Since I was a little girl, I was always looking for inspiration in people. One of the best inspirational person I ever encountered was my second grade teacher, Ms.Collins. She was a brilliant, kind, and the sweetest person someone will ever meet. She always told her students that you should choose a career that you would enjoy for the rest of your life. As I went on to high school, I stayed connected with her. She created a feeling of trust between us, letting me believe I can tell her anything. As she was telling me stories about her teaching career, I got fascinated in how much she loved her job. Talking so passionately about her students, she made me realize I wanted to pursue a degree in education. As my personality and skills match the lines of an education major, I decided to research early childhood education as it is for consideration of my career. Some important key factors of choosing a career is the schooling needed, salary, benefits, and how it can make an impact.
Education has taken place in most communities since early centuries. Each generation passed on knowledge, skills, and traditions to the next generation. In the beginning, education was passed down orally and through observations until the first school system was started by Horace Mann. During the time, he was a Secretary of education in Massachusetts in 1837. He then pitched his vision for a new school system for a group of professional teachers.They would teach students basic content such as reading and writing. In the 1880’s, the first legislative law passed stating children till the age of ten must attend school. As education became mandatory, the profession of teaching begun.
In order to receive certification to teach, it is mandatory to receive a Bachelor's degree in education to work in schools in Illinois. To receive a Bachelor's degree, you must attend a college or university to obtain a four year bachelor degree in the subject you are planning to teach in. In addition to receiving a degree, it is mandatory to complete all exams such as the basic skills test and edTPA exam. As someone graduates with a Bachelor's degree, they are then officially able to teach. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it states, “ Some positions require a master’s degree in social work (MSW), which generally takes 2 years to complete. Master’s degree programs in social work prepare students for work in their chosen specialty by developing clinical assessment and management skills. All programs require students to complete a supervised practicum or an internship”. After receiving a bachelor's degree, some require a masters which is not a problem for me. I am planning to receive a master's degree due to the fact that the pay is higher.
Another key factor of choosing an education major is the consistency of days off of work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, states “Many kindergarten and elementary school teachers work the traditional 10-month school year and have a 2-month break during the summer. Some teachers may teach summer programs. Teachers in districts with a year-round schedule typically work 8 weeks in a row then have a break for 1 week before starting a new schooling session. They also have a 5-week mid winter break.” This is very important to me due to the fact I like when I have a set schedule. Also, education majors also have to work on their days off to grade papers and other assignments. As teachers are more likely to get a full time position rather than a part time due to school being full year round, it is harder to find a position which does not require five days of work as a elementary school teacher. In Illinois, there were 60,960 kindergarten and elementary school teachers in May 2016 with a median salary of $60,760. The salary does also depends if it's a private or public school.
Public school teachers are employed by their school district which receives government funding. Teachers who are employed for a public school are affected by state legislations such as grants and budgets cuts. Private school teachers are not employed to the state, which has no government spending budget. A teachers salary depends on their education and experience. Most public school elementary school teacher in illinois starting salary is $50,653. A article written by Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, states “McKinsey & Co. did a study last year comparing the United States to other countries and found that America's average current teacher salaries–starting around $35,000 and topping out at an average of $65,000–were set far too low to attract and retain top talent. The McKinsey report found that starting teacher salaries have not kept pace with those in other fields. In 1970, beginning New York City lawyers earned $2,000 more than first-year teachers. Today, a starting lawyer there can earn three or four times as much as a beginning teacher” (Duncan). It also states that teachers are more likely to work two jobs to support themselves. This is not a big issue for me due to the fact that I am not looking at the earning in careers. I believe that happiness is worth more than money.
Becoming a teacher has a lot of benefits. One of them is the freedom they have on the job. Most Teachers enjoy the freedom their jobs give them to be more creative. Also, teachers also have vacation days throughout the school year when the students are out for breaks. They receive full medical, dental, and retirement plans. Teachers are also eligible for teacher loan forgiveness, which allows full-time teachers who have taught for five complete and consecutive academic years. According to the Federal Student Aid, “The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession. Under this program, if you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools and educational service agencies that serve low-income families, and meet other qualifications, you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 on your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and your Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans. If you have PLUS loans only, you are not eligible for this type of forgiveness”. All these benefits are a big impact decision when choosing a career. It allows me to make sure I have great benefits.
Teachers also have great satisfaction at the end of the work day. Susan Black, an American School Board Journal Contributing Editor, states, “Their 2005 study of 910 first-grade students included 5- and 6-year-olds whose mothers had low-level education and children identified with “significant behavior, social, and/or academic problems” by their kindergarten teachers.But by the end of first grade, the children whose teachers infused “everyday interactions” with emotional and academic support disproved their kindergarten teachers' predictions. They achieved as well as students with college-educated mothers, and they achieved and adjusted on a par with children who had no problems in kindergarten” (Black). This is the most important factor for me. I believe that everyone should make a difference in the world. This allows me to give back to the communities.
In conclusion, teaching takes a lot of hard work and patience. There are a lot of hurdles which include: securing a four-year degree, passing many tests, and obtaining a specialized credential. Once hired, they start off with a low salary, and different challenges. With all these struggles, they still manage to be kind and creative to help make a difference in the world. I think that, despite the challenges, I would thrive in this career. After researching the field, I realized that this career is going to be hard to get into. It is going to require a lot of dedication to be competitive and that's a risk I am willing to take.