Six Reasons to Become a Teacher

People often told me as a young adult that I would be a great teacher, and my response was always "I would never want to be a teacher!" This was mostly because I had seen how mean kids could be to teachers when I was in school, but as I got older I realized that it doesn't really affect you the same way as an adult. After witnessing a friend have success as a teacher, I decided to take the plunge at 26 and become one as well. Like any career, it has it's challenges, but it's also more fulfilling than any previous job I have had (and I had gone through about 20 before becoming a teacher). Please keep in mind that I work in a grade 7-12 school in rural, BC, so this list may not be true for teachers everywhere. 

1. Every day is different

My first job was as a cashier at a grocery store and I knew almost immediately that I never wanted to do that job again. The repetitive nature of the job absolutely killed me. Don't get me wrong, I know some people who are very happy with their cashiering jobs, but it wasn't for me. I moved on to other jobs that contained a bit more variety such as working in a restaurant and a health food store, but even these had too much repetition for my liking. That all changed with teaching. There are some instances where you may need to repeat things, such as teaching multiple blocks or the same class, but even that can end up fairly differently due to it being a different group of kids. Generally, I only need to repeat content twice a year at most (example, teaching science 10 during each semester). I also generally learn more each time I teach a course, and try to bring in new projects or activities, so it never truly feels the same for me. 

2. Creativity

Teaching requires creativity. This may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are. I personally enjoy being able to express my creativity in the classroom. This might look like inventing new projects or activities, telling jokes, story telling, art integrated work, etc. This is true for any subject. Yes, even math and science! 

3. Connections

I'm not sure if this is true for everywhere, but I sometimes feel like I'm part of a club because I'm a teacher. I have met many good friends through the profession either as coworkers or as classmates when I was completing my B.Ed. I feel like I belong at my school and with my coworkers, which is something I can't say about any previous jobs. I have never felt more valued in a workplace. I still experience challenges, but the challenges feel more manageable due to the support I have.

4. Students

This is a bit of a hot take in the teaching community, but I didn't become a teacher because I love kids. I became a teacher because I love math and science, and I wanted to share that with others. However, after I became a teacher, I realized there are a lot of really amazing students out there. These students far outweigh the bad ones. Student's make me laugh and smile every day. And another thing - have you ever had to work on your birthday? It sucks, right? Not with teaching (well, at least not in my opinion). Both times I have had to work on my birthday I had students (and coworkers) singing me happy birthday and giving me gifts/cards/highfives all day.

5. Life Skills

I think everybody should give teaching a shot at least sometime in their life. The skills I have picked up from this job far exceed any previous job I have had. I am now much better at public speaking, when I was previously terrified of it. I'm not afraid to take charge of situations. I have very thorough knowledge of highschool science and math, but I also know how to teach it in an accessible way. Remember, just because you know something doesn't mean you know how to teach it. I also have conflict resolution skills and better communication skills. Not to mention that once you are a teacher, you can technically teach anything, even if it's not your subject of expertise. I worked as a special education teacher for a year (my background is chemistry), which helped me better understand the process of IEPs and I learned a lot about special education programs. This makes your skills even more diverse. Teaching also provides professional development opportunities, in which you usually get a choice of what you are interested in learning more about. 

6. Travel Opportunity

Teachers are needed everywhere in the world. Some countries only require you to have an undergraduate degree to teach english, but if you have your B.Ed. there are even more doors open to you. If you are interested in travelling, becoming a teacher could be a way for you to experience new places while still bringing in income. If you are interested in looking into this further, check out goabroad.com. 

I hope you enjoyed this list, please comment letting me know what you think should be added to this list!