What is a teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Carolyn Dekker
introduction image

A teacher educates and guides students through academic and personal development. They facilitate learning by creating lesson plans, delivering lectures, grading assignments, and providing individualized support to students. Teachers can shape the future of society by imparting knowledge and skills that allow students to succeed. Teachers also provide emotional support, mentorship, and guidance to students. Through their dedication and commitment, teachers can inspire a love of learning.

What general advice would you give to a Teacher?

Carolyn Dekker

Assistant Professor, English, Finlandia University

The Coronavirus pandemic is changing workplaces and job searches. Since many workplaces continue to operate remotely, students who wish to work in writing and communication roles while remaining in this small, rural community may find unique opportunities, thanks to the unhinging of work from geography.

Many of our recent English graduates want to become teachers. As school re-opening plans reveal themselves to be unsafe (mainly for teachers in at-risk age and health demographics), schools are anticipating a wave of teacher retirements and an elevated need for substitute teachers. Recent graduates may want to sit for teaching certification exams. Many states, including Michigan, have an alternate-route teaching certificate path that will issue a temporary certificate so that you can work as a teacher while pursuing a Master's in Education part-time.
ScoreTeacherUS Average
Salary
3.7

Avg. Salary $47,989

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.6

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%

Asian 3.70%

Black or African American 10.09%

Hispanic or Latino 12.92%

Unknown 3.92%

White 68.85%

Gender

female 74.34%

male 25.66%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Teacher?

Pros

Cons

  • Limited resources and funding

  • Pressure to meet academic standards and testing requirements

  • Low pay compared to other professions requiring similar education levels

  • Emotional strain from dealing with student issues and conflicts

  • Limited opportunities for upward mobility or career advancement

Teacher career paths

Key steps to become a teacher

  1. Explore teacher education requirements

    Most common teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.9 %

    Master's

    15.1 %

    Associate

    9.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific teacher skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    ESL16.83%
    Handle Scheduling15.17%
    Kids12.10%
    Classroom Management7.40%
    CPR4.53%
  3. Research teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Work closely with co-teacher to manage and co-teach curriculum to a large group.
    • Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
    • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
    • Develop social studies and geography curriculum.
  4. Prepare your teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your teacher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Teacher Resume templates

    Build a professional Teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Teacher resume.
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  5. Apply for teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Teacher Job

Y

Yentyl Crawford

Teacher

I always had a hand in education, prior to teaching I was an in class tutor, a middle school
mentor for girls, and worked as a daycare worker. I worked in the corporate world for a while
and was really good at what I did but there was one problem. I had a lack of support when it
came to my children. I needed a career that would be in line with their school schedules, this
way I wouldn’t need help. My mother had been teaching for years, she encouraged me to
become a substitute teacher. That’s where the journey for me began in April of 2018. Since I
began 6 years ago, we moved to Arizona over a year ago. At first I started substitute teaching
and quickly found a school where I can be a permanent teacher. I love my school, I love the kids
and I love the people I work with. Teaching has its challenges, but there’s no greater joy than
seeing your students grow and knowing you had a hand in that. Currently I’m enrolled online at
Southern New Hampshire University and I’m obtaining my Master’s in Education Curriculum
Instruction. My bachelor’s is in Theater, I never thought I would go back to school but here I am
doing something I love.

Average teacher salary

The average Teacher salary in the United States is $47,989 per year or $23 per hour. Teacher salaries range between $32,000 and $70,000 per year.

Average Teacher Salary
$47,989 Yearly
$23.07 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do teachers rate their job?

4.14/5

Based On 7 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Teacher reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022
Pros

Seeing the kids learn, grow, over come challenges.

Cons

It can be emotionally and physically draining, especially if not appreciated.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

Gaining the childs trust and watching them geow and learn.

Cons

That in a year the children you fall in love with move on to the next grade.


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance


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Teacher jobs by state

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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