Traveling Teacher Career
How to Become a Traveling Teacher
Hoping to add more travel in your life? You might think you need to wait until retirement to save up enough money to see the world, but many jobs offer ample opportunities to indulge your wanderlust and expand your horizons. Case in point: teaching abroad.
Why Become a Traveling Teacher?
Traveling teachers get to experience different cultures even as they make a living educating others. These professionals can enjoy deep cultural immersion while imparting a variety of knowledge and skills to students young and old. A job as a traveling teacher opens doors to meaningful professional development and memorable travel experiences, and it may even allow for important career networking opportunities.
What Is a Traveling Teacher?
The day-to-day responsibilities of a junior high teacher can include:
Traveling teachers spend time working in different parts of the world, growing acquainted with each location’s history, culture, cuisine, and customs as they instruct students. The subjects they teach can range from math and science to social studies, with English as a Second Language (ESL) courses being very common. Some traveling teachers may have years of experience teaching in elementary schools, high schools, or universities while others might have only weeks or months of training.
Either way, most—if not all—traveling teachers obtain certification so that they’re better prepared for classroom instruction. These individuals value personal and global education, and they may also seek to improve education systems and infrastructure as an overarching objective in their travels, especially if they teach in less-developed nations.
What Does a Traveling Teacher Do?
A traveling teacher’s day-to-day responsibilities vary depending on a number of factors, including subject area, teaching program, location, and student age range. However, typical duties include the following:
- Lesson planning. Teachers spend several hours a week preparing classroom lessons and materials for the benefit of their students.
- Teaching and instruction. Thorough prep work can lead to stimulating discussion, with students actively participating as they ask and answer questions.
- Student assessment. To evaluate student progress, teachers administer quizzes and tests at regular intervals.
- Individualized support. Sometimes students may need one-on-one attention outside of class. Teachers should make extra time if possible to speak to these students about their concerns.
- Classroom management. Whether classes are big or small, teachers maintain order and ensure that each student feels valued.
- Collaboration and communication. Often, teachers spend time with other faculty to discuss plans, goals, assignments, and more.
- Travel and logistics. Traveling teachers adhere to clear, detailed itineraries as they go from point A to point B. Teachers might refer to travel agencies or use smartphone traveling apps as a guide.
- Recordkeeping and documentation. This includes in-class and homework assignments, grades, and attendance.
- Professional development. Teachers will continue to grow personally and professionally as they help students understand concepts and practice their skills.
Best Degrees for Traveling Teacher
Elementary Education – B.A.
An online teacher certification program for aspiring elementary...
An online teacher certification program for...
An online teacher certification program for aspiring elementary teachers.
Leads to teacher licensure. Specific grade levels will vary depending on teaching certification in your state.
- Time: 60% of grads earned this degree within 36 months.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
Candidates for this program often include:
- Aspiring elementary school teachers who currently lack a teaching license
- Substitute teachers
- Career-changers
- School paraprofessionals
- Others who feel the call to teach
This elementary education degree program includes courses in the foundations of teacher education, instructional planning and presentation, assessment, and classroom management. Core teacher education courses focus on diversity, disciplinary literacy, elementary education methods, and pedagogy. It requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time demonstration teaching. This online teaching degree program helps you to be eligible for teaching certification in any of the 50 states.
Teachers College
Special Education and Elementary Education (Dual Licensure) – B.A.
An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for...
An online teaching degree and teacher...
An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring K–12 special education teachers. Leads to dual licensure—elementary education teaching license and special education teaching license.
(Specific grade levels will vary depending on licensure in your state.) If your state offers a single K–12 special education teaching license and you are interested in focusing on teaching students with mild to moderate exceptionalities, consider the B.A. Special Education (Mild to Moderate) online teaching degree.
- Time: 62% of grads earned this degree within 3½ years.
- Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
Candidates for this online teaching degree often include:
- Aspiring special ed teachers who currently lack a teaching license
- Substitute teachers
- Career-changers
- School paraprofessionals
- Others who feel the call to teach
This special education teaching online degree program prepares you to teach students with mild-to-moderate disabilities, with courses in the foundations of teaching, instructional planning and presentation, assessment, and classroom management. Core elementary and special education courses focus on diversity, disciplinary literacy, elementary education methods, and special education topics such as law, assessment, and behavioral management. This program requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time demonstration teaching. Compare B.A. Special Education (Mild to Moderate)
Teachers College
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How Do I Become a Traveling Teacher?
Traveling teachers should gain experience in managing classrooms and student expectations, and they should obtain enough education to become competent instructors in their chosen field. Though many do, not all traveling teachers complete bachelor’s or master’s programs. Others get certified to teach or receive continuing education. Below are common steps to becoming a traveling teacher:
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Examples include special and elementary education, mathematics education, English, English teaching, and more.
- Pursue industry certifications to stand out to employers. For example, English teachers may consider TEFL or TESOL certification.
- Identify where you’d like to teach. You may decide to travel to another English-speaking region or go to a foreign country. If you plan to teach internationally, remember to keep your passport up to date and apply for visas as needed.
- Apply for traveling teacher jobs. This might include updating your résumé, drafting cover letters, attending job interviews, and networking.
What Skills Does a Traveling Teacher Need?
Teachers who travel for their work should become well rounded in a number of skills that will serve them both inside and outside the classroom. Such skills usually include:
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Cultural sensitivity
- Communication
- Classroom and group management
- Organizational skills
- Patience and empathy
- Problem-solving abilities
- Cultural competence
- Technical skills
- Collaboration
How Much Does a Traveling Teacher Make?
$59,720.
Traveling teachers might expect to make earnings similar to those of traditional school teachers. Average income typically varies based on the level of education taught and the length of the teaching program. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for instance, the average annual salary in May 2021 for adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers was $59,720. The lowest 10% earned about $35,000 while the highest 10% earned more than $96,000.
What Is the Job Outlook for Traveling Teachers?
Varies
The job outlook for traveling teachers differs based on factors like area of expertise, amount of education received, and the location of the teaching program. According to the BLS, despite a slight decline in employment of adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers, about 4,700 new openings are projected each year on average from 2021 to 2031.
Where Does a Traveling Teacher Work?
Varies
Traveling teachers can work in a variety of settings, including international schools, language schools, online education platforms, educational consulting firms, nonprofit organizations, and homeschooling and tutoring services.
What’s Next?
As you prepare to become a traveling teacher, consider studying at WGU. WGU offers more than 30 accredited, online bachelor’s and master’s programs in education that can give you the skills you need to teach no matter where you are in the world.
Our competency-based education model lets you progress as quickly as you master the material, at a pace that works for you. Through this model, you can advance in your program and finish faster, potentially saving time and money. Get started today!