Role: teaching in K-12 classrooms

Teaching is an exciting and rewarding profession — one that many see as a lifetime commitment, not just a job.

The potential impact that Kindergarten through Grade 12 teaching can have on society makes it a compelling field to many people seeking to make a difference.

This guide includes the following sections:

• Learn more about teaching: Learn more about the teaching profession and the daily life of teachers.
• Pathways: There are many ways to pursue an interest in education. Consider graduate study, work in independent and public schools, work with youth outside schools, and teaching abroad.
• Ask the right questions: Ask yourself and your future colleagues some hard questions before you begin.
• Resources: Resources to support you in your search for work in education.

Consider the myriad of paths available to work in education. While this guide touches on many options, no document can replace conversation. Seek out advisors, current educators, and teachers who inspired you in the past to talk more about your goals and interests. Contact people who have wrestled with these choices, talk with other students considering similar options, and pursue some of the leads discussed here.

Special thanks to staff of Brown University's Swearer Center, Career Services, Education Department and the Venture Consortium.

Investigate your options

Learn more about teaching

The field of teacher preparation is in a period of continuous change, matched by rapid reform and experimentation in the shape and structure of our nation's schools.

• Traditional certification programs at colleges and universities are re-examining how they prepare teachers for the realities of the modern American classroom.
• Alternative certification and licensing programs are sprouting up in states with a dearth of qualified teachers.
• National service corps that work in public schools — like Teach For America, City Year, the Inner-City Teaching Corps of Chicago, MATCH Corps, Blue Engine, and many others — are blazing trails in preparing non-education majors to effectively enter public school classrooms.
• And the traditional public school system is being challenged by the advent of charter schools and other public-private partnerships that are fostering new administrative structures, requirements and cultures.

A substantial teacher shortage exists the United States in some regions, while in others, funding cuts have forced the layoffs of experienced teachers while recent graduates of education programs must substitute, work as paraprofessionals, or put off teaching altogether.

Learn more about the daily life of teachers

• Education Week's Teacher Beat blog presents a wide range of issues facing the nation's teachers currently and historically.
• The U.S. Department of Education links to an array of organizations and resources for people considering paths to teaching careers.
• Voices from the Field is an online periodical produced by the Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown. The publication highlights stories of school reform from the perspective of teachers.
• The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a federally-funded national information system that provides a variety of services and products on a broad range of education-related issues through its subject-specific clearinghouses.
• What to Expect Your First Year of Teaching, produced by ERIC, covers academic preparation and meeting state certification requirements.
• Quality Counts is an annual report from Education Week on state-level efforts to improve public education.
• The Urban Teacher Challenge: Teacher Demand and Supply in the Great City Schools (PDF) is a study by The Urban Teacher Collaborative — the Council of the Great City Schools, Recruiting New Teachers, Inc. and Council of the Great City Colleges of Education.

Listen to the voices of youth

What do youth think? What issues are they facing and how do they describe themselves and their needs? Learning to really listen to those you hope to teach can be one of the most important skills any educator or mentor can gain. Consider:

• Hear Us Out is a collection of essays from youth across the country about schools and school reform. Fires in the Bathroom: Advice from Kids on the Front Line of High School features youth voices about school from youth across the nation. Both of these resources were compiled by What Kids Can Do, an electronic portal to news of youth and youth action.
• Youth Outlook is a monthly journal of youth life in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
• Youth Channel is a television production group that gives youth in New York City a platform for their views of social issues.
  

Pathways

Several options are available to you to pursue your interest in teaching and education. Two comprehensive resources to consider in addition to those detailed in this guide are Becoming a Teacher, from the Educational Resources Information Center and Pathways to Teaching from Recruiting New Teachers.

Some of the options available to you include:

• Graduate school
• Teaching at an independent school
• Participating in a school-based national service corps

Ask the right questions

With any program or any job, we encourage you to ask some hard questions of yourself and your prospective employer. As a new teacher one of the most important things to look for is adequate support. Think about the following questions posed by faculty at Brown University's Education Department:

• Will I have a mentor?
• Does the school administration understand that I will need support during my first few years as a new teacher?
• Will I be linked to other beginning teachers actually or virtually?
• Are there veteran teachers at the school I can observe and learn from?
• Is support built into the job or program?
• Will I be working as part of a team of teachers?
• Do I have to ask for support or will it be offered?
• Who provides the support? Are they experienced teachers?

More questions to consider about joining any community program, compiled by the staff at Brown's Swearer Center for Public Service, are available here.

You should also ask some questions of yourself. The following questions were suggested by people who are currently working in education:

• Am I willing to give up large amounts of my personal time for my work?
• What kind of schedule do I want my life to have?
• Am I prepared to work with students on issues outside of the subject matter I will be teaching?
• Am I prepared to deal with discipline and being an authority figure?

You might also consult 'I Won't Learn from You:' And Other Thoughts on Creative Maladjustment by Herbert R. Kohl, for other thoughts.

Resources

Potential resources for college or graduate students:

Career Service Office

• Check out the career library for resources on teaching in public, private and international schools. Look for books, periodicals, job listings and web sites.
• Make an appointment with a Career Counselor for advice about researching and applying for summer jobs and full-time teaching jobs or programs. Ask if there is someone who specializes in helping students become teachers.
• Career service offices also often offer workshops and programs on teaching careers.

School of Education

• Take one of the numerous courses on teaching, schools and education policy.
• Speak with students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs in elementary or secondary teaching.
• Seek out faculty who have experience as classroom teachers and as mentors to new teachers.

Community Engagement Office

• Get involved in a community-based program or with the local public schools.
• Ask staff for advice on community work and career choices.

Resources for all:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes an Occupational Outlook Handbook annually, with a section devoted to teaching careers and the training and education you'll need, earnings and job outlook, and job descriptions and conditions.

• Idealist's Public Service Graduate Education Resource Center offers an overview of education graduate degrees.

• A wide array of books is devoted to careers in education. Check out:
  • The Essential Career Guide to Becoming a Middle and High School Teacher by Robert W. Maloy
  • Career Opportunities in Education by Susan Echaore-McDavid

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