7 Rules for a Successful Teaching Career
The beginning of any career serves as the foundation for success
Some teachers start their careers and feel limited while others thrive and are open to new challenges. It is important to write down your goals and to develop a career road map that you will follow. Having a plan will give you a way to measure whether you are on the right path. You can determine the right adjustments to make as your plan unfolds. You should make it your goal to become an outstanding teacher who is always striving for the best. It will require a lot of hard work, but it will pay off in the end. The hard work will require you to have an ability to be a good listener. You can take the knowledge that you obtain and wrap it into your career.
Begin your career with enthusiasm for learning. You can learn from mentors, from professional development training, and by attending conferences. You will need to think out of the box and go for unique online workshops and courses. The best teachers who advance are continual learners. Pursuing an additional degree is one of the best ways to add to your credibility. There are many different methods that you can use to get more education. While the majority of classes are held in a classroom, some are held online. Pursuing a degree will mean that you are doing research on topics that come up while you are providing instruction. The knowledge that you will acquire will enable you to pursue additional leadership roles.
Don’t allow yourself to get stuck just using one instructional method when you are teaching. The students in your class all have different learning styles. Some are auditory, visual, and some tactile. The master teacher knows how to incorporate all of the learning styles in their class. Your students should reflect your ability to convey the topic that you are teaching. Realize that there is always room for personal and professional growth.
There are several things you can do to expand your career options:
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Take time to write down and assess the goals that you have accomplished each week
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Find mentors who will motivate you to excel in your career
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Attend education lectures that are offered at local colleges
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Become an active member in a national teacher’s association
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Focus on your own health and fitness
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Take advantage of social networks like Linkedin. Then join several teacher groups
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Constantly renew your mind by reading
You are the person who can steer your career path in the right direction
Don’t stay locked in at one school. You can learn from seeing different leadership and teaching styles at various schools. Some teachers have taught a long time, but they continue to innovate in their classroom. They may even ask you for some of your ideas. This is a great time to exchange ideas and to bring up some of your own career questions. If you are fresh out of college, you should think of ways that you can contribute to the schools overall student achievement levels. Your knowledge can make a valuable contribution to the atmosphere of the school.
There is no limit to what you can accomplish during your career. Look for opportunities to volunteer and lead projects in your community. Volunteering will connect you with the students that you are teaching in a unique way. You may also get more participation from the students’ parents. Volunteering will help you to implement another level of creativity that you can incorporate into your teaching career. You might consider volunteering to lead a Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop. This type of experience can help you to think of ways to incorporate leadership into your classes.
You should be prepared and have a résumé that reflects all of the experiences that you’ve accumulated. You want to tell the story about the way that your career is shaping you into a professional. You should always be ready to share your résumé with a contact that you have met in the course of your daily school related activities. Your task is to make it a résumé that stands out from all of the rest. Some human resource offices are looking for teaching experience and creativity. Also, some employers are using scanners that look for key words. Make sure that your résumé is rich with teaching and other education- related experiences and words.
Teaching is one of the largest professions in the United States. Use each career move as an opportunity to learn something new and exciting. Prepare for opportunities to move into new positions that will occur throughout the year. You may be asked to become a department chair or to lead an important new committee. Get ready to achieve great things, and your career will blossom right in front of your eyes. Your preparation will overcome challenges that you may be confronting due to a lack of resources.
