Because education is one of the most popular majors for college students, one would think that the demand for teachers may not be very high compared to the number of people with education degrees; however, this is not the case. Areas of education such as mathematics, science and foreign language are all in great need of quality teachers.
Mathematics
According to HowToLearn.com, mathematics is the least popular class among students. When you consider the subject’s unpopularity among pupils, it’s no surprise that there are relatively few kids who aspire to become math teachers once they finish their schooling. Middle school teachers usually teach basic math, pre-algebra and algebra I to students, but high school educators often teach a wider variety of classes. For instance, a high school teacher may work with students on subjects like:
- remedial math
- pre-algebra, algebra I and II
- geometry
- functions, statistics and trigonometry
- statistics
- accounting
- business math
- pre-calculus and calculus
While an education degree with a concentration in mathematics should prepare you to teach any of these subjects, you may become the teacher for just a couple of subjects instead of teaching a different type of math for each class period. Responsibilities will vary by school.
Science
Like with many STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – subjects, science seems to have quite a high demand for teachers. If you end up teaching children in elementary or middle school, you’ll be able to teach children all about the different kinds of science, but if you choose to teach high school, you’ll get to specialize. For instance, you might end up teaching:
- biology
- chemistry
- physics
- physical science
- earth science
- anatomy and physiology
If you decide to become a math or science teacher, it may be worth your while to major in a STEM subject because there are often scholarships available to math and science college students. You can double major in education and math or science or major in a STEM subject and get your teaching certification by getting a master’s degree or taking a set of courses designed for educators.
Foreign Language
French and Spanish are the most common foreign languages taught in public schools, and Chinese is becoming more commonplace in urban areas. If you’re bilingual, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a teaching job. If you only speak one language and are planning to learn everything while you’re in college, consider studying abroad to gain fluency and lose at least some of your American accent. If you don’t want to teach in a foreign language, you can consider teaching students English as a second language. Jobs can be found all around the country – urban areas often have large immigrant populations, and even rural areas usually have student hosting programs for international students who may still be having trouble grasping the English language.
If you want to have a career in education, there’s definitely a need out there. The demand for teachers is especially great in subjects such as math, science and foreign language, but all school subjects have a need for well-educated, quality teachers.
