Whether you have only just qualified as a teacher and are preparing your application for a teacher’s license right now, or else have just been accepted for your dream role at a local school, the desire to make a tangible and positive difference to the lives of the young people whom you teach will naturally be at the forefront of your mind.

Here, for your reading pleasure and of course, information, are five ways to make a real difference as a qualified teacher.

 

1.   Apply for aMaster of Education

 

Naturally, you will already be a fully-fledged believer in the importance of a good education and will also be aware of the value of furthering one’s own personal growth through the pursuit of further and higher education.

As a working teacher, you will obviously be somewhat under the proverbial pump when it comes to balancing your professional responsibilities and duties with your personal obligations. Therefore, it is advisable to choose to acquire your Master of Education from a prestigious and reputable online academic institution, such as Bank Street Graduate School of Education.

 

2.   Gain Experience Away from the Classroom

 

Just as qualified doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are always enrolling on further courses and day sessions to expand their medical knowledge, to become an influencer in the field of education, it also makes sense that teachers would do the same.

Perhaps you could consider private tuition sessions in the summer vacation break between semesters, or else maybe you could see if there are any extracurricular classes you could run in conjunction with your term time responsibilities.

 

3.   Look into Mentorships

 

Mentors and supportive networks are important for any professional, regardless of the industry in which they specialize; however, for teachers and other academics, support and nurture are some of the most important and valuable ways to aid one’s professional and personal growth.

One of the best ways to start researching for personal mentorships is to consult with the one or more professional organizations you belong to, perhaps either within the school in which you currently work yourself, or else another academic institution in your local area.

 

4.   Become a School Counselor

 

Regardless of how long you have been in the education industry for, one fact that you will be all too aware of is that no matter how dedicated an individual teaching professional is to making actual, effective changes to the way in which children are taught and the manner in which they learn, the ‘real’ difference comes from the people who make the decisions.

It is for this reason that a serious consideration as someone who is a professional teacher could be to apply to become part of the school council. Duties of a school counselor, naturally alongside your current commitments and responsibilities as a teacher, include, but are not limited to liaising with teachers, speaking to individual students on a confidential and one-to-one basis and being a voice for their concerns in matters pertaining to their education.