Education Programs

People who dream of becoming a teacher need to have a college degree from an education program at an accredited college or university. To become a public school teacher also requires a credential from the state. Education students must not only complete the necessary courses for their credential but must also student teach in a public school for a set period of time.

At the end of education programs, graduates will be certified to teach certain subjects to students of a certain age. For instance, they might be qualified to teach multiple subjects to elementary students or they might specialize in one subject, such as math or English, and teach it to middle school and high school students.

Education programs vary quite a bit because of differences in education theory related to child development. For instance, education programs that incorporate the ideas of Maria Montessori or Rudolf Steiner (who founded the Montessori and Waldorf schools, respectively) emphasize the importance of students learning by doing.

While most Montessori and Waldorf schools are independent, their growing popularity has influenced public school education as well. Some master’s degree programs qualify students to teach at Waldorf or public schools, but other programs are tailored to one philosophy of teaching rather than both. Currently enrolled undergraduates can complete the requirements of education programs within four years. Also, if students major in another subject and later decide to become a teacher, it will only take them one or two years to earn a teaching credential or a master’s degree in education.

Education Career Paths

An education career can take many different paths. Many people who are interested in a career in education pursue the path to becoming a teacher. If teaching is the chosen education career, it may be helpful to obtain a degree and experience in a specialization. For example, there is an early childhood education (ECE) teacher, a secondary school education teacher, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, or a specialized teacher working with physically, emotionally, or behaviorally-challenged students. There are many opportunities for an educator to develop a niche, increase job satisfaction, and become very marketable to employers.

Once in the classroom, some teachers then set their career goals on becoming involved in school administration. They strive to serve in the capacity of a lead teacher, assistant principal, or even principal.

A related education career for teachers not interested in teaching in the classroom is to become a private tutor. Tutors can work both in the school system and through private arrangements with families. Many after-school and summer programs hire people with an education degree in order to offer the community academic enrichment courses.

Other education career paths can take an entirely different direction; for example, many businesses hire people with an educational degree to assist with employee training. These educational professionals work in a business or corporate setting. They design the curricula and teach classes on a wide range of topics, including leadership skills, management development, diversity and sensitivity training, workplace safety and wellness, and sexual harassment prevention.

A talented writer with a background in education could provide articles and blogs for the wealth of magazines, websites, and trade journals that focus on education. A writer could also pursue an education career that involves writing curricula, lesson plans, and textbooks. There is also a strong demand for grant writers who have an education background and knowledge of how a school system operates. This is an education career that is flexible, and can pay quite well depending on one’s ability to secure grant money.

Education Impact

An education career allows a person to make an enormous impact on the future of individuals, communities, and society. Whether teaching advanced calculus to talented and gifted high school students, teaching English as a second language to adults, or teaching basic life skills to the disabled, there is an opportunity to have a tremendous impact on the lives of many individuals.

Education careers can be varied. Many who are interested in education pursue teaching. In order to become a teacher, one must first obtain a teaching degree from an accredited college or university. These programs are mostly four years in length, although advanced degrees can be obtained at the master’s and doctoral levels as well. For students who want to specialize in a particular teaching discipline, there are options to become an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher, a high school math teacher, and so on. The coursework will be geared toward a declared specialization.

In addition to classroom teaching, there is a wide variety of other education careers. School administration is an area that employs many education professionals who never step foot in a classroom. These individuals are responsible for the operations of a school or a school system. There are also opportunities for education careers in the private sector; many teachers set up a private tutoring business or run academic enrichment courses and camps.

The government and private businesses also offer a great deal of opportunity for people to pursue their education careers. Government agencies sponsor programs geared toward increasing the academic achievements of the citizens in their jurisdiction. These agencies often offer grant money to schools and part of the job is determining which schools are the most appropriate funding recipients.

An education career in business involves teaching employees about certain company policies. For example, many businesses host training sessions for all of their employees on safety procedures, and on the company’s discrimination and sexual harassment policies. In addition, many businesses hire trainers to teach employees how to use proprietary computer systems.