Build a Bright Future for Yourself and Your Students as a Teacher

By Kate McIntyre
Learning & Life Columnist

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If you are looking for a rewarding, intellectually stimulating career that provides good job security, you should consider teaching. Secondary (elementary and high school) and post-secondary (college) instructors can earn tenure after about three and seven years, respectively. Once you have received tenure, you cannot lose your job without just cause. Many teachers and professors appreciate the stability that tenure offers.

Training and Salary

Secondary school teachers must earn their bachelor's degrees and complete a teacher-training course. Post-secondary instructors with master's degrees can find work at community colleges. Nearly all tenured professors at four-year colleges and universities have doctorates in the subject they teach. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that secondary school instructors make between $41,400 and $45,920 on average. Post-secondary teachers can expect to make around $51,800 per year.

The Teaching Life

Educators generally follow the same academic calendar as their students. They don't teach during the summer semester unless they want to. Secondary school teachers work at least 40 hours a week, and many who sponsor or coach extracurricular activities work even more. Post-secondary professors face a different issue. It can be difficult to find a full-time, tenure-track college teaching job. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 70% of these jobs are full-time.

Post-secondary instructors spend about 12 to 16 hours a week in the classroom, but also keep office hours for one-on-one time with students. Many additional hours may be spent preparing for classes and lectures, grading, and providing feedback to students. Research and writing, administration, and community service are all required before tenure is awarded.

Perks of Teaching

Many instructors do use summers to travel, and if you value big blocks of time for backpacking expeditions in South America or just kicking back around the house, a teacher's life might be ideal for you. If you're a social person, you'll find that conferences provide stimulating professional contacts and reimbursed travel.

The most important perk of teaching is difficult to measure. Good teachers see powerful results. When students tell you how much your course meant to them or how your letter of recommendation launched their career, you might wonder why you considered any other career path.

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About the Author
Kate McIntyre, a fiction writer in Portland, Oregon, holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.

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