A career in Education This essay explores the pros and cons of a career in education.

Being a teacher is a career that I have always desired to follow ever since I was a young girl. It was at the end of my elementary years when I first decided I wanted to become a teacher; I thought it was a cool job to have. When I was younger I use to think how cool it would be to be in control of the whole class, it was like being the boss. When I reached high school I decided that I wanted to become an elementary teacher. I started to realize how interested I was in learning about children and how much I loved being around them. This is when I knew that pursuing a career in teaching is what would make me the happiest.

People have their own opinions on how they portray teachers. Some may see them as mean and controlling, while others might see them as guidance in their educational life. I feel teachers make a difference in the life and future of their students. Teachers are educators as well as advisors. They help and give guidance to students in their educational choices, and day to day life. TV sitcoms are what I feel have influenced these stereotypes upon teachers. On some TV sitcoms teachers are portrayed as older women that are mean and always out to sabotage the students' life. Other sitcoms portray the teachers as young women that are sweet and caring. This is why some may stereotype teachers as annoying and always trying to tell you how to live your life, or as a kind and helpful teacher.

When one becomes a teacher there are some good things and not so good things, just as any other job. The pros about becoming a teacher are that one is able to influence children to become the best that they can be and knowing that one made a difference in someone's life. Another pro is having an opportunity to help children learn and get acquainted with new thoughts. Some other good qualities are that teachers have steady daytime hours with the weekend off. They have excellent vacation days and often quite longer than any other occupations. With having most of the summer off, it gives the teacher more time to spend with their family or do anything else that needs to get done. The cons would be when you have a problem child in your class. Teachers have to have patience and learn how to work with struggling students. Teaching can sometimes be a bit stressful at times because you have to work and help with everyone's problems. Also, a teacher's salary is not very lucrative.

The requirements for becoming a teacher are that you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. You must complete teacher training through an approved program. The programs are offered through colleges and universities, school districts, regional service centers, community colleges, and other entities. You must successfully complete the appropriate teacher certification tests for the subject and grade level you wish to teach. There are many different resources that will help pay for a teacher training program. There is the "Teach for Texas" program, which offers conditional grants to help some future teachers with expenses if those individuals agree to teach in Texas public schools for a specified period of time. The "Teacher for America", offers cash awards that can be applied to past student loans or future educational costs for recent college graduates who commit to teaching in urban and rural public schools for two years. The "Certified Educational Aide Exemption Program", is another program that Texas offers tuition exemptions for some educational aides seeking to become certified teachers. These are some of the programs and grants that are specifically designed to help individuals become teachers. The starting salary of a teacher varies, depending on the district they work for. Texas teacher starting salaries, for a teacher with a bachelor's degree and no teaching experience is $43,216. The more experience they have the higher the pay will be. Also, if they teach in a district with a lot of students the pay will be higher.

When becoming an elementary teacher the number one thing the teacher should posses is patience. They need to be able to communicate well with the parent, and have a good relationship with them. They need to ensure a high quality educational experience. The teacher must have a sense of humor because children can tend to say some crazy things at times. You will have to learn to just laugh about it and not take things to seriously. They must be kind and loving. Teachers need to have a happy attitude, because children can sense when you are not having a good day and it can affect the children's learning environment.

A great teacher creates a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. They have a variety of activities for the day that will keep a child's attention. The environment of the class should be welcoming and colorful. Children will feel more comfortable, and encouraged to do well in a friendly classroom. When working with children it is a good idea to put comments on their papers like "great job". It shows them that they are doing well and should keep up the good work. Teachers will be responsible for preparing and delivering age-appropriate lessons, giving and grading tests and homework, working with children individually and as a class and maintaining an orderly and functional classroom environment. Other tasks may include meeting with parents to discuss their child's progress and working with parents and other staff members to track and assist children in making progress. Some additional tasks teacher can do are after school tutoring and taking children on fun and educational field trips.

Becoming an elementary teacher is a career that I know will make me happy, and a goal I plan to accomplish. Since high school I have been taking classes that will give me some experience and help me pursue my career. During my senior year of high school I was in a class that would allow the student to be an assistant aide to a teacher. I was assigned to a first grade class and loved it. It was a good learning experience and gave me the opportunity to see what activities went on during the class. I learned a lot from the teacher and hope to carry on some of her good tactics in my future class. For me, becoming a teacher is a career I have always desired and plan to work hard for.