Teaching is a wonderful and exciting profession for you if you are passionate about nurturing and helping the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow.
A career in education does not only entail teaching in the classroom. Still, it can also mean providing psychological counselling to students, managing a school, or even helping provide access to resources such as libraries and counselling.
Within teaching, the subject areas and age groups are so varied that a range of options exist.
Endless Possibilities for You Who Have a Teaching License
Teaching is a wonderful and exciting profession for you if you are passionate about nurturing and helping the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow.
A career in education does not only entail teaching in the classroom. Still, it can also mean providing psychological counselling to students, being responsible for a school’s management, or even helping provide access to resources such as libraries and counselling. With so many schools in need of teachers for all grade levels, it’s easy to get started working in a classroom, whether through substitute teacher opportunities or degree programs that incorporate professional training at the outset.
If you’re looking for careers in education that aren’t teaching, some of the following job titles may appeal to you:
- Curriculum developer or instructional designer
- Education consultant
- Education policy analyst
- Educational technology specialist
- Nonprofit education program manager
From Classroom Teacher to School Leader
Many teachers start their careers in the classroom with the long-term goal of growing their expertise to take on leadership positions within their schools. This can be an exciting and deeply rewarding opportunity for educators to run with what they’ve learned from their experiences and make a broader-scale impact on student life. These jobs can also offer improved pay, providing a valuable incentive that education professionals can work toward.
As you gain experience and improve your skills, you can become eligible for leadership roles, such as department chairs or instructional coaches. To become a full-fledged administrator, teachers may pursue advanced degrees, such as a master’s or doctoral degree in education, to prepare for careers such as principal, superintendent, and other administrative roles.
Becoming a Specialized Teacher
Other teachers who do not choose to pursue the administrative path decide instead to continue their careers in teaching and develop an area of specialty. These are often roles that focus on students with particular academic needs, such as English language learners (ELL students), special education students, and highly gifted students. These are some of the most important occupations in education. It requires tremendous skill and training, and the payoff for students can be game-changing.
Some teachers pursue specialized training at the start of their careers, choosing certificate programs that emphasize this type of teaching work.
There are many reasons why teachers decide to leave the classroom, but the good news is there are plenty of excellent job opportunities for teachers who don’t want to teach.
Here is the Top Ten Opportunities for You as a Teacher
What is a teacher, after all, but a project manager, HR rep, life coach, motivational speaker, and creative entrepreneur all wrapped up into one? Just because your degree is in education, that doesn’t mean teaching is your only option. In fact, there are many great career changes for teachers out there, whether it means moving up the ladder or looking into jobs in the education field besides teaching.
1. Career guidance counselor
Choosing a career can be an overwhelming process. Making decisions is easier for some than for others, and some people need a little help along the way. A career guidance counselor is responsible for helping people assess their abilities and providing information and advice on educational and training options to help them make decisions and choose the right direction.
2. School administrator
If you love organizing, enjoy working with people, and have good interpersonal and communication skills, school administration could be a great option for you. This would involve lots of contact with children, staff, and parents and would require sensitivity and confidentiality.
3. Librarian
If you enjoy working in a learning and academic environment and you love to work independently, a librarian could be an option for you. The job of a librarian is to be responsible for providing access to information and managing the library facilities, which may be in a public library, a school, or a university.
4. Private Tutor
Some students fall behind in school for a host of legitimate reasons, such as insufficient attention, poor teaching, learning disabilities, attention disorders, or emotional and behavioral issues. In order for them to pass exams and gain qualifications, those who can afford it will have the privilege of being able to provide 1:1 education for their children after school. If you have a passion for teaching but want a break from the classroom, choose a subject or subjects that you would like to teach and start advertising for those private students.
There is also the option to teach adults. Adults may want to learn a language, including English, art, or music, or improve their literacy or math skills. If you have good computer skills, you can also teach Microsoft or Adobe programs.
5. Corporate trainer
If you would like to use your transferable teaching and leadership skills in the corporate world, there are some interesting options. You could teach company employees a variety of subjects, including sales skills, negotiation skills, business writing, or digital marketing. There are many courses available on Udemy and Lynda that you can brush up on or learn business skills from scratch at very reasonable prices. You can also check out the evening and part-time courses available in your hometown.
6. Adult literacy teacher
Adult literacy courses are usually taught in Adult Education Institutes, part-time during the day or evening. This gives you the perfect option to work part-time if you need to balance other commitments. Adult literacy learners may be immigrants looking to improve their literacy in order to get a job or progress in their profession.
7. Parenting coach/educator
As a parenting coach, you can work hours that suit your schedule. In order to work with young children, you will require a background in Early Childhood Education. Your leadership, patience, and mentoring skills can be put to good use to help parents as well as children. Every parent wishes the best for their child, but sometimes parenting can be a challenge. A parent needs to not just care for their child but to understand their emotions, behavior, and psychological state of mind. Parents are not experts in every subject and often need a little help along the way. They need to be advised on what to do when a toddler refuses to sleep in his bed at night, when a baby wakes too frequently, when a young child has tantrums, and when a school child has behavior problems.
8. Writer
Your great communication skills can be put to excellent use by becoming a writer. There is always a demand for content writers, technical writers, and copywriters. Content writers are hired to produce engaging content for use online. If you have a creative flair, then copywriting could be the job for you. This involves using your creative writing skills to sell products by dreaming up catchy advertising slogans, writing product literature, and producing copy for emails, websites, or blogs.
9. Social worker
Social workers are responsible for protecting vulnerable people and helping families and children deal with the difficulties and challenges in their lives. If you enjoy helping people, a career as a social worker could be just the right job for you.
In order to be a social worker, you will need an M.S.W. Master of Social Work.
10. Personal coach
Teachers have the great advantage of knowing how to teach and coach others. Have you ever thought about becoming a personal coach? For personal coaching, you will need a coaching diploma, which may take approximately a year. You can then build your own business and take on private clients!
Coaching is designed to help people take the necessary steps to achieve their desired goals, objectives, and dreams.
A Wide Range of Roles in Education that are Surprisingly Well Paid
Working in education can be a rewarding and fulfilling career in itself.
But considering the hard work that goes into it, it is only fitting that people working in schools, colleges, and universities should also be well-paid for their efforts.
So, what are the highest paying jobs in education?
Here are the top eight across a range of skill sets, from teaching and leadership to organization and student support:
- School Principal
- University or College Administrator
- Professor
- Speech Pathologist
- Instructional Coordinator
- Special Education Teacher
- Librarian
- High School Teacher
Although these roles may require more training or experience than entry-level positions, they show that a career in education can be more than personally fulfilling—it can also pay well.
For people looking for a part-time role to boost their earnings, there are opportunities in education, too!
Disclosure: This information is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
About Author
Bill Wallace blends his academic background in Literature with his ventures in International Business and finance. His professional journey took him across Europe, especially in Spain, where his passion for writing evolved. Since then, armed with his literary finesse and investment acumen, he has been crafting financial content for teachers worldwide. More about me.
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