How to Prepare For A Career in Education

How to Prepare to For a Career in Education.

Preparing to be a teacher starts with attending college and picking the correct college courses. If you are talented in some area you should continue to develop that talent, develop your special skills in music, art, or sports. You have to add some technical skills to your repertoire. Learn computer skills. Learn to use a video camera and editing equipment. And, you should volunteer to aide at the grade level where you plan to teach.

You need at least five years of college to enter the teaching profession. In selecting your lower division classes take a wide range of subjects as you never know what you will be called on to teach at the public school level. In my own experience, I had to teach English, math, ancient history, American history, art, P.E., computer skills, video filing, science, health, and other subjects.

Once you have selected your major, no matter what it is be sure to take a number of language classes. You will always have your students doing some kind of writing and you really want to hone your writing skill so that you can help your students develop their writing skills. You will also need strong writing skills for written reports and for communication with parents. If you want to apply for government grants you need to write those applications.

If you have a special talent continue to develop it. If you are an athlete develop your skills. At the high school level you will probably have to coach or at least be an assistant coach in order to land a job. If you are an artist, continue to paint or sculpt, or work on your creative writing skills. You can teach an elective in your area, or often work as a full time art teacher, or creative writing teacher. If you are a musician, continue to develop your playing skills. You can often get on as a music teacher. Even if music is not your major, if you can play a musical instrument that is always an asset in the classroom.

You have to have computer skills to teach at the public school level. No matter what subject you teach your students will benefit from work on the computer. There are computer programs to help a student develop math skills. There are computer programs for the development of reading and writing skills. Your students will be using the Internet to do research. They will write reports on their computers. The will do creative writing on the computer. They will work on the classroom computer when they have finished their regular work. You will be sending students to the computer as a reward for good behavior and good study habits. You computer skills must be as good as the computer skills of your student.

The video camera is a valuable asset to any classroom. You can video oral reports. You can video the plays that your students perform. You can video classroom activities and show them to the parents on back to school night. You can video school wide events like dances and athletic events. Most schools have close circuit T.V. that you can use to show case your classroom filming and filming of school wide events.

If you learn editing skills you can teach these skill to you students. At every grade level most students love to be cameramen and video editors. Having editing skills will also allow you to edit films that you made of classroom and school wide events. It is almost impossible to create a good video film without editing it.

Unless you are going to teach at a four-year college and go on for your doctorate your fifth year of college will be spent acquiring your Master’s in Education. This is a good time to gain some experience at the grade level where you want to teach. When I was working on my Master’s in History I was hoping to teach at the junior college level. I gained employment as a teaching aide with several teachers. Although I didn’t get any actual teaching experience, I did correct exams and helped with lesson plans. It was a very valuable experience and I even received a small hourly wage.

If you are an athlete you can always volunteer to work as an assistant coach. You can volunteer at the local high school, middle school, or at a recreation league in your hometown. Coaching will not only improve your athletic skills, it is also a great way to get begin working with young people. If you can’t get a job in coaching, volunteer to be a big brother or big sister. You will be working one on one with a youngster and gaining lasting experience.

Public school teachers are always happy to have an aide work in their classrooms. You can volunteer to teach a Sunday school class. There are always young people that need help. Find a way to work with them and you will not only have an enjoyable experience, but you will also develop your teaching skills.

It takes lots of preparation to become a teacher, but the effort is well worthwhile. Krishnamurti said that teaching is the noblest profession that a man can take. Prepare yourself to be a teacher and you will never regret it.