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One of the main reasons people often want to become teachers is simply because of the three months they get off for the summertime when kids get out of school. I mean, who wouldn't want 3 months off from work while still getting paid?! Sure, summer vacation is a definite plus, but there are some other more important things you might want to consider as well!

- You really enjoy teaching.
- You really like children (in a legal sense, of course).
- You enjoy making basically minimal money.
- You like feeling more intelligent than others, even if the others are only 7 years old!

Pursuing a education career is one of the most noble things you can execute; parents will be entrusting you with their youngsters for eight hours a day, and it is your occupation to actually make them smart and responsible at the same time. As you begin to think about the teachers you had when you were growing up you will start to realize that being a good teacher is not as easy as it may seem! It takes tons of work, patience, and humility. But on the positive side of things if you do a good job, you can really make an impact on a child's life and on your community. The point I'm trying to make is that being a teacher is an awesome career but it can also be incredibly demanding and as most of us know; teachers do NOT get paid very well! There are a few things you should think about before even bothering to get a teaching degree, these are outlined below:

Know what you are getting into beforehand -
There is nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars on a degree only to decide while your on the job, that its not something you want to be doing after all and you made a hefty "mistake." There are actually some colleges and schools that will give you a true "tour" so to speak which will allow you to "shadow" a real teacher for a day to see what its really like. This will give you a quick idea if its something you really will or really wont like. Do your research! Read books, look online and following peoples advice. And lastly, make sure whatever you end up doing, that its something you love doing!

Get Certified -

Obviously each state has its own requirements so you should talk to your Board Of Education and find out what your states specific certification requirements are. All states require; A BA degree, Completion of an approved teacher training program, A prescribed number of subject and education credits and Supervised practice teaching.

Find a Job -

One of the easiest ways to find a job as a teacher is by opening up the newspaper in the middle of the school year. You can also check online job sites like Monster and Career Builder. Its important that you treat this job as any other job; send a cover letter and a resume to any jobs that you might find that are open, get scheduled for an interview and bring a list of references.

Remember that being a teacher doesn't just allow you to be a teacher for the rest of your life. You can also become a principle or anything else in the education system. The point is to find something you love, something that loves you, and something that you are comfortable doing for the rest of your life. Teachers have BIG jobs in front of them especially those that work with children with handicaps (which is another thing you can look into). But like my dad always said, if you can really wake up in the morning and be proud and happy to go to work; then you picked the perfect job for you! Good luck Teach'.