As the supply of teachers diminishes, the demand on new and existing teachers increases. As a potential teacher and educator, identify two perceived challenges of the teaching profession that you may struggle with most. In contrast, identify two opportunities you may have as a teacher
Some pros of teaching (PC phrasing "opportunities")
*intrinsic rewards as you see children learn
*career in which you never really stop learning how to do it better; the best way to make raises for yourself is to get more education and training
*camaraderie with and learning from your colleagues
Some cons of teaching (PC phrasing, "challenges")
*fair to middling starting pay
*children/students who truly don't care about learning anything (very few of these, thank heaven)
*a few colleagues who seem to be "deadwood" -- aren't interested in kids or teaching, only interested in collecting a paycheck, especially noticeable among those who have tenure!
*working for administrators and board members who know less than you do and have often had less classroom experience than you have
These are my own reactions, based on a 33-year career teaching English in high school and community college; you need to develop your own.