Having someone that they can trust to discuss what their options can be will give them an opportunity to explore who they want to become in life. 7. You can just pick your favorite subjects and become really good at them. Even when you budget throughout the year for this disadvantage, it is not unusual to have your funds begin to dry up the last couple of weeks before the next school year. There are certain defining characteristics that a good principal will possess. from the University of Pittsburgh and has won numerous awards in B2B and B2C marketing. You will have to deal with a different set of challenges than your high school colleagues. Working as a teacher can give you purpose in life, Progress of school kids can make you happy, You will always learn new things about your students, You can feel like a mentor for school kids, Teachers can change the future of education, Working as a teacher can be mentally demanding, Parents may complain about your style of teaching, Students may not be interested in the things you are teaching, You teach the same things over and over again, You often need a college degree for working as a teacher, It will take you a long time to become independent of your parents, Top 10 Being a Teacher Pros & Cons Summary List, salary, job prospects, working hours, job satisfaction and educational requirements of a teacher, 10 Things To Do After Failing A Computer Science Degree, 10 Smart Things To Do After Failing An Art Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing An Economics Degree, 18 Things To Do After Failing Your Communication Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Education Degree, 19 Things To Do After Failing Your Engineering Degree, 19 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Biology Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Psychology Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Business Degree, 33 Key Pros & Cons Of Being A Casino Dealer, 31 Key Pros & Cons Of Being An Underwriter, 30 Noble Pros & Cons Of Working For A Hedge Fund, 32 Nerdy Pros & Cons Of Being A Data Scientist, 31 Key Pros & Cons Of Being A Loan Officer. These constant dealings with all things negative can become overwhelming. As the school leader, you will have more control over virtually every aspect of your building. You get to celebrate in those successes because a decision you made somewhere along the line likely helped lead to that success. Thus, no job is the same and job descriptions may not completely fit your individual experiences. The only time you typically deal with students face-to-face is because of a discipline issue. If you do not feel you can handle the cons, stay away from this profession. High school teachers: $58,030. Teachers are under high levels of scrutiny in the United States. However, Ive quit pretty soon after that since I havent found true meaning in my job. This can be a very sensitive and difficult process. "The New York Times"; Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn? You will typically have at least some control over key decisions, such as hiring a new teacher, changing curriculum and programs, and scheduling. You will also receive an extensive health care package, vacation benefits, life insurance, sick time, and other perks that are typical of the general employment experience. However, when you are in a position of leadership, you can bet that there will be some politics involved. You often need a college degree to become a teacher. Since you will have to spend many years in college, you will also have to spend lots of money on tuition and housing and if you dont have wealthy parents, you may have to take on student loan debt which you have to pay back later in your life. Not only must teachers take disciplinary actions toward children who are a problem in school, teachers are often compelled to take action when they feel a child is in trouble at home. There are many other ways to fail as a principal that could jeopardize your job. Moreover, since you can choose the subjects you are most interested in, you will also be able to spend your time with the things that are most interesting to you and this can keep you motivated for quite a long time when other people already got bored with what they do for a living. Each day brings new challenges, new problems, and new adventures. Apart from all the other benefits that come along with a teacher career, you will also get additional perks. It can be a rewarding job, and it can also be an extremely stressful job. My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people about the different career paths that are possible in our current state of the world. You have a set curriculum, but you can vary the way you teach it. When you decide to be a high school teacher, then this is an opportunity for you to make the changes in your classroom that you wouldve liked to have seen when you were a teen. Teaching at a Private School: Pros and Cons by Suzanne Capek Tingley, Veteran Educator, M.A. However, making a difference in children's lives takes tremendous dedication and hard work. Teachers at private schools can offer individualized attention to each student when the student-teacher . When you work as a teacher at any level, then you get to enjoy your love of learning every day. If you are thinking of becoming a principal, it is crucial that you weigh all the pros and cons that come with the job. As a principal, your impact is not limited to a single classroom. It provides you with the opportunity to implement the vision that you have for your school. 4. As you can see from the previous discussion, there are many advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher. That students' social and economic characteristics shape their cognitive and behavioral outcomes is well established, yet policymakers typically resist accepting that non-school disadvantages necessarily depress outcomes. The job schedule of a high school teacher can be a major advantage if you enjoy having some time off during the summer. Career outlook The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics products consistent job opportunities to be available for all types of teachers. Just as there are excellent teachers who provide us with fantastic learning opportunities, there are several perks to this career option that make becoming a high school teacher a fun and possibly lucrative position. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy. In 2018, there were over 80 incidents of school violence involving a weapon in the United States, breaking a dubious record that no one ever wants to go through again. This control allows you to put your stamp on the quality of the school. "10 Pros and Cons of Being a School Principal." In fact, working as a teacher can be more than just a job. The school day ends earlier than the regular business day, so teachers can get home earlier. Teaching in elementary schools can differ from teaching older grade levels, as these educators face unique challenges and rewards working with younger students. The profession is not usually taken seriously by others and those that . In fact, teachers get barely fired since they are just urgently needed in the educational system and we also have a lack of qualified teachers in many regions of our planet. Although the requirements are different in each state, you are almost guaranteed to have work available when you establish a reputation as being an excellent high school teacher. The expression on their face of I finally know means that you created that positive impact in their life. While managing a class full of energetic young children may be challenging for an older teacher, more mature children and teenagers may be a match made in heaven for a charismatic, second-career teacher who has a good grasp on the tween and teen culture. Now is the perfect time to go find them. As a principal, there is never an established routine. However, not only do teachers need to arrive at school earlier and stay longer than their students, but they also have to spend a lot of time outside school planning lessons, grading papers and performing many other work-related tasks. What Is Bureaucracy, and Is It Good or Bad? Testing intelligence is sometimes the only consideration of a school district when they are trying to achieve specific metrics or standards for funding. Barbara Bean-Mellinger is a freelance writer who lives in the Washington, D.C. area. You must effectively address each issue, or you will not be a principal for long. That means youre covering the same information up to 7 times per day in some schools. He provides college essay writing assistance to high school seniors pro bono and is currently writing for the Stanford Daily Editorial Board. On average, the student-to-teacher ratio at private schools is 12:1 compared to 25:1 or higher at public schools, according to the Princeton Review. As a teacher, you establish a routine and mostly teach the same concepts each year. Good news! However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about all the negative things that come along with it to give you a more realistic picture of reality and about what a career as a teacher really looks like so that you can make a profound career choice. When compared with the work required of a good teacher, the pay is relatively low. Moreover, also your risk of getting serious health issues with your spine will be much lower. This means that they will expect you to be able to work miracles, without always being understanding of your methods when you can't pull it off. This structure can make it very difficult to get your work done when a student requires an alternative form of learning. Then you must be successful in a student teaching internship. You should also not expect all of your students to be nice. You are a role model, but you are also more than that. It may be as straightforward as hiring the right teacher or coach, implementing and supporting a new program, or offering a particular student the right motivation. " Brad Henry, Politician Pros and Cons of Working as a Teacher You think about becoming a teacher but are not sure whether this is the right career choice for you or not? 4. Teachers scoff at this notion. You will get to specialize in your subject materials, with options ranging from foreign languages to core subjects like math, literature, or science. You are stuck going to the professional development days in your district. If something comes up and you have an emergency expense in the summer, then youre digging into your savings account for sure. 3. There are positive experiences for you to find every day. Quite often, you will only work 40 hours and there are also some teachers who work considerably less. You have to be organized, self-aware, and confident to keep up with all of those responsibilities. 35 Wise Pros & Cons Of Being A Teacher " A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. Young children, especially, will look to you as a role model and repeat what you say and do. There are many advantages of being a teacher. Wisdom develops from personal experiences. 10. 6. The median salary in the United States is about $55,000, which is the average income for all careers in the country. They may face frustrated students who are struggling academically and rebelling by refusing to do their work. It is hard not to take the needs of the children in your class home with you, and the emotions that go along with that. On the other hand, some teachers would rather make their own schedules, but because the children switch classrooms based on their abilities, for example, they find their schedules become dictated by other teachers and their priorities. Some charter schools and rural districts can pay significantly less that that too. The paid vacations every summer make up for a good deal of this unpaid time, but the pay is still relatively low compared with other professions. High school teachers have the ability to put their curriculum on hold to make sure that each student understands the concepts being taught. That means you will be grading items at home too, sometimes deep into the night. A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.. They help manage behavioral issues, mediate conflict and educate kids and staff. The belief that teachers become teachers simply because they can't do anything else is a very real and very discouraging trope that educators hear all too often. One of the best benefits of being a high school teacher is that you get to teach in a specialized subject more often than not. It could be he chose the wrong profession, but it could also be that she once had a passion for teaching and just burned out from caring too much. Being a principal is never boring. An education is one of the most critical assets that children receive as they are growing up. That was a signal which said you were going to get to go home and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/what-are-some-pros-and-cons-of-being-a-principal-3194531. When you work as a high school teacher, you are following a career path where the learning never really stops. Another advantage of a teacher career is that you will also not have much time pressure at work. Cons of Teaching English - The "Bad" and the "Ugly" Let's do things a little backwards and talk about the "cons" of being an English teacher first. 8. When you start working as a high school teacher, then you will discover that even the most challenging of days can still provide you with some positive experiences. The cons of being a high school teacher include working long hours, dealing with challenging behavior from students, and having to meet the expectations of parents and administrators. Having a small class allows teachers to develop close relationships with their students. Hence, they will also greatly appreciate your work and will be quite grateful for the things you do every day. That increase in salary is well-earned, as you will see when we look at the cons. There is no other profession that you can pursue right now that will give you the amount of time off that a high school teacher receives. 7. Hence, you will have a high level of responsibility as a teacher and can really make our world a little bit better. 5. Working as a teacher can be mentally and emotionally demanding. Teachers also dont have to work in classical office environments. Creative or emotional intelligence is not even part of the educational package in some circumstances. We Are Teachers: What's it Really Like to be a Second-Career Teacher? You think about becoming a teacher but are not sure whether this is the right career choice for you or not? Large class sizes have rendered many teachers incapable of keeping control over their classrooms, and this can be stressful. A single decision can be transcendent throughout the entire school. Over the past 20 years in the United States, politicians have tried to put their fingerprints on the nations educational institutions as a way to make learning relevant while leaving behind a legacy of their work. You will become frustrated with your circumstances at least once in your career. It also means that youre always on your toes, ready to come up with a brilliant solution to a problem that someone might have. It is still a fun and friendly workplace experience. You could also be lucky enough to become the teacher everyone remembers as the one who cared enough to make a difference. In turn, you will have to spend some of your precious time exercising while other people can enjoy it for things they like more. Remember the teacher, or teachers, who never smiled, always seemed unhappy and were only pleased with the kids who got top marks? It can also be quite interesting to work as a teacher since you will always learn new things about your students. Teaching "English" is really like teaching an endless list of subjects. However, from time to time, you will also have to deal with these difficult people and you should make sure that you have the nerves to do so before you decide for a career as a teacher. Teachers are often evaluated based on their students' test scores, even though many educators argue that tests alone do not accurately reflect academic achievement. Teachers have a high social status in the society. When you consider the yearly increases that are available, wage hikes that come from your ongoing education, and other bonuses or incentives that may be available, you are salary will typically take an upward trajectory over time. 3. This disadvantage does not always apply, so you will want to check with your school district about their payment schedule to see if you can still get a check during the summer. If licensure is required in your state for the position, then you must take the subject-area tests. Most school districts do not pay their teachers during the summer break. One advantage of being a teacher is that you can make decent money from what you are doing. There is always something different that happens during the school day when you work as a teacher. In fact, parents can sometimes be even more difficult than students and it can be quite annoying to have discussions with them on a regular basis. 7. 1. However, over time, you will no longer need that much preparation and this means that your effective working hours will go down quite a lot. A disadvantage is that many teachers report they don't have "summer off," because they teach summer school or get jobs in summer camps or recreation centers to make extra money. Your approach has created a door in their mind that might have always remained closed if you hadnt formed a teacher-student relationship. For some teachers, this issue happens at least once per day. Many people who choose this career option also feel like it is their responsibility to take action if they believe that a child is in trouble in their home. There are many reasons why someone might decide to pursue becoming a high school teacher. Most parents know how difficult the job of a teacher can really be. What Are the Most Important Skills & Dispositions a Teacher Should Have? However, some failures will occur no matter what you do, and you will be linked to them because of your position in the building. When parents request a meeting, it is almost always because they want to complain about a teacher or another student. 9. In fact, if you dont teach those kids how to be a decent human being and they also dont learn it at home since they grow up in difficult family environments, these kids will have nobody to look up to and may break bad once they turn into grownups. Drake has worked as a creative designer and webmaster for various departments at Stanford University and individual clients. As discussed earlier, you will receive credit for successes. When you start working as a high school teacher, it is nice to have the summers off. 4. It projects employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers to grow 7% from 2020 to 2030, which is similar to the average for all occupations. If you're considering a career in early childhood education, you may be wondering if becoming a preschool teacher is the right path for you. 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