Although jobs for teachers are constantly in high demand, some areas are more short-staffed than others. There’s a lot of competition out there, so if you want to be sure to put yourself at the front of the pack you might want to train for the following areas.
Preschool Teacher
Do you love working with small children? Then you might want to launch your career as a preschool teacher. In the United States alone, there is a 26% projected increase in demand for preschool teachers by 2016. This is due to a growing population as well as the implementation of programs including universal preschool in some states. Preschool teachers do more than just sing songs and play games, however. They also set the foundation for lifelong learning with the use of multimedia components, teaching basic math, reading, and vocabulary. There’s also a heavy emphasis on social development at this age, preparing children for primary school.
Special Needs Education
One of the areas in education where there’s an extreme shortage in qualified professionals is in the special education field. More students than ever are now being accurately diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disorders including Down’s syndrome, Autism, and Attention Deficit Disorder, and because they’re mainstreamed into general education along with other students the schools need highly trained teachers to work with them. Special needs teachers may work in their own classroom or alongside other teachers, to ensure that all children are receiving the attention they need to flourish. Though this job can be demanding, it can also be highly rewarding.
English as a Second Language
Another area where there is a persistent need for educators is in the ESL classroom, or English as a Second Language. Our global economy ensures that immigrants are coming and going all over the world, meaning that there’s just as strong of a need for ESL teachers in the United States as there is in Australia. In fact, if you like to travel it may be worth training to become a TESOL teacher, which allows you to work anywhere in the world where students may need to learn English. English teachers work with not only children but also university students and adults, from a range of cultural backgrounds.
Teacher’s Aide
If you’re looking for job security, one area to focus your efforts would be in education support. You can see some of the education support courses at training.com.au which qualify you to become a teacher’s aide. This is a rewarding career that allows you to work with and support both the teachers and students. You’ll work with students from a range of different backgrounds, including the ESL and special needs students mentioned above. It can be a good general framework for ongoing studies, letting you test out how you feel about teaching. Furthermore, there has been an increase of 70% in the need for teacher’s aides in the past decade alone.
The education field is extremely diverse, whether you want to work in a hands-on role within the classroom or prefer a behind the scenes job in administration. By researching your options carefully, you can find the optimal fit and experience a rewarding career.