Troops to Teachers

Text Index

Custom Search

Changing Careers

Teaching can be a very rewarding career, providing a sense of accomplishment much like what you felt when you served your country in the military. But teaching is not just another job, and teaching is not for everyone. Being an effective teacher requires much more than intelligence and subject area expertise. Before you invest the time, money, and effort to earn your certificate, you should first determine if teaching is right for you.

A good place to start would be to contact a Troops to Teachers mentor to speak with someone who has completed this career transition through the Troops to Teachers program. Next, talk to several teachers in different schools to get their perspectives on what it takes to be successful. Meet with a school principal and ask if you can shadow a teacher to experience what a day in a teacher’s life is like. Then, if you are confident you are suited to a career in education, find ways to spend more time in a classroom—volunteer in a school or tutor students requiring additional assistance. Schools often need substitute teachers, which is one of the best ways to gain additional insight as to the challenges and rewards of this profession. Having substitute teaching on your resume and a letter of recommendation from a school principal can go a long way in helping you secure your first full-time teaching position.

Having determined that teaching is for you, you must next decide on the subject and grade level (high school, middle school, elementary school) you want to teach. Answers to these questions may come from a consideration of your personal interests, what you did in your previous career(s), or what subjects you most enjoyed when you were in school. Having multiple areas of interest can be an advantage as this will give you more options regarding certification.

The demand for teachers varies by subject area, so you might elect to earn your teaching credentials in a subject for which the need for teachers is the greatest. Usually there is a greater demand for teachers in the subjects students must take to graduate (e.g., math, science, English and social science) than subjects that are electives (e.g., art, music, computer science, business education, etc.). The department publishes a report each year identifying the critical shortage subject areas.

Demand for teachers also varies by geographic location. For example, more positions are likely to be available in regions of the country where the population is expanding and in larger school districts that have the largest number of teaching positions. The decision as to where to teach is usually based on such factors as proximity to relatives, previous duty stations, or military facilities. You may prefer an urban, suburban, or rural setting. Perhaps you would like to return to a location where you still own a home. For many, other family considerations are important—the employment opportunities for a spouse, the quality of area schools and colleges, etc.

You can improve your chances of making a smooth transition into a teaching career by closely examining your individual qualifications and goals and then marketing yourself to the schools that most closely match them.

Florida Department of Education