The basics
What's it like to be a middle school teacher?
Overview
In middle school, students have begun developing their skills but are still trying to find their path and interests. These are the years students learn skills to prepare them for when it counts, high school. Because the GPAs in middle school aren’t necessarily recorded for college admissions, it allows teachers to tailor assessments, assignments, and agendas to suit their classes. Being a middle school teacher will be emotionally rewarding, but as with any career, the life of a teacher is not easy. Similar to other grade levels, middle school teachers are tasked with developing curriculum, basing creative lessons around state standards, presenting the information in an understandable and interesting way, and producing assignments for students every day. Specific to middle school however, teachers will connect more with their students and really focus on their growth as an individual. They not only teach their specific subject but also help instill studying, listening, and communication skills. Education is a great career to impact one's community on a smaller scale and is a crucial part of society.
Requirements
To become a teacher, the first step is to complete a bachelor’s degree with a high GPA (3.0+) in an education specialty (Physics, English, etc.). This usually takes 4-5 years depending on the majors and/or minors one pursues. After that, a teacher preparation program and a student teaching program may be required depending on the state requirements, which takes about 1-3 years. Ideally, students should intern in a middle school classroom to understand the environment of middle school from a teaching perspective. Some colleges and universities offer the teacher preparation program as part of the bachelor’s degree to minimize the time spent in college and maximize the time spent in classrooms. The student teaching program allows aspiring teachers to practice teaching in a classroom setting under the supervision of a teacher. Once all these programs are completed, the final step before applying to jobs is to pass the state’s teacher licensure test. All the while, keeping strong grades and a clean background.
What Can High School Students Do?
- Shadow your teachers and ask them questions about their job
- Tutor peers or siblings
- Narrow down the subject or age you would want to teach
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