3 Questions to Consider Before Becoming a Teacher?

Answer 1

By Dr. Alicia Holland-Johnson

Teaching is a great profession with many rewards. If individuals are planning on entering the education industry, there are three questions that they must consider. These questions are the following:

1. Do you plan on having a family?
2. Why do you want to become a teacher?
3. What is your long-term career goal?

Individuals who plan on having a family should think about when they want to start a family. While this decision is up to them, it’s so important to wait until one has had at least two or three years of teaching so that one will not have to spend extra time getting lessons planned or spend a great deal of time doing other necessary tasks to make one’s classroom a successful learning environment.

Secondly, individuals need to reflect on why they want to become a teacher. This is a great way to stay positive and motivated when times get stressful. Also, it is a question to always answer if anyone asks you, especially during interviews and in the classroom. Students often ask their teachers why they decided to teach in the classroom and always respect teachers for making the decision to share their knowledge with them.

Lastly, individuals need to think about their long-term career goal. Most individuals that go into teachers have either had a career before and are considered second-career teachers or they have just finished a teacher preparation program to help them prepare for being a teacher. Individuals who plan on teaching for a specific timeframe should visit their career goals at least every year to make sure that they are moving in the right direction. Most school districts expect that teachers are life-long learners and offer many positions that are related to helping teachers in the classroom, but also gives one the satisfaction of moving up the career ladder. Examples of these types of positions are instructional coaches, teacher leaders, content leaders, and teacher mentors.

While these questions can only be answered individually, they impact one’s teaching career significantly. It is in one’s best interest to reflect upon these questions before becoming a teacher and devise an action plan to take the next steps.