Becoming a TEACHER?

While teaching would be a great step on your way to counseling in schools, its not absolutely necessary. If fact they have different educational requirement.

At the high school I attended, 2 of the counselors actually taught classes. The other 2 were dedicated counselors.

As far as what to teach, I chose Art (k-12), but truly any discipline will benefit from your creativity. Perhaps early elementary education where you teach age groups, not necessarily just English or social studies or what not.

But either way good luck, being a teacher is a very rewarding career choice.

As others have suggested, it sounds like an elementary school teacher fits you best. Since you would be teaching all subjects, including art and other creative subjects, elementary seems a good idea. You could go try being an art or music teacher but, sadly, those types of programs are being cut more and more often, especially with the No Child Left Behind Act. It will be harder to find a job.

Before you commit, I do have some advice: volunteer in an elementary school classroom. Get to know the teacher(s), administrators, parents, and students. Experience what the teaching profession truly entails. Ask the teachers tons of questions. In my experience, the actual “teaching” is only about 50% of the job. The other half includes, grading, preparing lessons, endless meetings, parent contact, cleaning, etc. Teaching is a wonderful profession and I love it but most people think since they went to school, they know what the teaching profession entails – nothing could be further from the truth. Be prepared and know what you’re getting into before making this big commitment!

I’d suggest being an elementary school teacher. I’m a second grade teacher and the kids absolutely eat up when I take the “necessary stuff they need to know” and make it fun. That age is still very much into story time, games, and loving you as their teacher.

Teaching is an awesome career. I used to be a health administrator and career switched over 3 years ago. I have absolutely loved my last two years as a 2nd grade teacher. I’m now addicted to learning how to better teach reading too. So I’m in a reading specialists program at UVA and am learning so much about how to connect with kids.

I have a 7 month old that I am watching jump up and down in his jumped. He just gave the biggest cutest smile ever as I glanced at him. Teaching is perfect for moms (and dads like myself). If you can afford it and choose to – you can hang out with your little ones all summer long.

You can become a school counselor without being a teacher, however being a teacher first would give you some definite insights that would be good to know. I myself may one day do reading specialist or administrator – but what I am learning right now in the classroom is absolutely invaluable.

Good luck!

All teachers need creativity. If you have artistic ability you could teach art. You might try drama or music. Teaching is rewarding but very hard work. The 8–4 day does not exist for teachers. After school there are meetings, grading papers, doing lesson plans, and sponsoring activities. Most teachers need a second job to be able to live and support their families. Summers are spent going back to school to keep or expand the certification, attending training sessions, and preparing the classroom for another year. I have been teaching for 35 years now. Even though I now have a second career, I continue teaching because that is my calling. If it is yours, go for it.

Teaching is not a bad career – I just finished my first year and am teaching summer school, and I haven’t turned gray yet!

However, if you do really want to go into counseling then you do not have to teach but you usually have to have your master’s degree. Also, those are totally different degrees – counseling would be a degree dealing with psychology or social science. On the other hand, teaching is usually a degree either in Elementary Education, or if you want to teach in middle or high school, depending on your college, you will probably have to major in whatever subject you want to teach and minor in Secondary Education; that is what I had to do. Best wishes!

I personally love teaching and am very creative. I teach English (Language Arts), and I find that my creativity helps me everyday with planning, portraying old literature in a new way, and coming up with fun assignments. You could always become an art teacher…teach photography, drawing, and printmaking. Or even yearbook. Although, as an English teacher, you could do yearbook and newspaper. How fun! How creative! Think about it..it’s an awesome career.