5 Unexpected Perks of Teaching

By Wendy Croix
Learning & Life Columnist
March 14, 2006

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Today, if you're a college student investing in a university education with the expectation of becoming a teacher, you can look forward to substantial career opportunities, solid medical and retirement benefits, and professional standing in your community. You'll reap additional financial and emotional perks, too.

1. Great Vacation Time

If you teach the standard school year, you'll work ten months on, two months off. If your position is at a year-round school, you'll likely have eight weeks on, one week off, and a five-week midwinter break. Few professions offer this much free time.

2. College Education Options

Alternative licensure lets you teach first and get a Bachelor's Degree in Education online later--especially if you're qualified to teach math or science. Some districts will actually pay for your university degree or at least offer tuition reimbursement. If you've completed your teacher education program, look for positions that offer student loan forgiveness, removing your debt repayment burden.

3. Second Career

One in five bachelor's degree recipients seeking a teaching job is age forty or over, and many are over fifty. Consider the job security of teaching if you're a mature career-changer seeking professional status who can't afford to gamble with your future.

4. Helping Others

Teachers don't teach for the money; they teach for the satisfaction. If you value doing an important job well, you'll find yourself in a community of professionals who share your work ethic.

5. Private School Perks

If you're the one in ten who teaches in private education, you'll probably make a lower salary, but your perks can include housing subsidies or even free on-campus housing. You may also obtain admission and tuition wavers for your own children and could teach select, motivated students.

If teaching's attrition rate gives you pause, you're right to be cautious. Don't buy the myth of easy work--be ready for the long hours, nights, and weekends of prep and paperwork when you're starting out. But even with these challenges, you'll still enjoy the many perks of being a teacher.

Sources

"Community Colleges Offer New Teacher Prep Options." Education Week 25.8 (Oct 2005).
"A Community of Teachers," by Peter W. Cookson Jr. Teaching PreK-8 35.7 (Apr 1, 2005).
Education Commission of the States.
"First-Year Teaching Assignments," by Byllie D'Amato Andrews and Robert J. Quinn. Clearing House 78.2 (Nov/Dec 2004).
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Teachers Count.org

About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.

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