Middle School Teachers Career Guide: How to Get a Job Teaching Junior High

Ask any kid what he or she wants to be when they grow up and you'll hear doctor, veterinarian or teacher. Ok, Batman and Hannah Montana might be in the group of responses as well, but make no mistake - teaching is one of the most sought after and well-respected professions in the world. There are hundreds of different types of teachers, and all are divided into specific categories. You have your pre-school, elementary and middle school teachers on one side and your high school teachers on the other. And then there's college - but we want to talk about area of teaching that is expected to experience a significant amount of job growth over the next several years -- middle school.

According to Collegedegreereport.com, this career field is expected to grow by 11.2%, adding more than 75,000 jobs each year. Not only this, but middle school teachers' salaries are on the rise. In 2008, middle school teachers earned around $46,300 per year (average). In 2009, middle school teachers earned, on average, $47,900 per year. This represents a 3.4% increase in just one year. In addition, the industry offers seasoned middle school teachers up to $73,350 per year and entry-level teachers around $31,450 per year. If you want to become a part of a well respected industry with financial and job growth potential, read on to find out what you have to do to get there.

Before we discuss the requirements for entry into this field, here is a bit of information about what middle school teachers do on a daily basis. You might be surprised to find out that they do more than just teach. Middle school teachers pick up where elementary school left off. Their job is to help students expand on what they have learned in elementary school. Most middle school teachers specialize in a specific subject such as English, Spanish, biology, history or math. Middle school teachers create and conduct all classroom activities; they create and administer tests, create lesson plans, and grade papers.

Middle school teachers are also responsible for reporting student's progress to teachers and parents. They are required to attend staff meetings and parent-teacher meetings and they also chaperone school trips and oversee extracurricular activities. Middle school teachers travel too. They are required to chaperon school trips and other events.

In addition to lots of energy, patience, and a caring attitude, middle school teachers must have a bachelor's degree or higher for entry into this field. Most employers prefer a bachelor's or master's degree in teacher education, but in some cases, a bachelor's degree in a related field is acceptable. Currently, around 38% of all middle school teachers have a bachelor's degree and just over 30% have a master's degree. Nearly 3% have a doctoral degree and just over 3% have a first professional degree.

Middle school teachers must also obtain a license to teach. This is a requirement in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You may obtain a license from your State Board of Education or a licensure advisory committee. You may locate your state board of education web address and other contact information through the U.S. Department of Education's Education Resource Directory-- just check out the website listed at the bottom of this article.

It is important to note that most employers prefer a degree from an accredited teacher education program. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council manage accreditation and practices.

For more information about the middle school teacher profession, education requirements, and more visit:

The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.bls.gov/

CollegeDegreeReport.com Career Guide - Middle School Teacher Careers: Employment & Salary Trends for Aspiring Middle School Teachers

CollegeDegreeReport.com Salary Statistics, Listed by State and City - Middle School Teachers (Excluding Special & Vocational Education) - Career, Salary & Employment Info

U.S. Department of Education - http://www2.ed.gov/index.jhtml

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education - http://www.ncate.org/

U.S. Department of Education's Education Resource Directory - http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SEA