Teacher (Secondary)

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Work Tasks

SECONDARY TEACHERS help students delve more deeply into subjects and expose them to more information about the world. They specialize in a specific subject, such as English, Spanish, mathematics, history, or biology. They teach related courses, such as American history and world geography. They lecture and demonstrate to students. They may use films, slides, and overhead projectors, computers and the Internet, telecommunication systems, and videodiscs. They design their classroom presentations to meet student needs and abilities. They assign lessons, give tests, listen to oral presentations, and maintain classroom discipline.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $54,000 average per year ($26.00 per hour)
• A very large occupation (1,053,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (0.9% per year)

Entry Requirements

All states require SECONDARY TEACHERS in public schools to be certified or licensed. Requirements for regular licenses to teach kindergarten through grade 12 vary by state. However, all states require general education teachers to have a bachelor's degree from an approved teacher training program with a certain number of credits, and supervised practice teaching. Some states require teachers to obtain a master's degree in education within a specified period after they begin teaching.