But if you’re not currently a teacher and don’t have a background in education, how do you get started? Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to starting your career in education.
Step 1: Define Your Goals and Purpose to Stay Grounded
Why do you want to start a career in education? Maybe you want to create lasting connections with students. Perhaps you want to share your skills and experiences with others. Or you might even be passionate about instilling key habits and attitudes, such as the importance of maintaining a growth mindset, in the next generation.
No matter your unique desires, understanding your answer to “Why?” will help guide you through your journey. Your purpose can also guide you when you reach unexpected roadblocks, acting as an anchor to keep you grounded.
Write down your reasons and revisit them often along the way. It’s normal if you find your “why” response changing over time – this shows that you are better understanding your goals and your vision for the future.
Step 2: Explore Teaching Options to Find Your Best Fit
Teach English to Non-native Learners
One attractive path to prospective educators is teaching English to non-native learners, also known as TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). This route is enticing because teachers have a variety of options to choose from in terms of who, where, and when they teach.
Teachers of English to non-native learners can teach in classrooms abroad or from the comforts of their laptops anywhere they choose. As English is a highly demanded subject around the world, native English speakers often move to teach in language academies and schools while also enjoying the experience of living in a new culture.
English teachers can also teach from their laptops through multiple online platforms or simply by creating their own businesses and securing their own clients.
Regardless of whether English teachers choose to teach in person or online, they have the option to teach a wide range of students, all the way from very young to adults. Organizations like The TEFL Org offer multiple resources to potential teachers to find a variety of opportunities around the world available to English teachers.
Citizens of the world of all ages are learning English, so consider the following questions to determine what type of audience you feel most passionate about educating:
- Will you find it more rewarding to connect with young students who are learning about the world along with English?
- Will you want to build relationships with older learners who can discuss and write about more complex topics?
- Will you want a mix of interaction with students that span multiple generations?
There are a variety of opportunities for potential teachers to find a position of their dreams.
Teach in the Classroom
Another path many future educators take is pursuing a teaching license in their home or native country so that they can teach either a specific or multiple subjects to students in primary or secondary schools. This role is likely exciting to those who want to teach in their local community or share their interest in specific subjects with others.
Teachers who pursue certification in their current country also have a variety of options for teaching, such as the age and subject they teach. They will likely have less flexibility to teach online, although online schools do exist in multiple countries.
The majority of educators who pursue teaching in their current country will teach primary and secondary students, but adult education programs also exist. Potential teachers will again want to define which type of school fits their goals.
Step 3: Create and Carry Out Your Plan
Once you’ve explored your options for teaching, take time to be as specific about your goal as possible. One option is to use the SMART goal formula to help you visualize exactly what it is you want to achieve by starting your career in education.
Now that you’ve outlined your desired teaching environment, backwards design a plan to meet your goal. Research what qualifications and skills a teacher needs in order to successfully work in the teaching environment you want. Make a checklist, either on paper or digitally, to hold yourself accountable to each step.
Once you have researched your next steps and needs, start working on obtaining any training. If you want to teach English to non-native learners, that means you’ll likely need certification if you don’t have it already. The TEFL Org is one resource you can use to help you obtain the certification you will need in a way that fits your current schedule.
If you are aiming to teach in a local school, be sure to thoroughly research the requirements for certification in your region. Reach out to local organizations or universities to better understand the requirements for this path, if needed.
Step 4: Apply and Interview
At this stage, tailor your CV to highlight skills and experiences that relate to teaching. If you do not have a background in education, consider ways that your previous experiences relate to the classroom.
Do you currently lead a specific team? Leadership is an essential part of teaching, as you will be leading your students every day. Perhaps instead you are part of a team. Knowing how to work effectively with others is also key to being a strong teacher, as you will use interpersonal communication skills constantly in and out of the classroom.
If you will be teaching students who are learning English, you will want to highlight your experience using communication skills to a diverse audience, whether that includes verbal communication, like giving a presentation or clearly explaining a new policy or procedure in a written document.
Review common interview questions, including both general and educator-specific questions. Practice responding to these questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to ensure that you communicate your abilities and knowledge effectively. Get a buddy to ask you the questions or record yourself responding out loud. This will help build your confidence going into your interview.
Accept Your Offer and Start Your Career in Education
Once you get an offer from a position that you feel excited about and aligns with your goals and values, accept the offer and celebrate! Congratulations! Your dream of starting your career in education is closer than ever.
You can use the time between the position acceptance and start date to prepare yourself as much as possible for a smooth entry into the classroom.
Some tips from teaching veterans to help you start strong include:
- Talk to multiple educators to learn from their experiences.
- Build a network for support, either through training organizations like The TEFL Org or your local teaching community, to guide you through your first few years teaching.
- Get in touch with a school (if possible) to observe actual classrooms or watch teaching strategies online to better understand what works well in various settings.
- Ask questions and be curious about your school and students. The more you understand your students, the deeper relationships you will build.
Once the big day arrives, you’ll be thankful to yourself for your hard work on this path that prepared you for such a rewarding career.
