There have been numerous impactful teachers throughout history like Confucius, Socrates, Aristotle, Maria Montessori, and John Dewey – each of whom has made a significant impact on education, the world, and history. These influential teachers left a lasting legacy as well as inspired countless others to pursue teaching and the pursuit of higher knowledge.
Teachers are the backbone of the education and society’s keepers of valuable wisdom passed down over the generations. Every single career path relies on the skills and knowledge of teachers. Without teachers, there would not be doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, business owners, or even artists and entertainers.
Sadly though, in recent years the education industry has been overshadowed by systemic issues and radical inequalities and yet, despite all this, teachers still teach on. There is nothing better than a passionate teacher whether they teach in the brick-and-mortar schools or take their pedagogy into the online virtual classroom. While being an educator undoubtedly has its challenges, the teaching profession comes with a wealth of rewards that make it one of the most noble career paths anyone could ever choose to enter.
Here are just some of the reasons teaching is still the most influential job in the world and why it’s still a worthwhile pursuit:
1. Make a Difference
There is no way to overstate it, teachers make a difference – they believe in social justice, community impact, and the importance of free public education. Teachers have the greatest influence in their students’ development and learning lives because they spend hours with children every single day.
They have more opportunities to make a positive impact and in effect become lifelong role models for their students. Teachers help students develop critical thinking skills, cultivate a love for learning, provide guidance and support, and help shape futures.
2. Sense of Purpose
The sense of fulfillment one gets from teaching is unmatched. There are few things more satisfying than seeing your students have those “light-bulb” moments, cultivate their own passions or interests in the learning environment, and create partnerships and community with mentorship and guidance.
In a world where people feel so disconnected on a personal level – teaching is all about personal connections, not only between a teacher and their students, but also the connections they help facilitate between groups of students and thereby create learning communities.
3. Continuous Learning or “The Teacher’s Curse”
Teachers never stop learning. It becomes a passionate obsession because there is always more knowledge or skills to acquire. Not only do teachers continuously learn about the subjects they teach, but they are also learning about new pedagogy, updating their education technology skills, and practicing their interpersonal/social skills in order to understand their students’ needs.
The world of teaching is never dull and teachers are literally surrounded by peers who have a love of learning. While it might be difficult to coax this love of learning out of students – typically the passion one brings to your subject matter translates – even if it’s a subject students might struggle with.
4. Flexibility
While there are certainly set bell schedules, school calendars, and of course district expectations and requirements, many live virtual teachers enjoy the flexibility that comes with their teaching job. Being in charge of a classroom means there is room for creativity and ways to adapt your own style of teaching. There are so many ways to teach a lesson about your subject matter and part of the fun is planning a way to transfer deep content knowledge to a classroom full of dynamic students.
5. Job Security
As long as there are students, there will always be a need for teachers. Entering the teaching profession provides job security because teaching is a profession that will always be in demand – all across the world. This also means it provides many opportunities for teaching different ages like elementary, secondary, post-secondary or adult students, to various core-curriculum subjects and skill-sets, or even electives or extra-curricular subjects varying from niche to broad topics.
While other industry job opportunities are typically subject to ups and downs, and rely on economic ups and downs, the teaching profession is steadily one of those industries where the need for teachers will always be around.
6. Opportunities for Growth
There are countless opportunities for growth and upward mobility within the teaching profession. Teachers can become administrators like vice principals or principals, instructional coaches, or curriculum specialists, and even take their teaching skills into the corporate education sector by becoming trainers in learning and development.
Also, educators have multiple opportunities for professional development and continuing education classes – usually taught for free depending on the schools and/or districts. Teachers can expand their knowledge and skill sets depending on their goals and see a world of opportunity open up for them.
The teaching profession comes with a plethora of positives, whether it’s making a difference in the countless lives of students, to continuous learning and opportunities for growth, teaching can truly be a fulfilling and rewarding career path for those who chose to enter with an open heart and an open mind.
While the noble profession of teaching does have its challenges, the positives of entering the teaching profession make it one of the most rewarding and influential jobs on the planet.
