The world needs teachers now more than ever. While it’s true that artificial intelligence is helping to automate certain roles and tasks in the education sector, the demand for teachers remains high, considering that no machine could ever replicate the type of empathy and support that human teachers could provide. More than teachers, there’s also a need to build up educators with massive potential for employability and long-term success.
Excellence is expected of the current roster of educators considering that they’re more proficient in using new technology to enrich classroom experiences. If anything, this new generation of teachers could nurture highly successful careers owing to the opportunities made available to them. It’s only a matter of knowing how to harness these opportunities properly in a way that supports their professional growth. If you’re an education major waiting to be deployed to the real world, here are a few tips you can use to stand out.
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1. Start networking and gaining professional allies
Even as a student, you should know how to seek out people who can support your career later on. Networking is just as crucial a skill as your ability to develop teaching strategies. There’s no doubt that being a competent teacher is important but without the right connections, you will only deprive yourself of valuable opportunities such as taking up coveted teaching positions in the best schools or securing a recommendation to pursue continuing education. With this in mind, it’s always a good idea to invest in building a network of friends, allies, and mentors who could play a crucial role in your career progression later on.
There are many ways you can build networks and college has to be the best avenue to seek out the right people. Engage with your fellow students and take part in activities that allow you to connect with new people outside the realm of education. What’s more, you may want to take part in seminars, workshops, and conferences where you can meet people outside your institution and connect with established professionals who can stand in as potential mentors. Be bold enough to come out of your comfort zone and be seen and heard. This is how you will make the journey to the next level of your teaching career easier and faster.
2. Invest in gaining practical experience
Being a good teacher is not always about memorizing all the theories of learning and being capable of drafting out a curriculum for an arts-focused program. Your competence and potential for professional success hinges on your ability to practice what you preach. You can only progress when you exhibit a desire to apply what you learn as a teacher within and outside the classroom.
Don’t shy away from every opportunity to teach in front of a diverse group of learners. If you haven’t undergone field experience as an education major yet, you can get started by offering tutoring services to younger students. Not only will this help you earn money on the side but you get to hone your teaching skills in preparation for actual teaching practice. If you’re already working as a teacher who’s looking to advance in your career, consider getting supervisory experience. This allows you to enhance your leadership skills and qualifies you for positions that involve school management.
3. Seek out continuing education
In the field of teaching, it doesn’t make sense to stay stagnant until you finally retire. Knowing how fast technology progresses, you need to update your skills and gain enough experience to help you deal with the pressing demands of new educational trends. What’s more, you need to develop the competencies required for promotion.
Unless you’re content with your current job title, it matters to invest in continuing education and acquire new skills that will further enrich your career. You can do this by taking up an advanced degree in your field. Acquiring a master’s degree might entail two or three years of extra work but it’s your ticket to securing a higher-paying role in your institution.
This also opens you up to new opportunities to network with other educators on top of helping you build a positive reputation in your field. From there, you will have the choice of obtaining a doctorate which is ideal if your end goal is to teach in tertiary-level institutions. You can read more about online Ed.D programs in case you already have too much on your plate. In any case, your career progression depends largely on your willingness to acquire new knowledge and experiences through post-graduate programs that will train you for excellence.
4. Be a mentor to others
Career progression relies largely on your potential for excellence but in most cases, it also involves having a desire to help others recognize their potential for success. The best teachers are not only the most skilled and knowledgeable but they are the ones who never hesitate to help their colleagues improve their practice.
Especially if you’ve been designated as the head of your department, you can prove your worth as an institutional leader if you can solve problems effectively and, more importantly, address the needs and issues faced by teachers working under you. Provide mentorship in any way you can and don’t keep best practices to yourself. Share them with others and help them innovate their teaching styles and strategies. You will be fairly recognized and rewarded for that.
5. Know how to deal with stress
Nothing in the world of teaching is easy and only a few remain committed to the field for the long haul. However, teachers who exhibit resilience in the face of challenges inside and outside the classroom are also the ones who deserve to advance in their profession.
Stress and burnout are a given in your practice. You just have to learn how to overcome them in your own way. Developing healthy coping mechanisms and observing self-care will help you stay on the right course no matter how difficult the journey gets. Keep these in mind as you await your deployment in the real world.
Endnote
Success in your teaching career later on will depend on how well you apply these tips. This early on, make the effort to build the networks, skills, and resilience you need to survive.
