Job Specifications and Career Prospects for Secondary School Teacher

Education of next generation students is the primary responsibility of the secondary school teacher. Teachers enjoy the career that produces real impact. They can be preschool as well as secondary level teachers working in either public or private set ups. Similarly, the classrooms managed by them could be large or small.

Types of Teachers

Basically the types of secondary school teachers are as follows.
Classroom where the teacher educates students could be large of small depending upon the roll strength.
Teachers for younger students and classes would focus on general education.
Secondary school teacher will usually specialize in a particular subject like literature, science, mathematics, or others.

Variety of Approaches

Teachers use a variety of approaches for teaching the students. It could be hands on learning that might involve studies in arts, science, or computer technologies. Sometimes it is individual students that are taken care of by the teachers and at other times it would be group works that encourages the students to work in teams.

Learning Process

Process of imparting education by the secondary school teacher could be –
One on one feedback method;
Group instruction method; or
Discussion and deliberation method.

Most of the parents and guardians would like to know the teaching methods during their high school search for admitting the students.

Job Specification

Major features of the secondary school teacher’s job are –
Workload is dependent on location of the school and age of the students.
Educational benchmarks in individual schools can enhance the classroom regulations. This could be frustrating experience for the teachers.
Some institutions also allow the teachers to have mentors and team teaching opportunities.
Most of the teachers work alone with changing group of students.

Education and Training

Aspirants looking for building up a career as secondary school teacher should have the following education and training.
A bachelor’s degree in the minimum though master’s degree is preferable;
A teaching certificate subsequent to such degrees;
Passing out alternative licensure programs for teachers that vary by state; and
Some states require teachers to obtain a master’s degree after starting the teaching process.

Employment Opportunities and Earnings

Nearly 1.3 million secondary school teachers are working in the country and the jobs are available in both public and private sectors. Median salary of the teachers comes in the range of $55,000-$60,000.