Educationists hold an esteem position in society. The knowledge, skills, and structure they provide empower students to pave their path to success. Therefore, if you want to make a difference in society and be a source of inspiration for many communities, a career in education is suitable for you. However, before you start working, you must pick out a subfield.
Education is a vast sector. You can work in the classroom, lend your expertise in administration and even be a supportive counselor for your pupils. Each of these careers plays a unique role in the education system, and one cannot replace the other. Depending on your interests and ambitions, there are many opportunities for you to discover. To make your choice easier for you; here is what you need to know:
1. Special education teacher
Classrooms house a diverse environment, which includes students with disabilities. This environment can make traditional schooling complex and challenging for differently-abled students. Hence, your role as a special education teacher is to facilitate these students. Disabilities occupy a spectrum. You have to navigate between children who may have trouble physically, intellectually, visually, and with their hearing. To do your job perfectly, you must have the right educational qualifications.
A bachelor’s degree in special education can help you become a teacher’s aide. But earning a master’s degree in education, you evolve as an educationist with research and knowledge backing your every move. Once you have your credentials, you need to apply for the state exams to earn your license, after which you’re a suitable mentor to head the special education department.
Your primary role is to design curriculum and learning aids to help students with disabilities learn better. This can include flashcards, videos, sign language, and interactive games encouraging children to respond. You will also need to develop individualized education plans (IEPs) that account for the student’s disability and discusses effective and preventive measures (such as dimming the lights), so the child feels comfortable.
You can also request specialized tools like books with more prominent text and a desk that allows autistic children to stim while working with them. According to the BLS, this field has a growth rate of 8% till the next decade.
2. Academic advisor
Outside the classroom, you can provide students with guidance and support to help them choose a career. As an academic advisor, you will evaluate a student’s academic profile to suggest the most suitable majors, classes, and activities to help them achieve their goals. You can work at a high school and college level, but your education qualification will vary for both.
You may be known as a guidance counselor at a high school level and need a teaching license with your bachelor’s degree. But for colleges, you may need at least a Ph.D. in education or any stem subject focusing on education before you can help students out. Your job is to act as a bridge between students and resources, which you can do in several ways. When providing them a direction with their career, you must highlight the credits, community service hours, GPA, and the kind of personal statement the student must possess to qualify. You may also conduct assessments that narrow the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses.
Part of your job is also to explain the school’s policies and guidelines in a comprehensive manner. If a student violates them, you may have to intervene and inform the student how much leeway they have to get back on track. Additional duties include monitoring a student’s performance and giving them resources that can help them do better with details on financial aid, scholarships, internships, and community outreach programs. You will also be responsible for conducting orientations, which must outline the school’s facilities, gain insight into the curriculum and introduce departments to their respective staff. The BLS predicts that academic advisors will experience a growth rate of 11% till the next decade.
3. Principal
Educational institutes need a figurehead to ensure all operations are running smoothly, making a principal an imperative position on the administration board. If you wish to spearhead this role, you need to polish yourself accordingly. Your educational qualification must include a master’s degree and experience working in schools. You may also need a teaching certificate and understand your state’s requirements in managing any educational organization. This includes the resources, books, and technological tools to use in the classroom. You also need to know what updates the curriculum needs and the testing material to assess students. Aside from those aforementioned things, you can also hire a principal coach to guide you in your journey.
Furthermore, you are directly in charge of evaluating the teaching body’s skills, providing constructive feedback, and encouraging them to attend workshops that may improve their standing as a teacher. Parents and students also look towards you for guidance, reassurance, and instructions outlining how you plan to run your institution. All legal issues also come under your supervision, such as protecting student information, working on their safety, copyrighting teaching material so they get legally distributed, and ensuring every pupil is treated fairly with no bias.
The school’s budget, hiring and firing the staff, and developing cross-cultural programs to bring more diversity also come under your job title. You will have a promising position as a principal and enjoy an almost 8% growth in the sector for the next ten years.
4. Sports coach
Sports and developing athleticism are as important as classroom learning for students. These activities help students develop physically, regulate their emotional health, and build interpersonal skills like leadership, communication, and discipline to train hard. Participating in sports is also beneficial for students. It encourages students to socialize, improves their confidence, helps them develop motor skills, and makes them physically fit.
Therefore, don’t downplay your role as a sports coach. Your primary function is to instruct, guide, and motivate students to try out different activities, which are both indoors and outdoors. If you work at a college level, you will have to recruit, train, and scout for new athletes to prepare them for a career in sports. This also includes monitoring their performance, training them, mentoring them, and connecting them to academic advisors to discuss college applications with a focus on sports.
On a school level, you have to introduce an immersive curriculum that encourages students to test their speed, coordination, and stamina. You must also maintain school equipment, help students relax their muscles, and help them through an injury. As a sports coach, your educational qualification must focus on sports science and leadership, so pursue a bachelor’s which covers kinesiology, physiology, medicine, and fitness. However, if you plan on working with college students, you may also need a master’s degree. Apart from formal education, it would help if you had experience working with student-athletes, making you highly skillful in your profession.
It will help if you pursue certifications like first aid, CPR, coaching fundamentals, and sporting safety. Some schools may also need you to be certified by a state agency, NCAA, or equivalent organization. Certain institutions may also advise you to participate in a clinic exam and give an exam on CPR. According to the BLS, this sector will grow by 12%, which is 4% higher than average for most educational sectors till 2030.
Conclusion
Education is the most powerful tool any society can possess, making your job as an educationist advantageous. There are many fields you can explore in this sector, but to give you an idea, careers like special education, academic advisor, principal, and sports coach await you. These careers offer competitive salaries and sufficient time to maintain a healthy work-life balance.