Finding a job you love can turn work into a joy, rather than a chore. When you’re going to spend a significant proportion of your adult life working, you might as well do something you love! Of course, choosing your future career path isn’t always easy, particularly if you have limited experience of what a particular job role really entails.
For aspiring teachers, the thought of facing a classroom of kids can certainly be nerve-wracking but there’s no doubt that teaching can be a wonderfully fulfilling career. To find out if it’s the right option for you, take a look at these six reasons to pursue a career in teaching:
1. Make a Difference
Teaching is a role that enables you to have a profound impact on the lives of young people. As well as teaching the curriculum and imparting knowledge, you’ll be a role model to pupils and provide them with a safe space in which they can thrive.
Whether you teach in a primary or secondary school or in a college or university, you’ll play an important role in helping students to achieve their goals and give them the confidence they need to succeed. When it comes to job satisfaction, it doesn’t get much better than that!
2. Job Opportunities
When you’re choosing a career path, it’s important to think about the future and consider whether your preferred roles will even exist in five, 10 or 20 years. As technology revolutionises industries, many of today’s roles will be done by computers and machinery, which means the number of jobs available could shrink dramatically.
In contrast, teaching can be a career for life. Although EdTech is increasing the amount of technology used in the classroom and facilitating remote learning, there will always be a need for skilled and competent teachers.
In fact, an ongoing teacher shortage in the UK means that there’s a wealth of opportunities for both newly qualified and experienced teachers. By choosing to train as a teacher now or deciding to extend your skills, you can secure lucrative opportunities and promotions.
3. Specialize in Your Chosen Field
If you choose to teach at primary school level, you’ll typically be teaching a range of subjects. However, if you become a secondary school teacher, a university lecturer or a college instructor, you’ll have the chance to focus on particular areas of interest.
Perhaps you studied maths at undergraduate level and want to inspire students to succeed in this area? Maybe you’re passionate about English Literature and want to impact your knowledge to the younger generation?
Whatever your own academic interests are, teaching gives you the chance to share them with others and turn the curriculum into something fun, interested, and understandable.
4. Career Progression
When you qualify as a teacher, you’ll have the opportunity to advance your career as you gain experience. If you want to take on more responsibility, for example, you may pursue a promotion and become a Head of Year or Head of Department. By studying an accredited online masters in education with the University of Exeter, you can enhance your prospects and increase your employability at executive level.
Subsequently, you may decide that you want to take on a leadership role and apply to become a Deputy Head, Assistant Headteacher, or even a Headteacher. With limitless possibilities, you can progress your career in a variety of ways in order to fulfil your professional ambitions and enhance the impact you have.
5. High Salaries
Although people are typically motivated to get into teaching for other reasons, there’s no doubt that earning a high salary is a definite advantage. Across the UK, newly qualified teachers or probationers earn between £25,000 and £32,000. As you gain experience, however, this can increase substantially.
In London, for example, qualified teachers can earn up to £52,935, depending on experience, while qualified teachers in other parts of England and Wales can earn up to £41,604. Similarly, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, qualified teachers can earn up to £41,412 and £37,870 respectively.
Of course, if you choose to take on additional responsibilities and secure a more senior role, your salary and remuneration package will increase accordingly. As a result, teaching can be a well-paid career, particularly if you transition into a leadership position.
6. Work Anywhere
Although there are a relatively high number of job opportunities for teachers in the UK, qualifying as a teacher gives you the ability to work virtually anywhere in the world. Even if additional certification is required to work as a teacher in other countries, you’ll be a step ahead because you’ve already got professional experience and are qualified to teach in the UK.
If you are eager to travel, you’ll find there are plenty of short-term schemes available. You may decide to teach in an international school overseas, for example, or become a TEFL teacher. Whether you use the summer holidays to gain experience working abroad or you decide to broaden your horizons and emigrate, you can be confident that your career as a teacher will be easily transferable.
Is Teaching Right for You?
Although teaching is a rewarding career path, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right choice for everyone. Despite its benefits, teaching can also be a challenging role and you’ll need to be totally committed if you want to succeed in the educational sector.
However, if you’re dedicated to inspiring the future generation and you believe that everyone deserves a high-quality education, it’s well worth pursuing a career in teaching. Similarly, if you enjoy working with young people and you enjoy learning, as well as sharing your knowledge, you may be well-suited to a classroom environment.
In addition to this, you’ll need to be prepared to stay up to date with new teaching techniques and adapt to new strategies and curriculums. Like most industries, the education sector is changing all the time, so a can-do attitude and a willingness to embrace new concepts and methodologies will help you to build a successful and rewarding career as a teacher.
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