School Teacher

Statistics say that the emoluments of a teacher are the best in government schools. A Primary teacher gets a starting pay package of Rs. 2.5lakhs to 3 lakhs a year depending on the class that he or she teaches. The government schools offer perquisites and allowances. On the other hand, private schools usually offer a higher package starting from Rs. 3 lakhs+ depending on the class, education, and experience of the teacher. But this may not include other perquisites.

Teaching as a career option is regaining a lot of interest from youngsters. Teachers can get jobs in Playschools, Nursery schools, Primary/elementary schools, Secondary schools, Colleges, Universities, educational research institutes, Special schools. Work timings of teachers are mostly between 8 AM and 3 PM which are comfortable enough.

The Central Board Secondary Education, Delhi, conducts the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher for classes I to VIII and after clearing the test one can get employment in central schools and schools funded by government. In India, the demand for good teachers is definitely high. Introduction of virtual classroom teaching, E-learning and online web teaching by some schools has increased the overall opportunities for teachers. For instance, a retired teacher with 20-25 years of experience has great scope in online teaching.

Even in other countries such as the UK and the US, there are plenty of teaching opportunities. There are even great career advancement opportunities, say, after some experience of around 3 years, teachers are as likely to be in a management position as graduates in other careers. They could progress to a senior management position such as deputy or assistant head and, of course, head teacher at which point they will have overall responsibility for the management of a school.

Few renowned figures who were first and foremost a teacher and have even excelled in many other fields are:

Rabindranath Tagore whose legacy in the form of Santiniketan is the most lasting. Tagore took teaching out of the confines of the four walls and formed a school where teaching was often done under trees. Tagore personally mentored his students and guided them not just academically but also emotionally and spiritually. Visva-Bharati is now a university of repute and will perhaps be the greatest gift to the Indian education system.

Poet Nissim Ezekiel, whose poems have helped Indian English find its voice and have also inspired an entire generation of poets was also a teacher.

Dr Manmohan Singh Long before he became the politician had taught in Punjab University, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru University among others.

Oprah Winfrey a daytime television host in the U.S., who runs an international book club, act, produce films and started a magazine. She can also add 'professor' to her resume as she taught the Dynamics of Management at Northwestern University's renowned Kellogg School of Management.

Teaching a classroom full of 5- to 12-year-olds is quite different from simply being one of the kids seated on a chair. Elementary school teachers spend hours every week planning, preparing, grading, conferencing and supporting the children who benefit from their instruction and watchful eye.

Each day of a school teacher is packed with new experiences, relationships, skill building lessons that build the strong foundation of a student’s future. Upon arrival at school, a school teacher attends the morning assembly, prepares for the day by ensuring resources and worksheets are available. The work and activities of students are monitored by the teacher, who guides them, assisting the less independent and those needing support, and encouraging the more skilled children. In the free periods, teachers spend their time correcting the worksheets of the students and giving appropriate feedback. Lessons continue through the day. In line with the today’s advanced methods of teaching, a teacher need to prepare power point presentations on the subject and mail them to the students.

Teacher set question papers, correct them, make progress reports of the students, discuss the same with their parents. The teacher not just prepare student to sit for exams also encourage them to participate in extra-curricular activities. Before the end of the day teacher ensures that the respective homework is allotted to each student.

Taking into consideration the time spent by teachers on preparing notes, marking, training and in meetings with other staff or parents, it’s up to 50 hours a week a teacher works.

In case Teaching as a career option does not seem to be a good career fit then you can always explore various other careers that are listed on MapMyTalent

Also one must always remember to take Aptitude Test and Personality Test to find which careers are suitable and fitting well for the person. The tests will also help in getting the right career guidance and career advice which will help you build your career path.

You may also like to read up on other such careers as:

Indian Airforce Officer

Bank Officer

Indian Army Officer

IAS Officer

Architect