What New Teachers Need to Know:
- There will always be periods of intense teacher shortages in the areas of Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Exceptional Children.
- The teaching profession is subject to budget shortages resulting in hiring freezes or reduction in force practices by school districts.
- The teaching profession is often referred to as the “fallback” profession; this profession becomes the choice of last resort.
- The teaching profession will require you to wear many hats such as: Communicator, Counselor, Disciplinarian, Surrogate Parent, and Role Model. Each of these hats requires practice and skills that are often not taught in teacher preparation programs.
- In the teaching profession, the work day does not end when the bell rings. This profession will require additional time sacrifices to engage in important activities such as: serving on committees, grading homework, calling/meeting with parents, and assisting students after school.
- Inherent in the teaching profession are many rewards for those who have a passion for education.
Advice for New Teachers:
- Enter the teaching profession because you want to make a difference in the lives of children.
- Not every person who wants to be a teacher should be a teacher. You must have the appropriate temperment, skills, personality, and cultural sensitivity awareness.
- Before entering the profession, gather as much information about education as you can.
- When selecting a program of study, choose one that offers a rich balance of subject matter content courses, pedagogy and clinical experiences, and technological advancement.
- Once employed, seek the support of co-workers and build a solid foundation for learning how to teach.