A Career in Education

A career in education can be a rewarding yet challenging field. Becoming a teacher is a unique career in which there will be various titles, from being a communicator, social worker, disciplinarian, evaluator, role model, and at times a parent. Being able to change the lives and mold minds of young children is something I have always wanted to do. Throughout my research and personal interview, I have discovered what my salary will be like, the lifestyle impact, future projections, and the credential requirements needed to accomplish becoming an educator.

The requirements for becoming an educator vary from state to state because each state has its own set of rules when it comes to their educators. For example, Wisconsin requires that their educators have a Bachelor’s degree, pass the Praxis II exam and the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) and that they know how to communicate, have knowledge of what they are teaching, understand different learning styles, children’s growth, know how to evaluate, manage a classroom and plan lessons (Teacher Education, Professional Development & Licensing). For UWM graduation requirements, I must complete a human relations class so that I know how to understand different cultures and how to communicate with different types of people. I also must have credits in fine arts, social sciences, and natural sciences; a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in all professional education coursework, a full day/semester during the final year of the program for field experience, and earn a C or better in student teaching to be eligible (Academic Programs).

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the future employment projection for educators is expected to grow 17% from 2010 to 2020 simply because of...

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...th long working hours teachers deal with a lot of emotional and physical stress; dealing with parents, administrators and behavioral issues, educators have to keep personal and emotional reactions separate from their professional reactions, when it comes to dealing with behavior issues in the classrooms and also dealing with difficult parents; learning how to cope and deal with tension and even sometimes hostile environments are all a part of being a teacher. Dealing with superiors is also stressful for teachers because although as an educator our job is to evaluate students, teachers also are evaluated themselves, and evaluations can heavily determine if they will continue to have a job in that specific school (Robin Grusko and Judy Kramer). Although there are beautiful and rewarding things that come with being a teacher, the personal life can be challenging.