As a long time teacher, I believe that most teachers knew they wanted to be a teacher long before they became one.  If you enjoy working with kids and you enjoy seeing results immediately then you should be a teacher.  If you enjoy seeing a spark in a child's eyes when they finally understand a concept you are teaching them, then you should be a teacher.

If you are unsure of it, then I have a great big piece of advice for you.  Stay away from teaching.  There are many days that teaching can become somewhat frustrating and unless you can keep your eyes on the eventual goal of helping children reach their potential, then you might be the kind of teacher who gets driven out of the profession.

Teaching is just like most other careers.  There are parts of the job that are less than desirable, but the good far outweighs the bad and if you are the type who can look through the bad and see the good, your mind is already made up.

Okay, I got that out of the way.  Now what?  What's the first step in becoming a teacher.  Find a college.  Register for classes and start your career in just a few short years.

What's that you say?  What are the best colleges?  I have another great big piece of advice for you.  Don't put too much worry into finding the "best" or avoiding the "worst" teacher colleges.  Just go and get your degree.  Let me explain.

I went to New Mexico State University to obtain my bachelor's degree in education.  I taught with a friend who received his from the University of Texas. We were both hired the same year in the same district and we both made the exact same amount of money. I went on and got my master's degree from Eastern New Mexico University.  He received his from the University of Texas. Our contracts were the exact same amount.

Don't worry about where you get your education.  Go to the college that best suits you.  Do you need to stay close to home.  Then go to the local college. Do you need to find a low cost college.  Then find it and go to it.

School districts are so strapped to find quality teachers that they will hire you if you fit into their needs.  The biggest and most important thing you need to remember as you take this big first step to becoming a teacher is to pick the right field.  There is a shortage of teachers in math, science, bilingual, and special education.  If any of those fields interest you, it simply will not matter where you received your degree, you will be hired.

Thank you for visiting.  I wish you the same amount of happiness that teaching has brought to my life.