People become teachers for a multitude of reasons. For many people, it can even feel like more than just a job. But I think there are seven especially compelling reasons to enter the profession.
Teaching is more like a calling. It's an ever-surprising mix of gruelling hard work and ecstatic successes, both big and small. The most effective teachers are in it for more than just a pay check. They keep their energy levels up by focusing on why they got into teaching in the first place. Here are my top seven reasons for joining the ranks.
1. The Energizing Environment
It's virtually impossible to be bored or stagnant with a job as challenging as teaching. Your brain is constantly engaged in creative ways as you work to solve a multitude of daily problems that you've never faced before. Teachers are lifelong learners who relish the chance to grow and evolve. Moreover, the innocent enthusiasm of your students will keep you young as they remind you to smile through even the most frustrating moments.
2. The Schedule
Anybody who enters teaching solely for a breezy schedule or carefree lifestyle will be immediately disappointed. Still, there are some benefits to working at a school. For one thing, if your children attend school in the same district, you will all have the same days off. Also, you will have approximately two months off per year for summer vacation. Or if you work in a year-round district, the vacation will spread throughout the year. Either way, it's more than the two weeks paid vacation given in most corporate jobs.
3. Your Personality And Humour
The greatest asset you bring to the classroom each day is your own unique personality. Sometimes in cubicle life, there's a need to blend in and tone down your personality. However teachers absolutely must use their individual gifts to inspire, lead, and motivate their students. And when the job gets tough, sometimes it's only your sense of humour that can keep you moving forward with any sanity.
4. Job Security
The world will always need teachers. If you are willing to work hard in any type of environment, you'll find that you can always get work - even as a brand new teacher. Learn your trade, earn your credential, become tenured, and you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you have a job you can count on for decades to come.
5. Intangible Rewards
Most teachers find themselves encouraged and uplifted by the little joys that accompany working with children. You'll cherish the funny things they say, the silly things they do, the questions they ask, and the stories they write. I have a box of keepsakes that students have given me through the years - birthday cards, drawings, and small tokens of their affection. The hugs, smiles, and laughter will keep you going and remind you of why you became a teacher in the first place.
6. Inspiring Students
Each day when you go in front of your students, you never know what you will say or do that will leave a lasting impression on your students. We can all remember something positive (or negative) that one of our elementary school teachers said to us or the class - something that stuck in our minds and informed our viewpoints for all these years. When you bring the full force of your personality and expertise to the classroom, you can't help but inspire your students and mould their young, impressionable minds. This is a sacred trust we are given as teachers, and definitely one of the benefits of the job.
7. Giving Back To The Community
The majority of teachers enter the education profession because they want to make a difference in the world and their communities. This is a noble and valiant purpose that you should always keep in the forefront of your mind. No matter the challenges you face in the classroom, your work truly does have positive ramifications for your students, their families, and the future. Give your best to each student and watch them grow. This is greatest gift of all.
Looking back on my decision to enter the classroom, I think that all seven of these reasons (and maybe even a few more) mixed together to inspire me to enrol in my teacher credentialing program. It may sound cliché, but I especially wanted to make a difference in my community after feeling unfulfilled by pushing papers in a corporate environment.
Why did you become a teacher?
