Some people, from the time they are in first grade, know they want to be teachers. For others, the idea can be a sudden insight, or a feeling that grows and develops over time. Regardless of how the knowledge comes, becoming a teacher means becoming an educator; and that means studying education. So, what is education Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound the imparting of knowledge, and well-developed wisdom. Education means ‘to draw out’, facilitating the realization of self-potential and the latent talents of an individual student.
Educators are always in high demand. The call for new teachers continues to grow as education changes rapidly and the number of school-age children increases. Also, education reform is taking place across the country, so the rules keep changing. New federal and state initiatives are encouraging all American schools, teachers and students to strive to be the best in the world. These changes are creating new challenges as well as new opportunities for prospective teachers.

There is widespread recognition of America’s need to build a highly skilled, diverse teacher workforce. States are now raising their standards for teacher licensing and increasing salaries to attract well-educated people who otherwise would be inclined to work in other areas. Generally, teacher salaries have improved considerably in recent years, but salaries vary greatly from state to state and even by school district.

Besides a degree of job security, teaching offers a uniform salary schedule in which earnings are based on years of experience and training, and fringe benefits usually including health insurance, paid sick leave and retirement.

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