The Rewards of Being an Educator
Thursday, September 27th, 2007Why teach? “I feel like I’m really giving something,” explains elementary school teacher Lori. For Dan Adame, it’s the ‘aha!’ factor: “I could actually see the moment that students understood something which, to me, was like magic.” Fred chose to become a teacher because he “realized that teachers have a greater impact than any other profession in the world.”
The primary reward of being an educator is clear: the pure satisfaction of imparting knowledge. But teachers face challenges as well, both interpersonal and financial. Here’s an overview of what to expect from a career in education: the triumphs and the challenges, the preparation and the road ahead.
Rewards
Meaningful Work. Educators, whether in teaching or administration, are driven by a powerful mission: to provide the best education for their students. In an interview of elementary school teachers, “meaningful work” ranked as the primary draw of a teaching career. Many teachers had left lucrative careers as accountants, lawyers, and engineers, in search of a more personally fulfilling path.