Description of Career Choice
Different people pursue different careers in their lives. While some pursue certain careers in order to earn money and fame, others focus on careers that give them satisfaction. This is because being in a fulfilling career is more important than being in a different career because of money, regardless of whether there is fulfilment or not. I have chosen to become a mathematics teacher, and this is the career I would like to pursue.
Teaching is the best career for me because it would give me an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students by assisting them to achieve their goals in life. A teacher basically assists students in learning and understanding different concepts in a subject. Since mathematics is a difficult subject to many students, my aim would be to help them to apply concepts that they learn in order to perform well in their examinations.
A mathematics teacher is required to report to school every day and interact with students in their classes. Since mathematics is a core subject that every student should study, it is taught everyday, unlike other subjects that are not taught every day. As a mathematics teacher, I would be spending some time outside the classroom to assist students who need help in different topics. My career as a teacher would, therefore involve assisting students on a daily basis for them to perform well and pursue their goals in life.
Reasons behind the Career Choice
There are various reasons that have compelled me to choose teaching as the career that I would like to pursue. The first reason is that I have a passion for teaching. A teacher is responsible for transforming the lives of young people. Teachers play an important role in ensuring that students identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to pursue the right careers in life. Before individuals achieve their short- term and long- term goals in life, they must pass through the hands of teachers. Great people in the world among them presidents, famous scholars and many other professionals achieve their goals in life because of teachers. The fulfilment of teachers is to see students prosper and achieve great things in their lives. This is the fulfilment I would like to achieve as a mathematics teacher.
The second reason why I have chosen teaching as my preferred career is that it is flexible. Teachers have flexible working hours, and this gives them an opportunity to relax and do important things that contribute to their well-being. This is usually not possible in other careers, which require people to work for long hours and even during the weekends. As a result, I would be able to teach and get involved in social and personal activities.
Educational Requirements for the Career
Different careers have specific educational qualifications that individuals must attain in order to work effectively. For one to become a mathematics teacher, the basic requirement is a bachelor’s degree, with mathematics as one of the teaching subjects studied. A qualified teacher can teach in both public and private schools. Generally, a mathematics teacher is required to finish a teacher training program. The program demands that students should complete a certain number of teaching subjects and education credits. In addition, they should go for student teaching as part of their course work. This is aimed at ensuring that they can teach effectively before being employed as teachers. Many schools in the United States accept students who have bachelor’s degrees in relevant areas (McKay 5).
Apart from educational qualifications, teachers are also expected to fulfil other requirements. For instance, teachers who teach in public schools in the District of Columbia should have licenses, which are issued by state boards or educational departments. In addition, they must pass an exam that is aimed at testing their competence in the subject areas that they would teach in secondary schools.
Career Prospects
Currently, there is a high demand for mathematics teachers because of the increased number of secondary schools that have been opened to provide education to students. Individuals who graduate with degrees from other fields such as business, engineering and art, among others, find it difficult to get jobs because of competition in the job market. However, this is not the case with teachers, especially mathematics teachers, because their number is not very large.
For example, in 2008, 3.5 million jobs in the United States were in the teaching field. This indicates that there is a high demand for mathematics teachers; hence it would not be very difficult to get a job (Goodland and McMannon 23).
Career advancement is also an important factor that individuals should consider before they make decisions about careers that they would like to pursue. There are good career advancement chances in the teaching field.
After acquiring significant experience as a mathematics teacher, it would be possible for me to rise to the position of a school administrator. Since going for further studies while in the teaching profession is not difficult, it would also be possible for me to acquire additional training, which would enable me to become a professional in guidance and counselling. Teaching is, therefore, a career that I would like to pursue because it has good career advancement chances (Brace 6).
Future Career Outlook
Statistics have shown that the demand for teachers has been growing very fast. By 2018, there would be excellent job opportunities for teachers. However, this would be determined by the subjects that a teacher has specialized in, his/her grade and location of the school. For instance, demand for mathematics, bi-lingual education and science teachers would be very high. In addition, teachers willing to teach in schools that are considered to be less desirable would be in high demand. Shortage of teachers in other countries is also a common problem. This implies that in future, there would be teaching opportunities in foreign countries for willing teachers (Ornstein and Levine 25).
Salary
Teachers are not among workers who get very high salaries, but they earn salaries that enable them to live well and meet their basic needs. The salaries are based on the type of school where an individual teaches. For instance, secondary school teachers earn about $52,200 annually. However, it is expected that teachers would be earning higher salaries in future.
Training Institutions
To become a competent mathematics teacher, it would be important for me to attend a good training institution that would equip me with adequate knowledge. Some of the renowned institutions that produce qualified teachers include Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin, Columbia University, New York University, Stanford University and the University of California, among others. I would attend one of these institutions to get relevant training.
Works Cited
Brace, Harcourt. Is Teaching A Profession? 1995. Web.
Goodland, John and T. McMannon. The Teaching Career. New York: Teachers College Press, 2004. Print.
McKay, Dawn. Teacher: Career Information. 2013. Web.
Ornestein, Allan and D. Levine. Foundations of Education. New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.