Education jobs cover everything from teacher's assistants to school administrators. The purpose of educators is to teach future generations, to prepare them for their future jobs, and to help them become productive members of society. People in the education industry need to possess a great understanding and love for children. Their jobs can be very difficult yet very rewarding at the same time. Educators are a vital part of society and are extremely important for the future of our world.
Education Jobs Outlook
The education field will continue to grow in all areas. Special education, science, math, and bilingual education teaching positions will be in higher demand as will positions for self-enrichment educators and post secondary educators. With many teachers expected to retire in coming years, there will be many positions to fill. In the western and southern regions, teachers will also be in higher demand due to their quickly growing populations.
Types of Education Jobs Available
As mentioned above, the types of education jobs available vary. You can choose to become a middle or secondary school teacher and focus on only one subject, or teach elementary school and be a multi-subject teacher. You may be more interested in teaching pre-school and may choose the type of work environment you desire. We will go over the different education jobs available and what each position entails.
- Teacher's Assistant- Teacher's assistants do not need to possess a four year degree in order to obtain their position. There are both full-time and part-time positions available for teacher's assistants. Their main duties include: helping to reinforce what the teacher is teaching students, working with small groups of students, giving students individual attention, working on special projects, preparing equipment or other needed materials for the teacher, grading papers, checking homework, and organizing classroom materials. Yard duty attendants and cafeteria workers are also education jobs that fall under the title of teacher's assistant.
- Preschool Teachers- Preschool teachers use play and interactive activities to teach children. Stories, rhyming, singing, and acting all help young children with language and vocabulary development. Counting games, matching shapes, and mixing colors all teach math concepts. Preschool teachers incorporate dancing, art, and music into lesson plans to aid in the learning experience.
- Kindergarten Teachers- Much like preschool teachers, kindergarten teachers use play and creative activities to teach children. At this age, letter recognition, number recognition, nature, science, and phonics become a priority so many of the activities kindergarten teachers do with their students focus on these things. Many schools are also beginning to switch to full-day kindergarten instead of half-day because kindergarteners are now required to learn more before they move on to first grade.
- Elementary School Teachers- In most schools, elementary teachers teach a class with only one grade level and teach multiple subjects. However, in some schools, the teachers have classes with more than one grade level of students and others teach in groups with each teacher focusing on one subject. In addition, many elementary schools operate on the 10 months on/2 months off school year schedule, but some have switched to a year round schedule of five weeks on and one week off with a five week break for the winter holidays.
- Middle School Teachers- At this grade level, students need more focused learning in each subject. For this reason, teachers generally teach one subject such as English, mathematics, history, or science. In middle school, there is usually a homeroom teacher as well that has the students for a larger portion of the day. As with elementary school, many middle schools operate on the 10 months on/2 months off schedule, but some have switched to the full year schedule.
- Secondary or High School Teachers- Teachers tend to focus on one subject as middle school teachers do but they also teach vocational classes or career and technology classes. These classes include healthcare, business, auto repair, communications and technology. In addition, at this level, teachers and counselors offer more career guidance and information on job placement.
- Educational Administrators- This position manages day to day activities in schools, and supervise the staff at the school they direct. At the elementary school, middle school, and secondary school level, educational administrators are called principals. Assistant principals or vice principals assist the principal. Some Schools have more than one vice-principal. At the district level administrators oversee more than one public school in their region. Preschools and childcare centers have only one director that oversees the school. In colleges and universities there are provosts or chief academic officers, academic deans, deans of faculty, directors of development, department heads or chairpersons, vice presidents of student affairs, deans of students, registrars, directors of admissions, financial aid directors, and athletic directors. All of these positions oversee different areas of the college or university for which they are employed.
Training for educational jobs varies from position to position. A teacher's assistant may only need to have a high school diploma; however a two year degree would be beneficial. Preschool teachers need to have a certain number of child development units to lead a classroom. This requirement varies from state to state. Teachers need a four year degree and some type of approved teacher training program; these programs also vary from state to state. Teachers must also get licensed in the state they desire to teach in. Most educational administrators begin their careers as teachers. A master's degree is generally a requirement for becoming an educational administrator. However, preschool administrators do not need to have a master's degree, though usually a bachelor's degree is required. At the college and university level, administrators usually have been professors, which require a master's or doctoral degree, because of this no further education is required to advance to the administrative position.
Is The Educational Field Right for You?
Now that you know the requirements for an educational job, the duties for the different positions, and the prospected job outlook for these positions the only thing left is to decide if this is the field for you. Do you have the patience, creativity, and drive it takes to teach future generations? If so, good luck. You have chosen to go into a field that can be very rewarding and give you great joy. Educational jobs are one of the most important fields out there. Everyday that you go to work you will be making a difference in a child's life. What could be better than that?
