Deciding if teaching is the right fit can be difficult, but there are several signs that indicate you may be well-suited for the classroom. Here are five signs you are someone who can make a difference in the classroom.
1. You Enjoy Working with Children
An obvious indicator that teaching could be a good career is that you genuinely enjoy working with kids. From energetic kindergartners to inquisitive high schoolers, if you like being around children, this is a crucial prerequisite for success as a teacher. You’ll be interacting with students every day, instructing them, facilitating activities, managing behavior, and mentoring them. So, if you don’t like engaging with young people, the teaching profession likely isn’t for you. But if you find children’s curiosity, humor, and questions invigorating, that’s a great sign.
2. You’re Passionate About a Particular Subject
The most effective teachers have deep background knowledge and passion for certain academic subjects. Whether it’s science, math, history, art, or any other topic, when you have in-depth expertise, that enthusiasm rubs off on students. Strong subject matter comprehension along with excitement about sharing what you know are excellent indicators that teaching is a good path. The hunger to spread your enthusiasm can motivate you as a lifelong learner while allowing you to ignite student’s interests as well.
3. You Enjoy Explaining Concepts to Others
Patience paired with strong communication skills is essential for breaking down difficult ideas so others can understand them. If you naturally find yourself helping friends and family by clarifying concepts or providing examples when they have trouble grasping something, teaching may play to your strengths. From tailoring lessons to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners to rephrasing things multiple ways when students are confused, it takes strong explanatory abilities. If you excel at and enjoy simplifying the complicated, teaching could allow you to do what you’re good at.
4. You’re Adaptable and Cool Under Pressure
Classrooms can be dynamic environments requiring teachers to think on their feet when things don’t go according to plan. Whether there are last-minute curriculum changes, challenging behavioral issues, or technology failures, things happen that require adaptability. If you consider yourself flexible and able to adjust while maintaining composure when faced with the unexpected, that’s a valuable indication that teaching could be a fit. Calmness and quick reflexes guiding students through unpredictable situations are useful skills in this profession.
5. You Find Intrinsic Rewards in Helping Others Learn & Grow
Though teaching comes with numerous challenges, at the heart of the job is the extraordinarily rewarding experience of helping young people learn. Watching students’ “aha moments” when concepts click for the first time, contributing to growth in their skills and abilities, and knowing you’ve made an impact on their lives can be profoundly fulfilling. So, if you feel a sense of purpose in assisting others’ development – and find the intrinsic motives outweigh the extrinsic ones – teaching may provide deep career satisfaction.
While teaching is demanding, if you feel called to make a difference in students’ lives it can be an immensely worthwhile profession. Read this advice for new teachers and get a feel for the role.
If you do decide teaching is for you, note that typically, formal qualifications for teaching include earning a bachelor’s degree, completing a teacher preparation program, and obtaining a state teaching license or certification. Teachers must also demonstrate a strong grasp of the content knowledge for their grade level or subject area they want to teach, as well as knowledge of child development and learning theories.
