Why Become A Teacher

Talk to all teachers you know and only a few will tell you that being a teacher is something they regret doing. Common reason is that they find fulfillment in influencing students and helping them in shaping the future. While it may not be the same for each and every educator, there would always be good reasons to become one.

If you've been asking yourself "Should I become a teacher" or "why become a teacher" this post is for you.

We've put together 24 amazing reasons that make teaching a self-fulfilling career. To make our reasoning more valuable, we've compiled opinions and recommendations from education's top experts and influencers.

"Experts answer "What's the single most important reason to become a teacher?" #education"

The Intangibles of Teaching

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Reasons to Become a Teacher

1. No two days are the same.

Most jobseekers cringe at the idea of having to do the exact same things every day. The great thing about teaching is that it offers a lot of variety. Each school year, you get to teach new sets of students with varying characters, experiences, and ideas. As their teacher, you can incorporate new topics, upgrade your teaching style, and design new lessons to spruce and liven up the classroom.

Alice Keeler

"Because LEARNING is important and life changing."

WEBSITE: alicekeeler.com

TWITTER: @alicekeeler

"Because #LEARNING is important and life-changing."
@alicekeeler

2. You'll get to learn as well as teach.

A topic is better learned when you're starting to teach it. During classes, your students will ask questions. Most of the time, they are amusing and interesting that you have to dig deeper and get a better understanding of the subject area in question. For example, if you're a science teacher, you can also be a science student every school year. In the process, you'd have the opportunity to integrate new research, technology, and other scientific breakthroughs into your lessons.

Ann S. Michaelsen

"Teachers can change the lives of children. As a teacher you have the ability to reach out and be a mentor and a role model for kids who need it. Another important reason to become a teacher is that these are changing times. Today smart students can learn pretty much whatever they want whenever they want! This is a shift we as educators have to embrace. With the use of technology what goes on in the classroom is changing. Students can solve real world problems! Classrooms and teachers are learning how to collaborate with global peers and how to create beautiful and important work that they can share with the world. At the same time fake news is becoming the norm. Students need well informed teachers to help them spot fake news and make sense of what is happening in the world. Schools are becoming more important and relevant.

WEBSITE: annmichaelsen.com
TWITTER: @annmic

"Teachers have the ability to reach out, be a mentor and role model for kids who need it."
@annmic

3. Teaching makes a difference, with visible results.

Experienced teachers always marvel at the priceless joys of seeing the progress of their students. Through time, they gain new knowledge, a deeper interest in the subject, and learn what fires their passion most. Your role as a teacher is to mold the future by influencing students' views and understanding. Also, you'd help them develop behavior, adopt creativity, view the world in a positive approach, and find the potential they need to lead a productive life.

Tiffany Whitehead

"The single most important reason to become a teacher is because you have a deep love of learning and want to pass that along to others. If nothing makes you happier and more fulfilled than seeing a student discover their passion, experience success in learning, or come to understand the importance of perseverance, then teaching is for you! "

WEBSITE: mightylittlelibrarian.com

TWITTER: @librarian_tiff

"Being a teacher is having a deep love of learning & want to pass that to others."
@librarian_tiff

Teachers are often attracted to the vocation due to a sense of service.  They usually have this deep, perceptible urge to make a difference in others' lives. By being an educator, you'll clearly see the fruits of your labor every single day as you use your knowledge and intelligence to encourage students to become excited and eager with learning.

Ross M. McGill

"The love of learning is the single biggest reason to become a teacher. Over the past 20 years, increased accountability, politics and limited budgeting has sidelined teachers to teach to the test, rather than to nourish a love of learning."

WEBSITE: Teacher Toolkit

TWITTER: @TeacherToolkit

"The love of learning is the single biggest reason to become a teacher."
@TeacherToolKit

4. Sharing is good.

The more you teach, the more chances you have to give back to the community and contribute to influencing the minds of future leaders, game-changers, innovators, and movers. Especially if you're leading by example, you can be sure your students will turn out to be their best selves.

Jeffrey Bradbury

The single most important reason to become a teacher is to have the opportunity to give back. Every teacher has that one teacher who went out of their way to make sure that they found their path. When you work with students, you have the amazing ability and responsibility to provide guidance and mentorship to an entirely new generation of young adults. It is our responsibility and duty to pass on our knowledge and leave the world better than when we first found it.

WEBSITE: jeffreybradbury.com

TWITTER: @JeffBradbury

"Being a teacher is to having the opportunity to give back."
@JeffBradbury

turq side pic 1

Turquoise Parker

I cannot be what I cannot see, help me reimagine my possibilities.

Representation matters. In adulthood, my ever growing awareness of the present and historic inequities that people of color face in our country has compelled me to reevaluate those systems and my participation in them.

Website: mrsparkersprofessors.blogspot.com

Twitter: @PrkrsProfessors

"Being a teacher of color is my powerful weapon to help change this world."
@PrkrsProfessors

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5. Teachers can work all over the world.

Another major advantage of being a certified educator is that you can teach virtually anywhere – coast to coast and in any type of school. The great news for aspiring teachers is that America is in huge need for teachers, and aims to hire all qualified teachers it can find.

Tim Bedley

"One reason I became a teacher was that I love running my own business. I love organizing events."

WEBSITE: timbedley.com

TWITTER: @tbed63

"One reason I became a teacher was that I love running my own business."
@tbed63

Current demand for teachers rises in the most developed regions, including California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, and New York. Experienced teachers have the privilege to choose where to live and work anywhere in the world. And in every location, they'd always be admired and respected for being in such a noble profession.

Kevin Honeycutt

"Teaching is the closest thing we as a species have to permanence. Transmitting our knowledge through time while inspiring new knowledge is the highest of honors."

WEBSITE: best-keynote.com

TWITTER: @kevinhoneycutt

"#Teaching is the closest thing we as a species have to permanence."
@kevinhoneycutt

6. Teaching is the best job in the world.

Not only because it is a noble profession, but it also allows you to be continuously creative and be better professionally. In every lesson, you can hone your creativity by adding interest to capture your students' attention. Teachers nowadays have plenty of opportunities on their hands to be creative and exhaust all methods possible to make an optimum learning environment for students.

Lillie Marshall

"Teaching is a rare combination of creativity, intellectual challenge, and fun, paired with the opportunity to create positive change on a hands-on, daily basis. If you find a school that's a match for your passions, and a district that's supportive, there is no better job. "

WEBSITE: TeachingTraveling.com

TWITTER: @WorldLillie

"Teaching is a rare combination of creativity, intellectual challenge, and fun."
@WorldLillie

Rick Hess

Frederick M. Hess

It's pretty damn simple, really. You're working with kids. You're shaping values. You're building character. You're helping young minds wrestle with big ideas. Teachers do the work that everyone else just talks about. If one sets aside for a moment issues of compensation, bureaucratic nonsense, and professional dead-ends, it's the best work there is.

Website: Blog for Ed Week

Twitter: @rickhess99

Author of Letters to a Young Education Reformer

"By being a teacher, you're helping young minds wrestle with big ideas."
@rickhess99

7. You'll benefit from flexible hours.

Teaching is considered one of the most secure careers to date, thanks to high levels of immigration. Right now, schools are growing persistently. As a result, the government is exerting more efforts to meet teacher supply now and in the last 3 years. As long as you have gone through the required steps into teaching, retaining your position is fairly easy. Also, teaching is a valuable skill that you can easily take with you even if you leave the country.

Gary G. Abud Jr.

"Why be a teacher? To help kids learn & grow. A great teacher can change the life of a student."

WEBSITE: WeLoveTeaching.org

TWITTER: @MR_ABUD

"Why be a teacher? To help kids learn & grow."
@MR_ABUD

8. You'll have job security.

Being in a highly social job is also a bonus for most teachers. Apart from numerous students, you'll also get to work as part of the team. Teachers also have the opportunity to become an essential part of the community, while participating in good causes or simply interacting with parents and community members.

Ginger Lewman

"I find that teaching allows us to influence the world in ways that are tangible, lasting, and like no other. If you want to make a true, positive impact on the world, be a teacher who cares about the betterment of kids' lives."

WEBSITE: GingerLewman.org

TWITTER: @GingerLewman

"Be a teacher who cares about the betterment of kids' lives."
@GingerLewman

9. Get independence.

A teacher is the pillar of every classroom. This means you'll be the one to decide on what's best for your students and how you intend to design your lesson plans. While it is necessary to follow the outline of your curriculum, you still get the freedom to infuse your own personality as you ace your way to teach.

Kasey Bell

"Teaching is a calling to serve and do what's best for kids."

WEBSITE: shakeuplearning.com

TWITTER: @ShakeUpLearning

"It is important to have a calling to serve and do what's best for kids."
@ShakeUpLearning

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10. At the same time, you'll get to reach out to society.

Teaching is more than just receiving a paycheck. It's a satisfying career knowing that you'll get the honor to make a difference in students' lives.  You're interacting with students and community members from all walks of life, therefore, you'll get a better understanding of current society and activate the creativity in you.

Kath Murdoch

"Right now, the most important reason to become a teacher is the opportunity to nurture the critical, curious and courageous minds we will need to navigate our way through complex futures."

WEBSITE: Kath Murdoch

BLOG: Justwondering

TWITTER: @kjinquiry

"A teacher gives an opportunity to nurture the critical, curious, and courageous minds."
@kjinquiry

11. You'll have more than just a job.

Most of the time, teachers enjoy a great summer vacation, not to mention holiday breaks and spring vacations. If you're a teacher with kids, this is a great advantage since you'll get to spend quality time with them since they'll be on vacation too. Alternatively, you'll get extra time to work as a summer school teacher. You can also travel or pursue things that you enjoy doing.

Kathy  Schrock

The single most important reason to become a teacher is to help students become critical and creative thinkers, as well as life-long learners. With the influx of technology into PreK-12 education, there is no more exciting time to develop problem and project based units of study that allow students to use their reasoning, digital literacy, and creative skill sets to showcase their learning!"

WEBSITE: Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

TWITTER: @kathyschrock

"Teachers help students be critical and creative thinkers and life-long learners."
@kathyschrock

12. Influence the next generation.

Students look up to their teachers, especially if the latter is able to establish a strong relationship with the former. Teachers are responsible not only for educational enrichment. You constantly connect with your pupils and commit to reaching out to them at all levels.

Society's Most Important Occupations

Based on Pew Research Polls, teachers are some of the most important occupations in the community.

Lee Araoz

The single most important reason to become a teacher is to teach students not to accept the default. The teachers of tomorrow must show students how to create change by giving them the strategies and tools needed to actively seek out new information and create unique content based on their passions.

WEBSITE: The Golden Age of Education

TWITTER: @LeeAraoz

"Become a teacher to teach students not to accept the default."
@LeeAraoz

13. You'll have longer vacations.

Students look up to their teachers, especially if they are able to establish a strong relationship with the former. Teachers are responsible not only for educational enrichment. You constantly connect with your pupils, shape their minds, and create new candidates for the next generation.

Dr. Lodge McCammon

"Teaching is a noble pursuit that provides a citizen the chance to make a significant and lasting contribution to society. It's sometimes difficult to find purpose on a planet with seven billion souls but every minute in the classroom presents an opportunity to inspire a love of learning. This inspiration is the primary element needed for building our future."

WEBSITE: lodgemccammon.com

TWITTER: @pocketlodge

"Teaching provides the chance to make a significant contribution to society."
@pocketlodge

14. Ensures that your vocabulary, fashion, and music tastes remain current and relevant.

Kids are pretty good at catching up with the ins and outs of fashion, music, as well as spoken language, especially now that social media is dominating the way we interact. By being constantly around them, you're sure to adapt the behavior without even realizing it.

Matt Bergman

"Students are the single most important reason that I became a teacher. Every day I have the incredible responsibility to invest my energies in creating a better future. Each day is an opportunity to impact the present, invest in the future, and learn from our past."

BLOG: Learn Lead Grow

TWITTER: @mattbergman14

"Students are the single most important reason that I became a teacher."
@mattbergman14

15. You are constantly learning new skills.

Just because you're a teacher doesn't mean that your learning stops there. Aside from teaching in your subject area of specialization, you also learn how to coach sports events, run school clubs, do crafts and arts, and even student counseling.

Meg Ormiston

"Passion for changing the world should the single most important reason to become a teacher. Our future teachers need that passion, energy, creativity, and the hope that good teachers can change the future one student at a time. Our future teachers need to bring their bubbly enthusiasm into our schools and let that passion inspire colleagues. The unbridled new teacher energy is contagious and that might just re-energize some of our veteran teachers. We need passionate educators today more than ever!"

WEBSITE: Megormiston.com

TWITTER: @megormi

"Passion for changing the world should the most important reason to become a teacher."
@megormi

16. You build positive relationships with students, colleagues, parents, and the wider community.

Teachers are being looked up to not only by students but also by people surrounding them. Since they do a good job in shaping the future and molding the minds of youth, they effortlessly create positive relationships as they continue to interact and influence the younger generation.

Catlin Tucker

"If you love learning, become a teacher. This profession needs curious, excited, fearless learners ready to experiment, fail, and innovate. If our goal is to cultivate life-long learners, then we must model that learning ourselves."

WEBSITE: catlintucker.com

TWITTER: @Catlin_Tucker

"If you love learning, become a teacher."
@Catlin_Tucker

17. You become a role model. People look to you for advice and guidance and that feels pretty good.

Doing a noble job makes you an idol of the crowd. Not only students, colleagues, and parents value your insights and that gives you a sense of pride.

Melissa Taylor

"You love helping kids grow into their best selves."

WEBSITE: Imagination Soup

TWITTER: @imaginationsoup

"You love helping kids grow into their best selves."
@imaginationsoup

Monica Burns

"Becoming a teacher is a privilege. It is an opportunity to strengthen the critical thinking skills and spark curiosity in children. "

WEBSITE: Class Tech Tips

TWITTER: @ClassTechTips

"Being a teacher can strengthen the critical thinking skills in children."
@ClassTechTips

18. The children teach you as much as you teach them.

You may be the teacher, but that doesn't mean that it's only you who does the teaching. As every teaching day approaches, there will always be moments where you can learn just from an innocent comment from the kids.

Meris Stansbury

"To cultivate lifelong passion in those you teach—passion for art, passion for math, passion for learning in general. A teacher has the unique, incredible power to recognize personal interest from a student and blossom a mere question, quizzical tilt of the head, or furious completion of a task into decades of fulfillment. All it took was a high school English teacher to notice how often I would pull out novels (not required in class) to read between classes to suggest I join her extracurricular poetry class, which then led to a summer writer's camp at a notable college, further developed into an English degree at said college, and culminated in today's Editorial Director of a national education publication walking to work every morning excited for the day's tasks and eager for what the future has in store."

Editorial Director @ ecampusnews.com | eschoolnews.com

TWITTER:@meriscci

"A teacher cultivates lifelong passion in those they teach"
@meriscci

19. There is constant laughter.

There is no doubt that learning is fun. It is for students, and for teachers too! Playful remarks from you and your students usually keep the class alive.

Mike Lawrence

"A love of learning and a desire to spread that love."

BLOG: blog.cue.org

TWITTER: @techmaverick

"A love of learning and a desire to spread that love."
@techmaverick

20. The "thank-yous" mean a lot.

Gifts and freebies when you're a teacher are inevitable. Still, the verbal gratitude from parents and students whom you've influenced positively is plain priceless.

Neil Jarrett

"Educating our future is the  single most important reason to become a teacher."

WEBSITE: EDTECH 4 BEGINNERS

TWITTER: @edtechneil

"Educating our future is the single most important reason to become a teacher."
@edtechneil

21. You build positive relationships with students, colleagues, parents, and the wider community.

Teaching stimulates relationships with everyone you come face to face with. Apart from sharing knowledge, you are also inspiring the youth to work for their aspirations or their dream career.

Stacey Roshan

Stacey Roshan

"My students are our future. So in teaching, I have a chance to play a part in shaping that future. I don't know that I can name the single most important reason to become a teacher. But I can tell you I have the best job in the world. Each day, I get to share my passion for learning, exploring, asking questions, and coming up with new and better solutions to problems. Each day is different and unpredictable. Each day, by showing kindness and empathy, I can remind a teenager to smile. Each day, I can make a difference. How many people can say that about their job? As a teacher, I can and proudly do."

WEBSITE: techieMusings

TWITTER: @buddyxo

"Each day, I can make a difference as a teacher."
@buddyxo

22. You get to meet colleagues with a passion for teaching equal to yours. They might become friends for life and the staple of your Friday night drinks.

When you become a teacher, it is nearly impossible to not gain new friends. The great thing about this is that you share the same commitment to the craft. This allows you to gain new ideas, share passion, and relate with people having the same profession as yours.

Terry Heick

"Teaching is the most noble craft because, done well, it seeks above else a better world one human being at a time."

WEBSITE: TeachThought

TWITTER: @TeachThought

"Teaching seeks above else a better world on human being at a time."
@TeachThought

23. Teaching becomes your life.

It is not simply a job with plenty of vacation days – and you wouldn't change it for the world.

Kayla Delzer

"I think one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is having the ability to influence kids, and shape the kind of world I want to live in. I'm able to make a difference in the lives of students and their families in meaningful ways every single day. It's incredibly fulfilling and humbling all at the same time."

WEBSITE: topdogteaching.com

TWITTER: @TopDogTeaching

"Teaching gives the ability to influence kids & shape the world."
@TopDogTeaching

Stavros Halvatzis

"Truly gifted teachers do more than facilitate the transfer and understanding of information. They inspire lives by instilling values. I was privileged enough to have been taught by several such inspirational teachers. It's one of the reasons I went into teaching myself – in the hope of emulating them."

WEBSITE: www.stavroshalvatzis.com

TWITTER: @SHalvatzis

"Gifted teachers inspire lives by instilling values."
@SHalvatzis

24. The youth need you.

Based on a 2015 survey by the Chronicle of Education, only 4 percent of college freshmen have a desire to major in education. Compared to year 2000 (11%), individuals wanting to become future educators are significantly decreasing. Likewise, a recent study published by the Learning Policy Institute states that enrollments were down to 35% since 2001. In the future, research sees a total of 112,000 teacher vacancies by 2018. These figures only prove that teachers are extremely sought-after now and in the years to come.

Projected Teacher Supply and Demand

Source: Learning Policy Institute

The illustration above shows the projected teacher supply versus demand up to the year 2025.

Benefits of Becoming a Teacher

If you're ever wondering, "why should I be a teacher" or having doubts about the occupation, below is a list of some benefits this career has to offer:

  • A fulfilling job with tangible results – As a teacher, you're able to see the impact that you're having on the lives of students. You can watch them improve, become a role model, and so much more.
  • Time off during holidays – With teaching, your time off follows the school calendar. While it may not be exact, many teachers are able to take time off during the winter holidays and over the summer.
  • Shaping the next generations – While it may sound cliché, teachers are educating and impacting the lives of future generations. A majority of what they learn is in the hands of teachers, so as a teacher, you have great responsibility and influence.
  • A dynamic work environment with new experiences – Being a teacher is hardly boring. You are faced with challenges and different scenarios each day. Not every student is the same, so your work environment changes with the students that you may be teaching.
  • Work with parents and students towards the same goal – Many parents care a great deal about the education that their child may receive. Being a teacher, you are able to collaborate with parents on goals and objectives that they may want their child to achieve. Similarly, you can work with students to see if they have the same ideas and how best it would be to go about attaining them.

Steps to Becoming a Teacher

If you are interested in becoming a teacher but aren't sure where to start, have no fear. Below is a list of steps you must take in order for you to become a teacher.

  1. Get a bachelor's degree in education.
  2. Consider getting a master's degree in education.
  3. Check the certificate requirements of your state.
  4. Apply for an internship to gain relevant experience.
  5. Apply for teaching jobs.

Subject areas where teacher demands are the highest.

Become a Teacher Today

Indisputably, teaching is a career to love and be proud of. There will be days of frustration, but the benefits outweigh them at the end of the day. If these advantages excite the educator in you, teaching could be the career you're looking for.

Make a difference, discover potentials, and inspire others by getting a stable career in education. Ask about teacher certification programs available in your state. Or learn how to ace your teacher interview.

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