Fourth Grade Teacher In A Suburban Public School
Career review from a person working in the job
How I Got The Job
My Education: BS, Elementary Education, Bridgewater State College M.Ed., Elementary Education, University of Miami 60+ graduate credits beyond the Masters Degree
My Prior Experience: I have always been a teacher.
My Job Profile
My Company: I work for a school district in a suburb of Boston
Job/Career Overview: My primary responsibility is to teach fourth grade students the curriculum provided by the town. I make sure the children know they are important and capable of learning anything. They are treated with kindness, respect, and care. It is important that the subjects I teach are not only interesting to the children but fun to learn. I try to foster a love of learning. I also collaborate with colleagues on many issues and there are many committees that I have joined in order to help the entire school system as much as possible. Working with parents is very important. With their help and input, the children can succeed. Coming to school early and leaving late are normal hours for anyone dedicated to being a good teacher, as I am. Often, I am taking courses and workshops to stay updated on current and innovative practices. Though teaching is a lot of work and homework, the rewards are wonderful.
More Insights: A teaching career is very rewarding. You get to be creative, help the future of America and have fun. Though it is a lot of work, there are definite benefits if you are a mom....having the same hours and vacations as your children is definitely great.
Love It? Hate It?
I rate this career 10 out of 10.
What I Love or Hate
The best part of the job is seeing children succeed. It is wonderful to see a struggling child achieve a goal I've set for him. You can never forget the smiles on children's faces when they hear "Great job!" or "Fantastic!"
The hardest part of the job is the never-ending homework. A teacher's work is never done. At some point during the evening, you just have to tell yourself, I am finished for now.
My Career Tips
One great idea is to go and see model lessons in a school. It is great to see what is actually happening in a real and active classroom. You could also volunteer to help out in a school. Teachers would welcome the extra set of hands.
Another idea is try tutoring or working at a center with children to see what age group you may like working with. You could even volunteer at a Sunday School.
Thirdly, taking methods courses in the area you want to teach is always helpful. This gives you lots of ideas.
