Running head: TEACHING AS A CAREER 1

Teaching as a Career

Kristi J. Vasquez

EDU 1010

Salt Lake Community College

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Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of becoming a teacher with information read and collected

from our classroom textbook called “Introduction of Teaching”, by Don Kauchak and Paul

Eggen. This writing will express what intrinsic rewards individuals will gain from teaching and

the professional challenges future and current teachers are facing on a daily basis. Our course

textbook provides examples and short stories that deliver realistic perspectives of former and

current teachers that allowed a reader to feel prepared entering the teaching world. Teachers face

certain difficulties that can potentially become problematic and tough to work through. It’s

important to utilize all resources. It’s a profession that comes with thousands of unpredictable

outcomes and events. This paper examines the rewards, difficulties, and whether teaching is

qualified as a profession.

Keywords: intrinsic, challenges, profession, teaching

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Teaching as a Career

Teaching is a career path that exposes individuals to a world of discovery, knowledge,

leadership, and fulfillment. In the United States, most individuals experience going to grade

school. We would be taught by teachers that were funny, kind, or some that were even quite

boring. However, a teacher can be a major role in someone’s life. It’s important for these roles to

be the best they can be and to be prepared for what students need in the future. A new teacher

will have a lot of good and bad experiences with unpredictable interruptions or events occurring

constantly. Teaching within a classroom can come with intrinsic rewards and potential

difficulties along with unfortunate assumptions of society not qualifying the occupation as a

profession.

Teachers don’t get the greatest salary as we may know however, that’s why we focus on

the personal fulfillments we receive also known as intrinsic rewards. These types of fulfillments

will exist within ourselves and become satisfying for personal, emotional, and/or intellectual

reasons (Eggen, Kauchak, 2017, 2014, 2011, 2008). Emotional and psychological reasons are

important and should be considered when entering teaching as a career. Teachers are a part of a

students’ life from childhood to young adulthood which gives enough time for a teacher to place

an impact on that student. A teacher that wants to guide and push students to become better

individuals in society would find happiness in education. That guidance can lead to greatness, or

even a good feeling. Some students will return to share their accomplishments and possibly give

their teacher some credit. It’s up to teachers to make a difference within a classroom with hopes

it will transpire into creativity or curiosity. Personal and intellectual reasons fall under intrinsic

rewards as well. The challenges that a teacher will triumph can be transformed into a personal

gain and positive stimulation (Eggen, Kauchak, 2017, 2014, 2011, 2008). Strong content
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knowledge would assist in accomplishing satisfying goals as a teacher as well. The intrinsic

rewards will be significant and memorable during the entire experience with teaching.

The everyday teacher experiences difficulties constantly. These difficulties can be

unpredictable, challenging, and overwhelming at times however, it’s the solution that can make

the difference. The most common challenge will be the disruptions and distractions in a

classroom whether that’s due to students or announcements and assembles. Outside a classroom

a teacher deals with other issues such as simply finding a job. According to our textbook,

“several factors influence the availability of positions, and student demographics make up one of

the most important” (Eggen, Kauchak, 2017, 2014, 2011, 2008). In addition, the working

conditions can strongly be a challenge. Teachers have great vacations and summer breaks, yet

during the school year a teacher will most likely place extra hours after school and during the

weekend. Lastly, reforms. These suggest changes in teaching and teacher preparation with intent

to increase student learning (Eggen, Kauchak, 2017, 2014, 2011, 2008). Reforms include

standards, test-based accountability, and choice. Reforms can potentially become problematic

because it creates barriers for creative and talented teachers. Testing can be strict and makes it

tough to score individuals based off their performance.

Teaching hasn’t been considered a profession due to lack of rigorous training and lack of

autonomy. Apparently, teaching doesn’t come with “rigorous” training compared to other

industries but teachers are very significant in young persons’ life. Every teacher provides

children with knowledge and life experience to prepare them for adulthood. An individual that

maintains being a teacher with lengthy experience will eventually become an expert at their job.

It’s only fair to the career to define it as a profession.

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Future and current teachers face many obstacles during their career, therefore it’s crucial

for them to be prepared for anything that can happen in a classroom. It’s important for a teacher

to realize they wear several different hats. The experience can bring so much fulfillment to the

right individual. It takes passion, experience, and knowledge to become a great teacher. Teaching

is a wonderful profession that will bring loads of difficulties but provide intrinsic rewards as

well.
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References

Eggen, P., Kauchak, D. (2017, 2014, 2011, 2008). Introduction to Teaching; becoming

a professional. Pearson.