WHY BECOME A TEACHER

The Many Reasons to Become a Teacher

Every potential career path has it perks, and if you're in the process of weighing options for your future, here is a list of reasons why pursuing a teaching career in Georgia should be at the top of your list:

• You Can Move Around. Why choose a profession that ties you down to one location when you can choose one that guarantees you can move around? Once you’re certified to teach in the state of Georgia, you'll be able to choose from a number of options, including all of the public schools in Georgia. And with 2,100 public schools in 180 school systems throughout Georgia, you’ll have a lot of options should life changes (following a spouse to a new job, for instance) necessitate the need for a move.
 

• You Can Move Up. Teaching isn't just a job; it's a profession. As a teacher, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for advancement. Teachers can become department heads, administrators, and principals. And you can always go back to school and earn additional degrees, such as a master’s degree and a doctorate. In short, when you become a teacher, you will always have new heights to scale, if you so choose.

• You Can Live Your Own Life. While it certainly doesn’t diminish the work required of them, teachers do have some scheduling perks that no one would want to turn down. First and foremost, there are no two words that have quite the same blissful ring as these: summer vacation. What’s more, teachers who are or eventually become parents are able to enjoy the same schedule as their children. The bottom line is that when you’re a teacher, your job can work well with your personal life.

• You Can Challenge Yourself. Imagine yourself going to work each day to a classroom full of young people looking to be stimulated and ready to learn – how’s that for an exciting challenge? And in today’s world, teaching is much more than just standing in front of a chalkboard; there’s data to crunch and technology to learn, master and incorporate. There’s also the opportunity to become an expert in your subject matter and pass that knowledge along to your students. In other words, teaching is always interesting, always challenging and never just another day in the rat race.

• You Can Give Back to the Community. Of all of the careers to choose from, teaching is one of the most rewarding because it’s inherently of service to the community. Teachers constantly give back to the world around them by preparing young people to make the most of themselves. Teachers provide a hands-on service for the betterment of the community. If you’re looking for a career path that makes a difference, look no further than teaching.

• You Can Find Your Fit. As a teacher, where exactly do you see yourself working? In the inner city? Perhaps in a more ethnically diverse area? Or maybe in a rural environment? Teachers have a lot of choice when it comes to the types of schools in which they teach and the types of students they teach there. Of the 2,100 public schools in the state of Georgia, no two schools are alike, which means that you will surely be able to find the school that is just right for you.

• You Can Have Your Choice. Teaching doesn’t mean giving up a particular interest or a well-loved field of study. When you become a teacher, you can also choose the area in which you want to specialize. Love a subject? Teach it. Not only will you keep your love for your favorite subject matter alive, but you’ll also see that love renewed each day when you impart your knowledge of it to a new generation. You can also choose which grade level or student population to teach. So whether you love English, history, or math, and whether you want to teach high school, grade school or special needs students, the choice is yours.

• You Can Change Someone's Life. If you take a moment to think about it, you can probably remember at least one teacher in your many years of education who made a lasting impression on you. Now imagine yourself making that same kind of lasting impression on someone else. It may sound like a cliché, but as a teacher you will have the opportunity to legitimately make a difference in, at the very least, one person’s life. A positive influence in the classroom can be just as important as one in the home. In the end, few things are as rewarding as helping young people to succeed and reach the height of their potential.