Different Groups of Teachers

Teaching is an important profession. â€Å"We will always need teachers. † (Waln) This is why I am interested in the career of secondary education. To be there to teach the upcoming generations and those that will be following behind us. It is important that we continue to teach the children so that they will be able to take over as the leaders of our country. Teachers are divided into different groups. The first group is the Elementary Teachers. Elementary Teachers usually teach one class of children at a certain grade level. These teachers teach all of the subject areas. Therefore they need to be knowledgeable in all subject areas. The next group of teachers is the Secondary Education Teachers. Secondary Education Teachers usually teach five or six classes of students a day, however, they only teach one subject area. Having the teacher teach in one subject area and not many different areas allows the teacher to learn more about that area and this allows the students to learn more in depth about the subject. The last group of teachers is the Special Education Teachers. These teachers work with both Elementary and Secondary students. They help the students in all subject areas, but mainly in Math and Language Arts. Special Education Teachers also work with students that have disabilities ranging from mild to severe. The group of teachers that I would like to be in is the Secondary Education group. I am interested in teaching Business. The working conditions of teachers varies depending on where they are employed. Most districts have a schedule where the teachers teach for nine months and have three months off in the summer. In other districts, teachers teach all year around with a schedule of working eight weeks and then having a week off. They would also have a five week mid-winter break. In most states there is a Tenure Law. The Tenure Law prevents teachers from being fired without just cause and due process. Teachers normally have to teach in one district for three years before they gain tenure. Teachers usually put in more than forty hours a week. Along with the teaching time in the classroom, teachers put in many hours after class and at home doing correcting and lesson plans. Teachers also put in a lot of time with different committee meetings and staff meetings that they need to attend. Some teachers can feel isolated from their colleagues at work. This comes from being in a classroom of students all day and not really getting a chance to see anyone else in the building. There are some schools, however, where the environment is very informal. In these schools, teachers get a chance to see and talk to other teachers throughout the day. This helps to build the morale of the teachers. Teachers also work with students from many different backgrounds and cultures. Teachers need to be aware of these backgrounds and cultures so they can better help the students. A person needs to be licensed to certified to be a teacher unless he/she works for a private school. The license or certification is usually granted by the State Board of Instruction or the Office of Public Instruction. Certification for teachers is from K-8 for Elementary and 6-12 Secondary. Requirements for certification vary from state to state. The one requirement that all states require is that teachers have a Bachelor†s Degree and the completion of an approved teacher training program. The outlook for teachers varies by geographic area and subject specialty. The overall employment is expected to increase for all occupations through the year 2008. The funding of the school by the state is another factor on the teacher job growth. Teacher†s wages range from $19,710 to $70,030 a year. The average starting salary for a teacher with a Bachelor†s Degree and no experience is $25,700. The average wage for teachers is $39,300 a year. Private school teachers usually get paid less than public school teachers. In many schools, teachers receive extra pay for coaching sports or working with extra-curricular activities and clubs. Teachers earn extra money by working during the summer at other jobs. The teaching profession is an important profession. The world will always need teachers to teach it†s children. Teachers need to go through a training program which usually consists of four years in college and doing student teaching. Teachers need to be certified by the state in which they are teaching in. Teachers can make a lot money or not so much money depending on what geographic area they are in. Teachers, however, do not go into teaching for the money. Teacher become teachers because they like working with children and they like watching the children grow and learn.