Are you thinking about becoming a teacher? The career is not for everyone. As with any profession, there are many pros and cons. The truth is that teaching is a difficult job that most people are not capable of doing effectively.
If you know that you would make a great teacher, carefully evaluate the positives and negatives to know what you are getting into. How you handle the negatives is a telling indication of how you will perform as a teacher. There are aspects of teaching that will quickly lead to burnout, stress, and resentment in people that are not right for the job.
Pros of Teaching
Opportunity to Make a Difference
As a teacher, you are afforded the opportunity to influence the world's greatest resource: its youth. Teaching allows you to make a difference in the lives of young people who will shape the future. The profound impact of a teacher on their students cannot be overemphasized.
Consistent Schedule
When compared to other careers, teaching offers a fairly friendly and consistent schedule. Most schools have extended time off two or three times during the academic year and three months off during the summer. The average school is in session from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the week, leaving evenings and weekends free.
Professional Collaboration
Teachers tend to collaborate with their students on a daily basis, but there is also a great deal of professional collaboration within the teaching profession. Working with parents, community members, and other teachers to help students can be a very rewarding aspect of the job. It takes an army to teach and most teachers have a team of people working with them to help their students reach their maximum potential.
Daily Excitement
While the weekly schedule of a teacher tends to look much the same, day-to-day life is quite the opposite and teachers are never bored. No two students are alike and no two lessons will go exactly the same way. This is challenging but keeps teachers on their toes. There are so many unpredictable variables in a classroom that make every class, day, and school year a little bit different from the last.
Opportunities for Growth
Teachers are learners too and no good teacher ever feels that they truly know everything there is to know. As a teacher, you never stop learning and should never grow too comfortable in one place. There is always room for improvement and responsive teachers grab hold of every opportunity to grow.
Lasting Relationships
Over the course of making your students your No. 1 priority for almost 200 days a year, strong bonds are built with your learners that can last a lifetime. Teachers have the opportunity to become trusted role models to their students and help shape them into the people they will become. Good teachers encourage their students and build them up as they learn and achieve success together.
Good Benefit Plans
Great health insurance and decent retirement plans are well-known perks of being a teacher. Do not take this pro for granted. Having these benefits provides you withpeace of mind should a health issue arise and as retirement gets closer.
High Demand
Teachers are a necessary part of society and will always be in high demand. This is one job that isn't going anywhere. There may be a lot of competition for a single opening depending on your specialty areas and qualifications, but flexible teachers should never have much trouble finding a job.
Cons of Teaching
Unappreciated
One of the most substantial cons of teaching is that teachers are undervalued and unappreciated. The belief that teachers become teachers simply because they can't do anything else is a very real and very discouraging trope that educators hear all too often. The profession is not usually taken seriously by others and those that teach might begin to feel beaten down by the many negative stigmas surrounding their profession.
Low-Paying
Teaching will never bring you wealth because teachers are grossly underpaid. For this reason, do not go into teaching for the money. Many teachers are forced to work part-time positions during the school year and/or find jobs over the summer to supplement their meager income. Many states offer first-year teacher salaries that are below their state’s poverty level, so only those that really want to be teaching should teach.
Constantly Changes
Best practices in education change like the wind.Some trends are readily accepted while others are dismissed as pointless by most teachers. Policymakers and administrators often force teachers to change up their practice and this can be particularly frustrating. Teachers have to invest enough time into planning, instruction, and assessment without having to also learn and implement new approaches.
Standardized Testing
The emphasis on standardized testing in the United States increases each year. Teachers are judged and evaluated on the test scores of their students and these evaluations carry more and more weight in measuring a teacher's overall performance and effectiveness. You are considered a great teacher if your students score well, terrible if they fail or perform below average—no matter how students usually do.
Lack of Support
Parents and families of students determine how easy a teacher's year will be. The best parents respect your expertise and are supportive and engaged in their child’s education, but unfortunately, this is not often the norm. Many parents complain about the choices you have made, argue with you rather than support you, and are not involved in their child's academic life. All of this reflects poorly on you.
Behavioral Management
Classroom management and student discipline take up disproportionate amounts of a teacher's time and energy. Many students take advantage of their teachers and test their limits. Teachers must be careful that their methods of discipline cannot be perceived as unfair or too harsh by anyone, especially families and administrators, while also demanding the respect of their students. Those uncomfortable with discipline are not right for this job.
Political
Politics play a key role in local, state, and federal levels of education. The majority of political decisions concerning education are made with cutting costs in mind and budget slashes have huge impacts on how effectively schools run. Politicians constantly push mandates on schools and teachers without seeking input from educators themselves or considering the impact on education. Politics within schools also make a teacher's life much more difficult than it should be.
High Stress
Teaching comes with surprisingly high levels of stress. There is so much that teachers are expected to accomplish each year and curricula are often unrealistic about goals. In the end, a teacher has to figure out how to get the results they are expected to get within a system that regularly works against them while juggling more external factors than most people can handle.
Paperwork
Grading and lesson planning are both time-consuming and monotonous activities that teachers must make time for. On top of these, teachers have to complete paperwork for absences, classroom level reporting, personalized learning plans, and discipline referrals. Prep hours never give teachers enough time to get everything done.
Time Consuming
As mentioned, a teacher's work is not confined to the hours that school is in session. Many teachers arrive early, stay late, spend time working on the weekends and evenings, or some combination of these. A great deal of preparation goes into each day and the work doesn't stop when the school year ends. Summers are spent organizing and cleaning the room and/or attending professional developments.
FAQs
What are the pros of teaching? ›
- Make a positive impact. Help your students develop, learn and have a positive influence on future generations. ...
- Be a role model. ...
- Embrace a balanced lifestyle. ...
- Have variety in your career. ...
- Join the school community. ...
- Share your passion. ...
- Enjoy the rewards and financial incentives.
- No student input into lesson and therefore may fail to foster 'deeper learning'.
- It does not allow for creative thinking by students.
- Assumes all individuals are of the same abilities and motivations and therefore restricts or hurries individual progressions.
- Stressful Work Environment. ...
- Constantly Changing Environment. ...
- Taking Your Work Home. ...
- Lack of Respect. ...
- Embracing the Challenges. ...
- Interested in Becoming a Teacher?
1) Education, the most important thing for us, can't be achieved without a teacher. 2) A teacher provides a nation with doctors, engineers, scientists, officers, etc. 3) A child can never shape his life and future without a teacher. 4) He/she enables us to differentiate between right and wrong.
What are the challenges of teaching? ›- Understanding the different learning challenges amongst students. ...
- Student family problems & bullying. ...
- Lack of funding. ...
- Lack of effective communication. ...
- Being encouraging and motivating under challenging times. ...
- Disciplining students. ...
- Endless paperwork & extended working hours.
Internally, issues such as student discipline problems, student assemblies, extra-curricular activities, and even announcements interrupt the flow of the school day. These are only some of the many issues that serve as a disruption for teachers and students.
Why do people love teaching? ›Teaching is really rewarding. It's satisfying to see children progress both academically and non-academically as rounded people and future citizens. You might not realise it but you are the children's role model.
Is teaching a good job? ›Is teaching a good career choice? Again – yes! Whether you get into teaching for a few years or a lifelong career, it's a respected profession that is sure to enhance your professional skills in many ways. Firstly, you'll build skills such as organization, motivating others, coaching, creativity and public speaking.
Is teacher job stressful? ›There are events to prepare for, targets to meet, we all do work beyond our office hours. Life isn't so easy as it seems.” To add to it all, there is a lot of stress. Another teacher shared, “I know an ex-colleague who crumbled under pressure and finally quit.”
What is the advantage and disadvantages? ›As nouns, the difference between disadvantage and advantage is that disadvantage is a weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con while the advantage is any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means, particularly favorable to success, or any desired end.
What are the disadvantages of teaching and learning resources? ›
- Quality issues. ...
- Lack of human interaction between teachers and students. ...
- Language and/or cultural barriers. ...
- Technological issues. ...
- Intellectual property/copyright concerns. ...
- Sustainability issues.
Drawbacks of a Teacher-Centered Classroom
This method works best when the instructor can make the lesson interesting; absent this, students may get bored, their minds may wander and they may miss key information. Students work alone, missing potential opportunities to share the process of discovery with their peers.
- Sunday Scaries. ...
- Life Out of Balance. ...
- Taking Stress Home. ...
- Low-Self Esteem. ...
- It's Not Meant to Be. ...
- Leaving Teaching because the Spark is Gone.
- Career Quicksand. ...
- Leaving Teaching because you've become a Negative Nelly.
In some cases, students may not believe that the teacher is smart, or a good authority on the subject, or the teacher may not take the class seriously or be habitually unprepared. –Lack of engagement from instructor.
What are the 4 roles of a teacher? ›Generally, the role of a teacher in education goes beyond teaching. In today's world, teaching has different faces, and a teacher has to carry out the part of being an external parent, counselor, mentor, role model, and so on.
What is the main role of a teacher? ›Broadly speaking, the function of teachers is to help students learn by imparting knowledge to them and by setting up a situation in which students can and will learn effectively.
Why is teaching so hard? ›The Workload is Too Much
The stress and pressure that comes from the job have become increasingly overwhelming. Long gone are the days of just teaching content. Teachers are expected to do more with less time and less financial support. Each year something more is added to our plates, but nothing is taken away.
Teaching is arguably harder now than ever before for many reasons, including student behavior, rapidly changing technology, and low pay. This article will explore several of the reasons that teaching has become such a challenging profession. Student behavior can be a serious problem for teachers at some schools.
What is the most difficult situation that you experience in teaching? ›Balancing the different learning needs of students
Every student who walks through my door is different. There is a built-in way to handle this challenge that all teachers use. It's called differentiation—meaning to put as many ways of learning into a lesson as you can.
Teaching is one of the hardest jobs in the world, a lesson I learned well over the past 18 years. But it's also one of the very best jobs in the world, and I wish a happy and successful new school year for all those who will be returning to the classroom in just a few weeks.
What is the best grade to teach? ›
If your really love helping young learners grow and play, preschool, kindergarten, or grades 1 through 3 are great. If you're more interested in helping children develop good thinking skills as they mature, grade 4 is a good place to start.
Is life as a teacher easy? ›Being a teacher is not easy and it is not smooth sailing. It takes years of personal and professional struggle to decide on it as a vocation.
What motivates me to be a teacher? ›The best reason to be a teacher is that you want to have a positive, inspiring impact on children's lives. You achieve this by being kind, caring, empathic, passionate and funny. These are great qualities that a teacher should possess.
Why do I want to be a teacher? ›A few common reasons people want to teach are: they love learning and being in a learning environment. teaching is a job with a lot of variety. teaching is a way of serving their communities.
Why did you choose teaching? ›Many teachers discover that their love of children draws them to teaching, or that their own love of learning makes them passionate about teaching. Some teachers enter the profession because they're eager to make a difference—people tend to remember their teachers for an entire lifetime, long after school is over.
Is being a teacher hard? ›Teaching is definitely a tough, misunderstood job. Maybe it's because we all went to school (see reason No. 2) or perhaps it has to do with the way teaching has been depicted in movies, but for some reason lots of folks underestimate the difficulty of being a teacher.
Should I be a teacher? ›If you're ready to pursue a career with purpose, receive excellent benefits, earn a dependable salary, and form meaningful relationships with students, parents, and colleagues alike, teaching is the career for you. Not only is teaching a rewarding career, it is also the #1 most-secure job in the nation!
Do teachers get paid in the summer? ›In most teaching positions, teachers are not paid over the summer break. Usually, teachers can choose to receive their paychecks over a 10-month period or over a span of 12 months. Many teachers choose to take a prorated salary even at a lower monthly rate to keep a steady income throughout the entire year.
Are teachers happy? ›A little more than half of teachers are satisfied with their jobs, and only 12 percent say they're “very satisfied” with their jobs, down from 39 percent in 2012. More than half of teachers said they likely wouldn't advise their younger self to pursue a career in teaching.
How much do teachers make an hour? ›The average hourly wage for a Public School Teacher in the United States is $27 as of September 26, 2022, but the range typically falls between $22 and $33.
Is teaching worth it in 2022? ›
Increased teaching shortages during the 2020-2021 academic year have heightened the demand for quality teachers heading into 2022. If you have been considering a career in teaching, now is the ideal time to work toward that goal.
Are people happier after leaving teaching? ›There are several examples of posts I shared from people who left teaching and described feeling a lot happier, less stressed and healthier. They also reported having more time for their own families.
What is the world's toughest job? ›1. Military. All military roles have their difficulties, but challenging roles such as a marine and mercenary are among the hardest in the world. These positions require soldiers to put their lives at risk on a daily basis.
How many new teachers quit? ›Overall, more than 44 percent of new teachers leave the profession within five years.
What is the advantage and disadvantages? ›As nouns, the difference between disadvantage and advantage is that disadvantage is a weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con while the advantage is any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means, particularly favorable to success, or any desired end.
What are the disadvantages of teaching and learning resources? ›- Quality issues. ...
- Lack of human interaction between teachers and students. ...
- Language and/or cultural barriers. ...
- Technological issues. ...
- Intellectual property/copyright concerns. ...
- Sustainability issues.
- Lectures are the cultural norm of adult education.
- Lectures inflate the trainer's ego.
- Lectures do not require extensive preparation.
- Lectures permit efficient coverage of content in a limited time.
- Lectures can reach a large group at the same time.
Bullying | Community Exclusion |
---|---|
Physical Limitations | Poor Living Conditions |
Poor Social Skills | Poor Working Conditions |
Poverty | Racism / Systemic Racism |
Social Distress | Social Exclusion |
- Pros.
- Freedom. There's no denying that one of the best parts of being an entrepreneur is the complete freedom you have to do your own thing. ...
- Flexibility. And with all that extra responsibility comes flexibility. ...
- Control. ...
- Profits. ...
- Cons.
- Responsibility. ...
- Risk.
Yes, the two terms imply the same. 'Pros and cons' comes from Latin pro et contra meaning 'for and against'. It actually means 'the positive and negative aspects of an argument'. I would add that "advantages and disadvantages" is probably more formal that "pros and cons".
What are the disadvantages of teacher-centered approach? ›
Drawbacks of a Teacher-Centered Classroom
This method works best when the instructor can make the lesson interesting; absent this, students may get bored, their minds may wander and they may miss key information. Students work alone, missing potential opportunities to share the process of discovery with their peers.
It refers to the work or profession of teachers. The art and science of facilitating students' construction of meaning and understanding. Learn more in: Collaborative Learning as a Pedagogical Tool to Improve Students' Learning. 27. The act of imparting knowledge or giving instructions by a faculty to students.
Is teacher job stressful? ›There are events to prepare for, targets to meet, we all do work beyond our office hours. Life isn't so easy as it seems.” To add to it all, there is a lot of stress. Another teacher shared, “I know an ex-colleague who crumbled under pressure and finally quit.”
Is teaching a good career? ›Is teaching a good career choice? Again – yes! Whether you get into teaching for a few years or a lifelong career, it's a respected profession that is sure to enhance your professional skills in many ways. Firstly, you'll build skills such as organization, motivating others, coaching, creativity and public speaking.
Is being a teacher hard? ›Teaching is definitely a tough, misunderstood job. Maybe it's because we all went to school (see reason No. 2) or perhaps it has to do with the way teaching has been depicted in movies, but for some reason lots of folks underestimate the difficulty of being a teacher.
What is the biggest disadvantage to the lecture method of teaching? ›Disadvantages of the lecture
In lectures students are often passive because there is no mechanism to ensure that they are intellectually engaged with the material. Students' attention wanes quickly after fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Information tends to be forgotten quickly when students are passive.
- Teacher-Centered Instruction. ...
- Small Group Instruction. ...
- Student-Centered / Constructivist Approach. ...
- Project-Based Learning. ...
- Montessori. ...
- Inquiry-Based Learning. ...
- Flipped Classroom. ...
- Cooperative Learning.
Advantages of Lecture
Instructors can use lectures to help students easily acquire knowledge of terms, basic facts, and simple concepts. Lectures are as effective, but not more effective, than other methods in transmitting simple information (Bligh, 2000).