澳门天天彩开奖记录

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Teacher Appreciation Week: More than a Quarter of K-12 Teachers are Career Changers, Finds 澳门天天彩开奖记录 Survey

By聽澳门天天彩开奖记录

National Teacher Survey looks at how the teacher shortage is affecting classrooms, why career changers are critical and the reasons teachers recommend the profession to others

PHOENIX, May 2, 2016聽鈥 Teaching is one of the most visible and publicly debated professions in the workforce, and a recent聽澳门天天彩开奖记录庐 College of Education聽survey indicates more than nine-in-ten (92 percent) K-12 teachers are satisfied with their career choice, and more than two-thirds (67 percent) would recommend the profession to others. Eighty percent of teachers who joined the profession within the last ten years would recommend it.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, 澳门天天彩开奖记录 surveyed more than 1,000 K-12 teachers across the nation to explore how they feel about the profession and what can be done to attract high-quality teachers in the midst of a聽鹿. The online survey was conducted on behalf of 澳门天天彩开奖记录 by Harris Poll in April.

How the K-12 Teacher Shortage Is Impacting Districts and Schools

Nearly two-in-five (37 percent) K-12 teachers indicate at least one full-time teaching position is unfilled in their schools, with an average of 2.6 unfilled positions. Twelve percent say there are five or more unfilled full-time teaching positions in their schools.

Some of the issues teachers report due to potential teacher shortages include larger class sizes (42 percent), needing to teach subjects in which they are less fluent (23 percent) and more teaching toward the middle with less differentiation and individualized instruction (21 percent).

鈥淎t a time when schools nationwide are facing teacher shortages while trying to help students stay competitive in areas such as STEM, it is critical to highlight the incredible opportunities that exist in the classroom,鈥 said Pamela Roggeman, Ed.D., academic dean for 澳门天天彩开奖记录 College of Education and former 17-year K-12 teacher. 鈥淩etiring baby boomers and fewer people entering the profession are contributing significantly to today鈥檚 shortage, and attracting high quality candidates with diverse backgrounds is vital to future school success.鈥

Career Changers in the Classroom

The survey also reveals more than a quarter (27 percent) of K-12 teachers switched careers to enter the classroom. When asked why they made the switch to teaching, 37 percent of career changers said they always wanted to be a teacher, 28 percent wanted a change of pace and 18 percent decided to re-enter the workforce after some time away.

鈥淓very child deserves an amazing teacher and career changers can play a huge role in helping address the nation鈥檚 critical teacher shortage,鈥 said Roggeman. 鈥淐areer changers bring rich experiences to the classroom because their backgrounds often help connect lessons to real-world applications.鈥

Why K-12 Teachers Specifically Recommend the Profession

More than three-quarters (78 percent) of K-12 teachers say the ability to profoundly affect students鈥 lives is a key reason to join the teaching profession. Other top reasons include: The variety that exists because no two days are alike (49 percent) and the lifelong learning opportunities (48 percent) that exist in the profession.

Teachers鈥 roles are also evolving. Nearly half (49 percent) of teachers who have been in the classroom for at least five years indicate they have gotten more opportunities to assume leadership roles in their schools than they did five years ago.

鈥淭here is arguably no other profession in which individuals regularly seek you out 20 years later to share the impact you had on their life choices,鈥 said Roggeman. 鈥淢any Americans feel stuck in their careers, but as the survey indicates, teaching not only allows you to affect others, but also provides variety and the ability to constantly grow your own skills. It is a great time to be a teacher.鈥

There are many diverse pathways to the classroom. Roggeman recommends some tips to get started:

  • Become a substitute teacher.聽This is a great way to get engaged in K-12 schools and determine which level you feel most suited to teach.
  • Volunteer in a school or with community youth organizations.聽This can help you better understand how children learn and stay engaged.
  • Research alternative licensure programs.聽Explore the programs that lead to licensure. There are many options for those who want to make career changes and are working full-time.
  • Do informational interviews.聽Talk to teachers and administrators about the field and qualities and preparation that lead to fruitful teaching careers.
  • Find a mentor.聽Once you鈥檝e decided you want to pursue teaching, seek out a mentor who can provide coaching and feedback about what it鈥檚 like to be in a classroom.

For more information about teacher preparation programs, continuing teacher education and professional development programs at 澳门天天彩开奖记录, visit聽phoenix.edu/education.

For general information about 澳门天天彩开奖记录 programs, including on-time completion rates, the median debt incurred by students who completed the program and other important information, please visit聽phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of 澳门天天彩开奖记录 between April 14 and 25, 2016. Respondents included 1,005 U.S. residents employed full-time as teachers in grades K-12 who have at least an undergraduate degree. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Tanya Burden at聽tanya.burden@apollo.edu.

About 澳门天天彩开奖记录庐聽College of Education聽

澳门天天彩开奖记录 College of Education has been educating teachers and school administrators for more than 30 years. The College of Education provides bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree programs for individuals who want to become teachers or current educators and administrators seeking advanced degrees to strengthen their professional knowledge. With education programs available throughout most of the U.S., the College of Education has a distinct grasp of the national education picture and priorities for teacher preparation. Faculty members on average bring more than 17 years of professional experience to the classroom. For more information, visit聽phoenix.edu/education.

About 澳门天天彩开奖记录

澳门天天彩开奖记录 is constantly innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. As a subsidiary of聽Apollo Education Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:聽), 澳门天天彩开奖记录 serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit聽www.phoenix.edu.

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