Every day in my work life is different from the other. I teach both online and on campus classes to elementary education and graduate students. My focus areas are gifted/talented education, social studies education, diversity education, and economic/personal finance. In addition to teaching, I spend a large amount of my time researching and writing curriculum and articles focused on meeting the needs of K-12 students and their teachers.
CAREER
Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$65,440
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+4.8% (slower than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Education Teachers, Postsecondary Do
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other Job Titles Education Teachers, Postsecondary May Have
Adjunct Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Education Instructor, Education Professor, Faculty Member, Instructor, Lecturer, Professor, Special Education Professor
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
I work online at home and enjoy setting up my schedule for interactions with my doctoral students and other meetings. I engage in discussions in my courses. I read and review assignments in my courses and the dissertation papers for my mentees.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Supervise students' fieldwork, internship, and research work.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Doctoral or professional degree (47%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Elementary Education and Teaching
Graduate
Education/Teaching of the Gifted and Talented
Doctorate
Curriculum and Instruction
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special...
Graduate
Curriculum and Instruction
Doctorate
Educational Psychology
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Perseverance is the #1 skill for my work. With everyday being different and so many different expectations for each day, being able to follow through on projects is crucial. Also, being a university professor requires strong communication and interpersonal skills. You need to be an entertainer, facilitator, and cheerleader for your students.
A critical aspect of my collaborative nature is my experience teaching in k12 classrooms. I designed and developed student-centric problem-based learning environments and use that knowledge to develop the highly independent and also collaborative learning environment for my graduate students.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
I think the most important first step would be to spend some time working with students of different ages to determine what age group you really enjoy working with. I began my career as an elementary teacher and then moved to the university. As a teacher, you need to really like being around people and helping them to learn. Educators also never know for certain their influence or impact on their students, but you can be sure that the impact is there.
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
