I am 15 years old and I want to do so many thigns in life but now I'm thinking, maybe I should be a teacher?

I love kids a lot, and working with them but heres the thing.

I want to have a job , that I will enjoy.

My questions are:

How many years of college do you need to become a teacher?
What does it take to become one?
Is it easy to become one?
Is it it a stressful job? Why?
Would you have time to have a teaching job and spend time with the family?
Is the pay good? (Good enough to manage a house, family, shopping, bills etc. )
What is the best grade to teach?

Ty!

shygrneyzs

It generally takes four years of college to gain teacher certification, for a Bachelor's degree. If you want to pursue a Master's Degree, then figure on at least two more years of study.

What does it take to become a teacher? Patience, creativity, willingness to try things in other ways, love, understanding, a desire to give your talents even at the times when the bottom seems pretty high up from where you are.

Is it easy to become one? No, I do not think so. Your coursework will be tough and you will be expected to succeed. Getting to the student teaching part is almost the easiest! lol.

Is it stressful? Yes. Why? You cannot just teach anymore. You have so many elements to consider. There is your local school principal, the school board, the administrative side of the education department, etc. A great deal of pressure at times. That is not counting what you will encounter in the classroom. You will have children across all strata and they bring home to school. You will to be able to identify children having difficulties with classroom subjects, other students, and just having problems accepting themselves. You will run into bullies, manipulators, children who are painfully shy, etc. Plus you get their parents, who either ignore problems or are a big part of the problem. It is easy to say that you leave your job at work, but it does not happen that way all the time.

Would you have time for teaching and family? Yes. A matter of balance and prioritizing committments and time management.

Is the pay good? Depends on where you teach andif your are specialized (such as special education). Other factors figure in there too. I will honestly tell you there are many teachers I know who teach full time and moonlight on a second job. Just to make the ends meet.

The best grade to teach? I cannot tell you. Each person has their own favorite for their own personal reasons. I personally loved preschool.

You never asked if all the sacrifice is worth the job? For some it is, or else they would be working at a higher paying job. God bless anyone who decides to become an educator. Triple bless anyone who is an educator and does it because of love for their students.

xAjikanx

thanks so much for your answers.

Thats what i am afraid of. I dotn wanna pay so much money and then realize "Hey i dont enjoy this" but then again.. IT seems fun.

Synnen

I wanted to be a teacher until I took my first Education class in college. I knew then that teaching was one of those things that I could never do.

It gave me great respect for anyone who DOES teach though. Teachers are truly some of the best people in the world.

I suggest you take your gen. eds. when you get to college, and TRY an education course. You have a little time yet before you HAVE to decide.

xAjikanx

Why was it something you just couldnt do?

shygrneyzs

Syn has a great idea about taking your general education classes - the required core curriculum in the college. Which you can do at a state college and save a good deal of money versus the private college route. An idea for you would be to do some volunteer mentoring of children and see if you enjoy that.

star3114

I actually have a 4 yr ed degree and I am not really using it in the formal sense. The reason, because with no child left behind it made it harder for new teachers to get into the school system in my area. If you are really willing to relocate to high need areas (inner cities, reservations, etc.) then you are pretty much guarenteed a job. However, where I live that isn't so much the case unless you want to work on a reservation or commute 50 miles to a tiny town to get paid $23,000 a year.

I am using my degree in the private sector. I am a learning and development specialist for a corporation. I get to use my degree in some aspects....but not in others. You can do a lot with an ed degree besides work in the school system.

xAjikanx

I think im gonna go visit my old school, and talk to my odl teachers, see how it is, just to get a better idea.
Thanks you guys Helped mesoo much!

I just dont wanna end up to be a forty five your old man who sits in his moms basement collecting comic books.

and im not a man,.

xAjikanx

:/ Traveling isnt na issue I hope. Bahhhhh i lvie in staten island (clsoe to NYC by an 40 mins).
I mean population will icnrease so who knows until i get older haha

shygrneyzs

One thing about teaching on a reservation or at a Head Start or in a place where it is identified to be high needs or high risk, is that your student loans are elegible for forgiveness.