Education Cluster

The field of education offers a number of enriching and valuable employment options. Within the education field, you could pursue a career as a teacher, school psychologist, teaching assistant, or administrator in either public or private settings. You could work with students in any age range, from preschool, elementary, high school, and college to post-graduate and senior learners. Each opportunity has some appeal, but it is important to make sure that your skills, values, interests, educational path, and work personality align with your career choice.

If you decide to pursue a degree in education, you will have to decide on a focus because there are numerous specialties within education, some of which are in higher demand than others. You will need to complete a four-year college program and possibly a master's or doctoral degree. Not everyone will want to go through the educational requirements to be a teacher, so you may want to consider one of the many related career options, such as becoming a teacher's assistant. Often, a teacher's assistant will have many of the same job duties as a teacher, but his or her job is to support the teacher in a classroom.

Careers in education do not typically bring a large salary, but the range depends on training, years of experience, and the salary scale of a particular school district. The educational field has been known as a very secure career choice, but recently budget cuts have made it more difficult to find a job. This will most likely change in future years, but it is very likely that educators will need to move to locations that have job openings.

Most education-related professions offer a social atmosphere with the ability to help shape students' lives. Educators spend their day interacting with students, but must also be diligent about paperwork and meeting educational requirements. Education does not usually offer a typical career ladder with job advancement opportunities. Moving up to management-level positions, such as principal or superintendent, requires advanced college training.

Career Profile Overview

• Detail oriented
• Organized
• Flexible
• Able to manage a classroom (if you work with students)
• Patient
• Able to teach a skill or concept (training/education can help with this)
• Proficient with computers

• Adult Literacy, Remedial Education, and GED Teachers and Instructors
• Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
• Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
• Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
• Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
• Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Business Teachers, Postsecondary
• Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
• Child Care Workers
• Coaches and Scouts
• Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
• Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
• Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School
• Education Administrators, Postsecondary
• Education Administrators, Preschool and Child Care Center/Program
• Education Teachers, Postsecondary
• Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
• Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
• Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
• English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
• Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
• Health Educators
• Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
• History Teachers, Postsecondary
• Home Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
• Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
• Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education
• Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
• Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary
• Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
• Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
• Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
• Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
• Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
• Recreational Therapists
• School Psychologists
• Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education
• Self-Enrichment Education Teachers
• Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
• Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
• Special Education Teachers, Middle School
• Special Education Teachers, Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary School
• Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
• Teacher Assistants
• Vocational Education Teachers Postsecondary
• Vocational Education Teachers, Middle School
• Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School

Mentor Message Board

• Careers in Education - 2 subjects
  Talk about careers in education with CareerConnect's visually impaired mentors. Or visit Career Clusters to research possible careers.
  

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