The following are some of the most common reasons cited by practicing and prospective teachers:
- The growing demand for teachers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the teaching profession will grow considerably in the next decade, with more than 1.5 million jobs for elementary, secondary and special education teachers. You could be one of them!
- The opportunity to profoundly impact the lives of children. Research indicates that teacher quality is the most important factor in students’ academic success. And there is tremendous satisfaction in watching a child discover new learning. As the poet William Butler Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”
- The portability of the teaching credential. If at some point you choose to leave California, your teaching credential will allow you to teach in other states and even, in some cases, overseas.
- The family-friendly work schedule. The daily schedule and school holidays will allow you to spend quality time with your family, and summer vacation will allow you to pursue advanced education, engage in hobbies and other work, and enjoy leisure time.
- The incentives for continued education. Good teachers never stop learning and growing, and you can earn pay increases with education and professional development credits.
- The satisfaction of contributing to your community. By preparing students for lives as informed and engaged citizens, you can benefit your community, your country and the world.
- An outlet for your creativity. The need to engage all students in learning calls upon a teacher to be creative in adapting and developing learning activities, and new technologies allow teachers to bring the world – even the universe – into their classrooms. The opportunities for trying new and exciting approaches are endless!
- A work environment that is never dull. Teachers will tell you that no two days are ever alike. The variety of people you come in contact with, the changing challenges, the daily discoveries all combine to make teaching an interesting and engaging adventure.
- A job that keeps you young. Being surrounded by young people in the energetic environment of a school is a great way to keep your outlook youthful and to retain a sense of playfulness and possibility.
- The chance to change the future. As the author Henry B. Adams once said, “A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.” Or, as teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe put it, “I touch the future: I teach.”