I work to create a positive educational climate for students to learn in while meeting course and school-wide student performance goals. I create lesson plans, grade papers and perform other administrative duties as needed.
CAREER
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$60,810
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+3.6% (slower than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education Do
Teach one or more subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
Other Job Titles Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education May Have
English Teacher, Language Arts Teacher, Mathematics Teacher (Math Teacher), Middle School Teacher, Music Teacher, Physical Education Teacher (PE Teacher), Reading Teacher, Science Teacher, Social Studies Teacher, Teacher
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
My days are spent teaching middle school students how to play instruments from flute to percussion. Through teaching instrumental music, I’m also teaching life skills—like collaboration, cooperation, work ethic and leadership—that will help my students be successful not only in my class, but outside of my class as well.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate these objectives to students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Master's degree (46%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Education, General
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Business Administration and Management, General
Graduate
Elementary Education and Teaching
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Bring who you are to the classroom. If your students can understand you and empathize with you, then they will know that you are there for them and will be more likely to open up to you. Be compassionate and forgive yourself for mistakes. Trust in your abilities.
You need to be a great listener and motivator. Being an educator is not just about the facts in a textbook, it is also about the relationships you build with your students.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
Middle School Students
I think the most important thing is to shadow the job you are most interested in. It is important to see if you like the daily life of a teacher.
Learn as much as you can about everything, whether it seems relevant or not. Be open to learning everything and anything. It's easy to say, "I'm never going to use this", but you never know where life will lead you, and what you thought was useless at one point, may become the key to something you need later. Ask questions and don't give up until you get an answer that helps you understand.
Take an interest in as many learning opportunities as possible. Fly an airplane, learn to play an instrument, skydive if you can. The more you have to share the better. Students want to see more than a teacher, they want to see a life that is worth working toward.
High School Students
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
