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| Secondary School Teacher |
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| Employment Increase: |
37% |
| People In Field: |
1,724,000 |
| Average Salary: |
37,800 |
| Qualifications: |
Bachelor's Degree, Training |
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Nature of the Work:
The role of a teacher is changing from that of a lecturer or presenter to one of a facilitator or coach. Interactive discussions and "hands-on" learning are replacing rote memorization. For example, rather than merely telling students about science, mathematics, or psychology, a teacher might ask students to help solve a mathematical problem or perform a laboratory experiment and discuss how these apply to the real world. Similarly, a teacher might arrange to bring three and four year olds into the classroom to demonstrate certain concepts of child psychology.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
All 50 states and the District of Columbia require public school teachers to be certified. Certification is generally for one or several related subjects. Usually certification is granted by the state board of education or a certification advisory committee. Teachers may be certified to teach the early childhood grades, the elementary grades, or a special subject, such as reading or music.
Job Outlook:
Overall employment of secondary school teachers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005, fueled by dramatic growth among special education teachers. However, projected employment growth varies among individual teaching occupations. Job openings for all teachers are expected to increase substantially by the end of the decade as the large number of teachers now in their forties and fifties reach retirement age.
Sources of Additional Information:
American Federation of Teachers
555 New Jersey Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
National Education Association
1201 16th St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
300 River Pl.
Detroit, MI 48207
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