A teacher is considered as one of the pillar of a nation. This profession expects you to be immensely passionate, patient and tolerant. As said aptly ‘to teach is to learn twice’, a teacher is expected to have in depth knowledge of the subject he/she is teaching.
Many people decide to become a teacher at a very young age. Some people are hindered due to the feeling of insecurity. Some even change their mind due to lack of guidance. There are different levels of a teacher. The path change as per the level you choose to be in. These levels are based on the age group you choose to teach.
Different Paths of Being a Teacher are
1. Kinder garden or elementary
The age group in this level are mainly 2 to 5 yrs. This age group is referred to as the most important stage in brain development of a person. Your acts here will influence their personality in many ways. A teacher in this level should conduct fun activities and be creative enough to experiment with different teaching methods. This is the most flexible level of teacher to be creative and opt for other than any traditional ways of teaching.
As the age group here is very vulnerable and unorganised, the teacher should be able to handle those kids and comfort them when needed. The requirement for being a kinder garten teacher is to have a bachelor’s degree in childhood education or any other closely related subject. You must also complete a teaching internship in a kinder garten as a part of state approved teacher preparatory program. Apply for your teaching license. Once you have fulfilled all these requirements you will be able to join as a teacher.
2. Primary
This is the level where the actual academic teaching begins. The age group of the students in this level are 6 to 14 yrs (1st to 8th grade). The subjects include reading, writing, arithmetic, social science, science and English. This level is not that flexible to give traditional ways of teaching. The minimum requirement for this level is D.Ed (Diploma in Education). To enrolling for D.Ed you will have to pass the HSC exam. The teacher in this level prepares the students for the secondary education by teaching them all the basic knowledge required further.
3. Secondary/Higher Secondary
This level is an important phase to prepare the base of students for all the higher studies they aim to go for. The students in this level belong to 14 to 18 yrs (9th and 12th grade) of age group. The minimum requirement to be a secondary or high school teacher is to get a bachelor’s degree in your subject of interest and a teaching certification or license gained by state approved teacher preparatory program.
Some state even expect you to get a master’s degree after several years of starting your teaching job. The teaching curriculums include algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry, biology, social studies, etc. The teacher is expected to have strong base foundation for teaching the subject he/she is teaching, high problem solving skills, patience and tolerance.
4. College/University
This is the level of higher education. The teachers in this level are more experienced and professional than any other field. The teachers in this level have immense knowledge of the subject he/she teaches. He/she is not only expected to have the theoretical knowledge but also good practical knowledge of the subject.
He/she must be able to go for application based teaching rather than just theoretical teaching as this level prepare the students for their opted profession. One must have a master’s degree in the subject of interest to start teaching at college or university. However you will be joined as a assistant professor as many college’s ask for a Doctoral degree to join as a professor.
5. Special tutor
A special tutor is one who does home tutoring or wants to open his teaching or tutoring classes. This is a bit difficult and hard path of being a teacher. As you will not be backed by any institution or school as a teacher, you will require comparatively more paperwork to be an authorized special tutor. To be a special tutor you have to complete your tutoring training and other educational requirements mentioned above based on the level you want to teach.
Join a tutoring association and earn a tutoring certificate and get licensed. After completing all these requirements you will be free to advertise your services and be a special tutor.
6. Overseas teacher
Some people think of teaching in countries where they don’t have a citizenship. It is really hard to be overseas teacher but all that hard work is really worth it if that’s what you wanted all your life. If you are not a citizen of USA then you can apply for anyteach abroad programs in your home country to be able to teach in USA. You can also join as a teacher by getting a J-1 visa but that really requires you to have 3 yrs of teaching experience and meet the US teaching standards which will be hard with without a teach abroad program and some even require a sponsor for a J-1 Visa.
7. Online tutor
Online tutoring has gained massive audience and response since few years. There are many platforms and edu-tech organizations that hire teachers to teach online. Here the eligibility criteria are same as being a special tutor.
However as online teaching gives students more freedom of expression it can be really harsh to get negative reviews from students if you don’t have good communication skills. This field requires you to be in well shaped, impressive and persuasive personality as it is necessary to build an audience.
Conclusion
Becoming a teacher is dream of many but only few get through the phases to achieve that dream. This profession expects you to excel in not only your academical achievements and subjective knowledge but also understanding the student psychology in order to implement different teaching methods. Try to complete the required eligibility criteria and your passion for the job will drive you further.
You must see that your actions never discourage a student from being creative and trying new things. As a teacher you will be responsible to shape and mould many students’ personality to live a better life and guide them through a right path to achieve success
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of PrepMyCareer.com website.
I am a full-time professional blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web, and I try to learn new technologies every day.
All the team management, content creation, and monetization tasks are handled by me. Together with the team at PrepMyCareer, the aim is to provide useful and engaging content to our readers.