Isn’t it amazing how many perspectives we see when we scroll through our social media feeds or through news headlines?
Whether we’re shaking our heads over the uninformed opinions of relatives or watching our friends share news stories from questionable sources, there is a crisis of misinformation out there and no shortage of people who will repeat one side of the story as if it is established fact.
Today, we’re focusing on myths about teaching careers that can dissuade individuals from joining the teaching profession.
If You Have Doubts About the Teaching Profession, You Are Not Alone
At the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences (USD SOLES), we often talk to individuals who are curious about teaching, but convinced that teaching just isn’t a good career option anymore. Often, they have fallen for one of these four common misconceptions:
- “State-based budget crises and spending cuts are making teaching too risky. What about my benefits and salary options over time?”
- “Today’s classrooms are intimidating and too complex and too dangerous. I’m not sure I could handle the diversity or need for differentiation so that all my students are learning, not just some or a few.”
- “Teaching seems like a boring and very traditional career. Shouldn’t I be inventing something or joining a tech startup?”
- “Won’t I just be doing the same thing for decades?”
Our goal is not to make you self-conscious if you find yourself agreeing with these myths! Many of these questions express genuine pain points that are important to address for people who may want to be teachers. Here are some answers for you that may help.
Myth #1: “State-based budget crises and spending cuts are making teaching too risky. What about my benefits and salary options over time?”
Great question. Government budget crisis and cuts to education funding can be very stressful, and it’s important to stay engaged and informed. However, if we take a step back and look at the big picture, it becomes more clear: spending on education has trended consistently upward for decades now ( see chart below from Education Week). There is little reason to think that this trend won’t continue, especially as we compete with other parts of the world for scientific and technological advances.
Also, every industry and career path is fraught with potential pitfalls. While cuts to education funding can be stressful, you can be confident that you are difficult to downsize, outsource, or automate. The combination of your skillset and the unchanging need for teachers make you a valuable asset in the classroom and a crucial part of the education economy.
Myth #2: “Today’s classrooms are intimidating and too complex and too dangerous. I’m not sure I could handle the diversity or need for differentiation so that all my students are learning, not just some or a few.”
Figuring out the best way to support all learners is challenging. But this is exactly the purpose of excellent teacher preparation programs, high quality research about what works, and the hours prospective teachers spend shadowing classrooms and learning under a mentor. There are best practices and ideas for you to work with as you navigate a complex classroom. Choose a good teacher preparation program, and you’ll get the answers you need to feel confident and succeed.
Myth#3: “Teaching seems like a traditional career. Shouldn’t I be inventing something or joining a tech startup?”
Don’t be envious of your friend’s flashy career at a startup with unlimited vacation and free kombucha. Teaching may not be flashy, but it is a field where you develop a distinct skill, and it’s a skill that translates across many industries. A skill for teaching is useful to almost every company in some capacity. Spending your time developing a strong, widely applicable skill will help you more than spending your young years jumping from startup to startup.
Myth #4: “Won’t I just be doing the same thing for decades?”
No, not if you’re interested in moving into new roles and responsibilities.
What we know about teaching and learning continues to evolve, leading to long term career satisfaction and professional growth opportunities. As long as the field of education is evolving, your career in teaching can be evolving too, which allows you to take on new challenges and grow professionally.
A teaching credential is the first step to getting into the classroom environment. For those who want to grow professionally long-term, a master’s degree is typically needed to open up pathways to specialties and leadership roles within education. With a master’s degree, you can go on to work in school administration, curriculum development, special education, research and academia, and more.
Your role could completely transform from classroom teacher to director of student services to superintendent back to a classroom teacher or reading specialist, with the simple addition of a master’s degree. Also, the amount of independence and flexibility you have in your own classroom means that you can switch up your approach or style as much as you’d like, as long as it’s serving students.
Want to Learn More About the Upsides of Being a Teacher? Download This Resource
Choosing a career path can be daunting. Our goal is to equip you with as much information and insight as possible as you consider the teaching profession. In conversation with prospective teachers, we often end up discussing the pros and cons of the teaching profession and exploring how and why this career path offers meaning and opportunity over the long-term.
We’ve created a full resource devoted to these questions: Should I Become a Teacher? Exploring The Untold Benefits of a Teaching Career.
Download this guide today and explore the possibility of a successful teaching career!
