If you have a passion for educating young and inquiring minds, if you want to touch people’s lives with knowledge, then becoming a teacher just may be the best career path for you. People who earn teaching degrees typically wind up working in elementary, middle, or high school. Some even go on to earn a masters degree or doctoral degree in teaching in order to advance their careers as college professors. But not all educators teach in schools. Here, you will learn multiple pathways for people with teaching degrees to travel as well as a few schools you can attend to get a degree in teaching.
Subjects
What kinds of things can you teach with a teaching degree? In this section, you will find a rather small list of subjects you can choose to study in order to earn your teaching degree to educate people in a specific area of interest. The number of subjects is nearly infinite, especially once you earn a doctoral degree.
Algebra
Anthropology
Biology
Business
Calculus
Chemistry
Computer Science
Earth Science
Environmental Science
Forensics
Geometry
Geography
Health Science
History
Language Arts
Law
Mathematics
Medicine
Music
Nutrition
Oceanography
Physics
Science
How to Get a Teaching Degree
Once you decide that you want to teach, it’s time to start exploring your path for further education. You should start applying to community colleges and universities early in your senior year of high school, but before you start sending out applications all over the place, consider your options. Do your research to find schools with education programs that fit your needs.
Big Rapids, MI, is home to Ferris State University’s School of Education, a school in which you can earn bachelor degrees in all sorts of secondary education subjects as well as elementary education fields. Subjects include but are certainly not limited to Language Arts, Geography, History, Biology, Political Science, and Math. At Ferris, you will experience excellent student teaching opportunities once you complete basic and advanced courses in education and possibly even gain a position at whatever school helps you fulfill your student teaching requirements to earn your teaching certificate.
At Saint Louis University, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a focus in one of many subjects that are studied in schools around the world. The university also offers teacher certification programs, as well. The B.A. in Education can prepare students for teaching positions at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and students can also choose to take courses in special education also in order to learn unique skills to use when teaching students with learning disabilities.
If you have the strong desire to become a teacher but are living a hectic lifestyle at the moment, consider earning an online degree. You can study on the go or in the comfort of your own home after a long day’s work. Some credible online schools to look into are Western Governors University, Walden University, Northcentral University, Liberty University Online, DeVry University, and Kaplan University.
Careers in Teaching
Now that you have an idea of where to start, it’s time to take a look at some career options that may interest you. This section answers your question, “What can I do with a degree in teaching?” Please note that these are not your only options for careers with a teaching degree, whether it be a bachelors degree, masters degree, or doctoral degree.
Entry Level Careers in Teaching
With a bachelors degree in a specific field of teaching, you may qualify for one or more of the jobs described below.
Bilingual Teaching Assistant
Bilingual teaching assistants help teachers educate students with native languages other than English. These teaching assistants also help students understand what their instructors are teaching them by translating between the instructors and students. A bilingual teaching assistant can be assigned to a specific student, and if this is the case, the assistant typically travels from class to class with the student in order to help him or her comprehend multiple lessons. Bilingual teaching assistants possess high levels of patience and excellent verbal and written communication skills in two languages.
Bilingual teaching assistants can earn around $30,000 annually.
Director of an Early Childhood Center
A director of an early childhood center deals with financial responsibilities as well as the responsibility of confirming that employees all possess correct certifications and licenses for working in the field of early childhood education. They are often the ones who open and close the centers and address problems within the center when brought to their attention by employees or parents. Although the position requires only a bachelors degree, it also requires a few years of experience in early childhood education as well as previous experience in a supervisor position.
Directors of early childhood centers can earn around $39,000 annually.
Elementary School Teacher
Teachers at elementary schools teach young students the basics of the core school subjects: math, science, history, and language arts. They use creative teaching techniques and lessons to keep students interested in learning, because holding young students’ attention for an extended period of time is not easy. Teachers not only educate students in the core subjects but also indirectly teach them proper socialization practices by promoting group activities within the classroom or by combining lessons with other classes. Patience is a virtue in the classroom of an elementary school teacher. A bachelors degree in elementary education is required for this position, and all teachers should have experience working with spreadsheets and basic math in order to calculate their students’ grades.
Elementary school teachers can earn around $44,000 annually, depending on their experience levels and the school districts for which they work.
Advanced Careers in Teaching
Once you earn a masters degree or doctoral degree in a specific field of teaching, you will qualify for many more career options, some of which are described here.
Career Services Adviser
On a college campus, advisers who work in the career services department are responsible for assisting students in finding internships within their specific field of study. They assist students in finding internships that best match the students’ career goals with potential for employment and provide insights on different career paths a student may explore in his or her specific area of study. It is not uncommon for advisers to provide students with the contact information to multiple companies offering local internships and jobs. Career services advisers also communicate with companies and businesses with open employment opportunities to assist students with their job hunts. Career services advisers are outstanding listeners with excellent written and verbal communication skills, and they are highly organized individuals.
Career services advisers can earn over $67,000 a year.
College Dean
A dean is the head of a specific college within a university. He or she is responsible for the representation of faculty opinions and perspectives when attending both within and outside of university grounds. The dean also acts as the administrator of the college’s education programs, ensuring that professors are providing students with the proper knowledge within their field of study. College deans often begin as professors themselves and work their way up the ranks from professor to department chair to dean of the college, so they typically possess a doctoral degree in their specific field of education. They are skilled mediators and creative thinkers, and they are also highly organized.
College deans can earn over $78,000 annually.
Companies that Hire People with Teaching Degrees
School districts around the world are constantly hiring people with degrees in teaching, but they’re not the only places looking for educators.
MillerCoors, LLC – headquarters in Chicago, IL; brewing company; hires positions for management educators among other positions
Jacobs Engineering Group – hires positions for training coordinators
Education, Inc. – provides education to people in hospitals and behavioral health centers; hires positions for various teachers
Apple Hill Academy – hires positions for early education teachers, program directors, etc.
Being a teacher isn’t easy. It has its ups and downs, just like any job; but the end results are always worth it. Your students walk out of your classroom at the end of the year moved by your unique approach to the subject they once considered a waste of time, and they just may show up at your door for a simple “hello” next year, leaving you with a smile. So go out and begin your journey of touching lives, one classroom at a time.
