourself butting heads with administrators as well as other teachers.
This is a shock to many people who don’t realize what the inner workings of a school are really like. It can be emotionally draining when you really are just there to teach children and aren’t looking to have to deal with these types of things.
However, the better you are at dealing with administrative tasks and navigating bureaucracy then the better teacher you will be overall.
There are a lot of rewards
Of course, there are plenty of rewards to enjoy otherwise there wouldn’t be much of a reason to become a teacher. The rewards depend on the person as some people enjoy some aspects more than others.
For instance, when you can see the children learning and growing then this is probably the biggest reason to get into teaching. On its own it is a reward enough but there are other aspects that also are attractive.
Having weekends and summers off is also another aspect that many teachers enjoy. It gives you the opportunity to do other things in your life that you love to do. People who like to travel benefit from this extra time to try to explore the world. And some teachers use the summers to work a second job to make extra money.
Weekends, however, can often be spent grading papers and coming up with lesson plans so this time off can be limited at times. The day doesn’t end when the bell rings and there is often a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes.
Lastly, there are often very good benefits packages that come with being a teacher since they are usually part of a union. Pensions are often decent and the health insurance is also usually very good.
Conclusion
As I said, everybody has their own ideas as to what the rewards are that motivate them the most but these are generally the items that draw people to the profession.
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Featured Image Source: India Today
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