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Selecting a career path is challenging and exciting because there are so many things to consider as you prepare to work in Wisconsin’s great public school system, where our high school students have placed at or near the top on the ACT for many years.
A good place to start is a self-assessment focused on your interests and talents. Ask yourself these questions:
If you answered yes to all or most of these questions you probably would enjoy teaching. The challenges are exciting, and the rewards are priceless. Few accomplishments in life can measure up to the smile on a young boy’s face when he first realizes that he can read, or the delight expressed by a young woman who solves her first calculus problem. So, if you want to inspire and instruct the next generation of musicians, mathematicians, nurses, scientists, astronauts, and philosophers, choose teaching!
What is good teaching?
These are the thoughts of By Richard Leblanc, York University, Ontario. Although this was written for college teachers, his ideas apply across all teaching levels. This list first appeared in The Teaching Professor. Downloaded from the internet on April 15, 2008: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/topten.htm.
Is teaching a good career for the
future?
It’s important that the teachers in our classrooms reflect the diversity of the students. This means that we need more male teachers in the elementary grades and more female teachers in subjects such as mathematics and science.
Wisconsin also fits the national pattern, where, at the current time, more than 95% of all teachers are white. This means that we need more teachers who are African-, Asian-, Hispanic- and Native American. When we look at the school-age population in Wisconsin, we find that it is far more diverse than the general population.
Wisconsin’s School-Age Population
(875,543 students in 2006-07)
| Black/African American | 10.4% |
Hispanic-American |
7.2% |
| Asian-American | 3.6% |
American Indian |
1.5% |
White |
77.3% |
Enrollment by Type of School, 2006-07
| Elementary | 417,626 |
| Middle/Junior High | 159,958 |
| High School | 291,939 |
| Combined Elementary/Middle/High | 7,020 |
Ana Villegas, a professor at Montclair State University, points out that teachers often are the most important authority figure outside the home. She notes that, “When they (students) see only white people as teachers, that can reinforce the negative stereotype in white students and students of color that people of color are not capable of holding positions of authority.”
What can I do as a teacher?
“Teaching is an interesting and challenging profession. It is not for the meek or faint of heart.” This statement, found in Joan DellaValle and Emmett Sawyer’s book, "Teacher Career Starter: The Road to a Rewarding Career," sets forth a challenge and a great opportunity. These challenges and opportunities exist in teaching. You can choose to teach very young children from pre-school through the elementary grades; or you can work with middle and high school students and specialize in the arts, sciences, math, or technology education. You can also teach at the technical college or university level. You may wish to work with physically, emotionally or intellectually challenged children as a teacher, guidance counselor, psychologist, physical or occupational therapist or social worker.
Teaching is a demanding, yet rewarding profession. Wisconsin—where a typical teacher has a master’s degree and 16 years of experience—is known to have one of the best teaching staffs in the nation.
If you choose this career path, you could also have additional opportunities to exercise your talents. You can coach or be an adviser to extra-curricular activities from foreign language clubs to Future Farmers of America. You can use your leadership skills to mentor other teachers, lead curriculum design teams or pursue building and district leadership options as a principal or superintendent. Teachers can also use their leadership talents to advocate for others through involvement in the teachers’ union, professional associations and community organizations.
If these options aren’t enough, you should know that the skills of a teacher are transferable to other professions. Government and business-and-industry employers like to hire teachers because of their abilities to work and communicate effectively with people. This—added to their ability to plan, organize and inspire—makes teachers very attractive as employees. While we never like to lose great teachers from the classroom, it is always nice to know that when you choose a particular career path you will have a wide range of options.
If you want to make a difference–TEACH!!!
What can I expect to earn as a teacher?
The national average teacher’s salary for 2006-2007 was $49,026, according to the National Education Association. The lowest average salary was in South Dakota at $34,709 and the highest average salary was in California at $59,825.
The average teacher salary for a Wisconsin (who has a Master’s Degree and 16 years of teaching experience) in 2007-08 is $46,390. The Wisconsin Education Association Council reports that the average starting pay is about $30,000.
Remember that these salaries are averages. Some teachers earn more, and some earn less. And don’t forget the benefits. Teacher benefits vary by contract but most include the following: contributions to the state retirement system, health insurance, sick leave and dental coverage. Some contracts may include long-term disability insurance, life insurance, emergency/personal leave and investment options.
Posted May 22, 2008