Related Career Categories

• Assistant Teacher
• Child Care Provider
• Coach
• College Administrator
• College Librarian
• College Professor
• Curriculum Developer
• Elementary Teacher
• High School Teacher
• Independent Teacher
• Kindergarten Teacher
• Librarian
• Library Assistant
• Middle-School Teacher
• Preschool Administrator
• Preschool Teacher
• Principal
• Program Administrator
• School Administrator
• School Counselor
• School Librarian
• Special Education Teacher

School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I was surprised to find that I know more than I thought I did, and teaching came naturally to me. I am also able to keep a rather flexible schedule, and have much more control over it than the average employee."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The best parts of my job is working with the children and seeing them enjoying themselves and progressing musically. The worst part of the job is all the time required outside of the classroom. The prep time for each class is often longer than the class itself."

"The best part of my job is working with students. I am lucky that most of the students I work with are eager to learn. They want to improve and do better in school. I really do care about what happens to the students I tutor. Long after we are finished with tutoring, I stay in touch with them. I like to know how they are doing. This is especially true if they are doing really well. The worst thing about my job is when I am unable to help a student. There are times when I encounter students who are forced to attend tutoring by teachers, parents, and sometimes even the court system. It is hard to help someone who does not want to help themselves."

"The best part of my job is that all day I get to be involved in my favorite subject - music. I get to interact with many different types of people of different ages and help them reach their goal of playing the violin. It's awesome! The only bad part of the job is when a student doesn't practice and doesn't see results. Usually I can find a way to encourage good practice habits, though!"

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"Develop a broad repertoire of children's songs that you can call upon at a moment's notice. Develop a solid understanding of what is appropriate for each age-group you are teaching. If you teach to far beyond their understanding or too simply you will lose their attention and your classes will be ineffectual at best and anarchic at worst. Network with other teachers and pick their brains for repertoire and activity ideas. They are generally happy to share tried and true activities that work for them and are thrilled to learn new ideas from you."

"If someone wants to be a tutor, they need to pay close attention to their coursework. All academic skills become important. College coursework in education, English, and Math are essential for this job. I would also suggest that anyone considering this career take courses in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology. These courses teach you about how people learn, different learning styles, and about educational software. They also teach you about computer skills that you will frequently use in the educational setting."

"Pay attention in your own lessons. See how your teacher is teaching you techniques that are difficult or hard to master. Listen to a lot of good music. The more you hear, the more you will have to teach. Care more about the student than the music. This may seem counter-intuitive, but your students will advance much faster in an atmosphere in which they are aware of the fact that they matter to you. Remember, you are teaching human beings!"