Most of us feel that in order to work in the educational sector that becoming a teacher is the most obvious option. And while there are so many different strands in the educational sector when you are considering the overall impacts of working within an educational institute it’s not just about high school. You have also got to think about your own predilection towards stress. It seems that now there are so many people that are going into education ill-prepared for the workload. But you can still choose a career path that is rewarding for you. Let’s highlight a few options.
College Professor
It seems to be the pinnacle of the educational sector. And while the average college professor salary can entice many people in, it’s important to remember that you’ve got to put in the leg work over the years. College professors are very specialized and have had numerous experiences within their chosen industry. To become a college professor, it requires a lot of networking knowledge as well as the qualifications to back it up, as well as dedicating a lot of time within the field. The usual route that people take is to follow up their degree with a master’s and then go towards a PhD, but it all depends on the institution. You can very easily apply for a university that doesn’t have the same reputation as somewhere like MIT. But you must remember that with being a college professor comes a lot of pressure in a professional sense and in a social one.
Kindergarten Teacher
On the opposite end of the teaching spectrum, there are kindergarten teachers. It’s very easy to assume that being a kindergarten teacher is less stressful than a college professor. But ask anyone that’s had to keep control of a class of kids, and they can tell you that it’s a unique type of stress! Becoming a kindergarten teacher usually means going through a degree program. They may ask you to complete a diploma in education, and it doesn’t hurt to have additional experience in working with children. It’s a very common stepping stone from child care workers or those that look after children in daycare centers. As a career choice, it’s an incredibly rewarding one because you are building the foundation for these little ones. And while we can very easily dismiss it as an opportunity to play all day, children at this age are going to form their learning styles and personalities. This means that there is a lot of hard work to provide those children with the skills to progress academically. It’s not just about the milk and cookies! You’ve also got to remember that this is the first time that the children have been away from home for any length of time. This could very well be a shock to the system and each individual child could display challenging behavior. There are also plenty of potential safeguarding issues associated with being a kindergarten teacher. To be a great kindergarten teacher it requires a very strong-minded person who is able to multitask efficiently.
Guidance Counselor
It’s not just about teaching children or students but you can work in the educational sector by providing guidance. Every school has a guidance counselor and this is a crucial way to springboard children towards their ideal career choice. Becoming a guidance counselor can mean getting a few years’ experience in other areas. Educational institutes like to see that you’ve got a background in helping others. And we’ve all had a brush with that guidance counselor that put us off doing something we love for life. This is something that we’ve got to consider if we are to help children to find their ideal calling in life that we got to give them the resources. A guidance counselor is someone who can give a child a direction when they didn’t think they had one. It’s not just about looking at the academic skills; it’s about seeing where they can improve on their other skills. So many teachers can shoot someone down because they don’t have the necessary academics. This is where you come into play. Giving children a foundation by helping them choose an ideal career for their skills but also giving other options should they not meet the academic requirements can be a challenge. Now, imagine doing this for hundreds of children!
Freelance Tutor
If you don’t want to be held down in a job you might want to go down the freelance option. Many people are choosing the freelance way of life because of the freedom that it offers. If you have got a very specific set of academic skills you could use these tutor children who aren’t getting along as well as they should in school. Tutoring becomes a lifeline for many parents. And if you’ve got a very unique set of skills, whether it’s in English or mathematics, this can help prepare your children for exam time. As well as this you don’t necessarily have to prepare them for academic success; you could help them in other areas. Teaching children musical instruments is a very popular auction and if you’ve got the necessary skills as well as the qualifications to back it up, this can prove to be a lucrative income. But you have to remember that to be an efficient tutor you’ve got to market yourself properly. When you start out you may not be able to acquire a huge client base but this is where word of mouth can help you. You have also got to remember that tutoring is, to an extent, quite an anti-social job. You will predominantly be teaching people after school hours or on weekends.
Jobs in the educational sector are numerous. You can choose freelance options, be a college professor or teach children in elementary school and many more. But while there are so many different options the most important thing to remember is that you have the resilience to make a success of it. Teaching people is about seeing the potential in them that they didn’t know they had. If you want to help people and nurture them towards a better life you cannot do much better than teaching.
