Why Become a Teacher? 10 Good Reasons to Consider a Tutoring or Teaching Job

There are many tutoring jobs available online, from institutions like ILEX and the Open University to private companies like Academic Knowledge.  So why be a tutor?

Here are my top ten reasons for considering this type of work.

1. Student Potential

Unfortunately, not every student that you try to help will succeed. However, this fact should not keep you from believing that every student has the potential for success. This potential is so exciting - each new year presents new challenges and new potential successes.

2. Student Successes

Closely related to the previous reason, student success is what drives teachers to continue. Each student who didn't understand a concept and then goes on to learn it with your help will give you an exhilarating feeling. And when you actually reach that student that others have written off as being unteachable, this can truly be worth all the headaches that do come with the job. Imagine how good the feeling is when you know that just one - a single one - student has achieved something because of you. Now multiply this by the number of students you are likely to serve each year. That's one amazing feel good factor!

3. Teaching a Subject Helps You Learn a Subject

You will never learn a topic better than when you start teaching it. When you're at University, you'll think you've crammed in just about everything you could possibly need to know about your area of expertise. But as a teacher, you'll find that student questions just make you dig deeper and learn more.

4. Daily Humour

If you have a positive attitude and a sense of humour, you will find things to laugh about each day. Sometimes it will be silly jokes you will make up as you teach that might get a laugh from your students. Sometimes it will be jokes that kids share with you. And sometimes students will come out with the funniest statements without realizing what they've said. Find the fun and enjoy it!

5. Affecting the Future

Yes it might be trite, but it is true. Teachers mould the future each day in class. In fact, it is a sad fact that you will see some of these students more consistently day-to-day than their parents will.

6. Staying Younger

Being around young people everyday will help you remain knowledgeable about current trends and ideas in your area of expertise. It also helps break down barriers.

7. Autonomy in the Classroom

Once a teacher closes that door each day and begins teaching, they really are the ones who decide what's going to happen. Not many jobs provide an individual with so much room to be creative and autonomous each day.

8. Conducive to Family Life

If you have children, working as a teacher will typically allow you to have the same days off as your kids. Further, while you might bring work home with you to grade, you will probably be getting home close to the same time as your children.Even better, if you use your skills as a freelancer for a company like Academic Knowledge, you'll be able to fit your work completely around your existing commitments. So teaching work can be as flexible as you like - even 100% flexible if that's how you want it to be.

9. Job Security

In many communities, teachers are a scarce commodity. It is fairly certain that you will be able to find a job as a teacher, though you might have to wait until the start of a new school year and be willing to travel within your county/school district. While requirements might be different from place to place, once you have proven yourself a successful teacher, it is relatively easy to move around and find a new job. If you're short of experience, tutoring for a company like Academic Knowledge may give you just the break you need.

10. Summers Off

Unless you work in a district that has a year-round-education system, you will have a couple of months off in the summer where you can choose to get another job, teach summer school, or just relax and vacation. Further, you typically get two weeks off during Christmas/Winter Holidays and one week for Spring Break which can really be a huge benefit and provide much needed rest time. Of course, if you're tutoring on a freelance basis, you can take off whichever weeks suit you best.