Should I Become a Teacher?

Do you love sharing knowledge with people and helping them to explore their own curiosities? Are you good at explaining things in a way that makes people feel encouraged to learn more? Does the idea of helping to shape minds excite you? If you answered yes to these questions, you just might be a teacher in the making!  

Becoming an educator for elementary education, junior high, high school, or special education students is a career path that many find extremely fulfilling and rewarding. Teachers are focused on helping a child or student enjoy learning and growth. It’s a profession that is fueled by educators who are passionate about helping, and a good teacher has skills like patience, organization, and adaptability, along with a singular focus on ensuring everyone in their classroom gets the education they deserve.

But having a passion for knowledge, learning, exploration, and people is only part of the equation. You’ll also need the right education and licensure to support your goal of becoming a teacher.  

Elementary school teachers, high school teachers, and special education teachers have distinct education requirements, but ultimately anyone looking to enter the teaching profession will require certain levels of education and certain personality traits. But before you take the plunge into a degree program, it can be helpful to ask yourself some questions to really determine whether teaching is the right path for you.

What Are the Signs You Should Become a Teacher?

The idea of becoming a teacher may be appealing to some, but the decision to pursue it as a career cannot be made without proper consideration. If you’re seriously interested in teaching as a career, some self-reflection can help you determine whether the profession is a good fit. Here are several signs you might enjoy becoming a teacher:

• You want to make a difference. Teachers have opportunities to help students develop academically and personally and prepare for the next stages of their education and lives.
• You care about the future. Whether you teach elementary, middle school, or high school, education gives you an opportunity to help shape the knowledge and skills of future generations.
• You’re patient. Students learn at different speeds and in different ways. Teachers need the patience to explain concepts more than once, adjust their approach, and give young learners time to develop.
• You’re organized. Teachers need to be able to balance lesson planning, grading, classroom activities, meetings, communication with families, and other responsibilities.
• You’re a strong communicator. Effective teachers explain ideas clearly, give useful directions and feedback, and communicate with students, families, colleagues, and administrators.
• You’re adaptable. Lessons are not always going to go as planned. Teachers often need to respond quickly to students’ needs, classroom challenges, and changing circumstances.
• You’re optimistic and encouraging. Students may become frustrated when learning difficult material. Teachers help motivate them to continue working and recognize their progress.
• You enjoy telling stories and explaining ideas. No matter what subject you’re teaching, there is value in the ability to explain the same concept in several different ways and make information understandable and engaging. 
• You enjoy challenges and variety. No two days look exactly alike in a school. You may have a fire drill, a student who suddenly gets what they’ve been struggling with, or an assembly that takes time away from your class session. If you handle surprises with a clear head and a sense of humor, you’re likely to do well.
• You can picture yourself working in a school environment. Schools are busy, lively places, with bells, hallways, assemblies, and plenty of noise. If that energy sounds fun rather than draining, that’s a good sign.
• You enjoy working with children or teenagers. Strong subject matter knowledge is important, but successful K–12 teachers also need to connect with, guide, and support students at different stages of development.
• You’re ready to keep learning. Great teachers continue building their knowledge, refining their skills, and adapting to new approaches throughout their careers.

What Are the Benefits of Becoming a Teacher?

For many educators, one of the main reasons they became a teacher is the opportunity to help students learn, grow, and prepare for their futures. Other potential benefits of a teaching career include:

• A career centered on learning and personal growth.
• Variety from one school day or year to the next.
• Opportunities to collaborate with students, families, teachers, and other education professionals.
• The chance to explore subjects you’re passionate about and help students understand them.
• Opportunities for continued professional development and career advancement.
• A work environment that allows you to contribute to your school and community.

Is Teaching a Good Career, and Is Becoming a Teacher Worth It?

Whether or not becoming a teacher is a good career choice or “worth it” depends on what matters most to you. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage in May 2025 was $63,820 for kindergarten and elementary school teachers and $72,040 for high school teachers, compared with $50,980 for all occupations.  

BLS also projects employment for both groups to stay roughly the same, with a 0% estimated change from 2025 to 2035. Even so, BLS expects about 99,400 openings a year for kindergarten and elementary school teachers and about 63,500 a year for high school teachers, mostly a result of current teachers retiring or moving to other occupations.

In other words, teaching positions still open up regularly, though competition can vary by region, grade level, and subject. Pay and job openings are only part of the picture, so weighing them alongside the benefits above and your own goals is the only way to determine whether becoming a teacher is “worth it” for you.

How Can You Get Classroom Experience Before Becoming a Teacher?

Before officially becoming a teacher or starting a degree program, it’s a good idea to get some sort of relevant experience under your belt to gauge your interest or aptitude for the profession. Testing the waters helps you see whether the day-to-day reality matches what you’ve pictured. Here are a few ways to start:

• Volunteer at a local school.
• Tutor students one-on-one or in small groups.
• Coach a school team or lead an after-school club.
• Work as a classroom aide or substitute, where your state allows it.
• Talk with current teachers about what they love and what challenges them.

As you’re taking part in any of the options above, look beyond the classroom. Notice the little things like how teachers work with colleagues, how the front office runs, and what the lunchroom and hallways feel like. Teachers spend their whole day in that environment, so it helps to know whether you enjoy it.

What Comes Next If You Want to Become a Teacher?

Teachers begin their careers at different stages of life, and experience from other careers can bring valuable skills, like communication, leadership, organization, technical knowledge, and problem-solving. If you’re serious about becoming a teacher, your next step is to build a plan and start from wherever you are now. 

First, you’ll need to decide what content area you’d like to focus on and what level of student you’d like to teach, such as elementary or high school. Then, you’ll want to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program focused on your chosen teaching category. Look for a teacher preparation program that is state approved, since that’s what sets you up for a teaching credential. And if you already have a bachelor’s degree, you can get a relevant master’s degree that will also prepare you for licensure and life in the classroom.

If you’re just getting started, you’ll soon have student teaching to look forward to, where you’ll gain even more hands-on classroom experience. Once you’ve completed your bachelor’s degree and all the necessary other requirements, you’ll typically take teacher certification exams as a final step before becoming a certified teacher.  

Many states call the credential you earn a teaching license, while others say teacher certification or endorsement. These terms are fairly interchangeable, and you can see how they work on our teaching license and certification page. Requirements differ by state, so check with your state’s education board and review state licensure information early.

Once you begin teaching, you can continue building your skills through specialized or technical training along with continuing education. If you want to advance into leadership roles, such as school principal, enrolling in a degree program like a Master of Science in Educational Leadership can help you prepare for that next step.

Ready to get started? Apply to WGU and begin working toward your teaching career, or explore WGU’s teaching degrees to find the program that fits you.