This post brought to you by Teach For America. The content and opinions expressed below are 100% mine.
College itself can be scary, but actually knowing what to do once you graduate can be downright terrifying. College graduates are thrust into a world with too few job opportunities and an overwhelmingly competitive market. I’m only in my junior year of undergrad, yet already the pressure is on to find a stable job before graduation. There’s a ridiculous amount of weight on students to choose a career and find their passion as soon as possible. If you don’t know 100% what you want to do with your career, you feel like a failure. I myself am still struggling with pin-pointing exactly what I want to do with my life. I’m still young, and need time to fully explore my passions and interests. Most students assume that in order to be considered successful, you must have secured a job in your field upon finishing college. However, there is a wealth of opportunities available for those willing to think outside of the box.
As an English major, people usually assume I want to teach. As of right now, I’m honestly not sure, but I do know that I have an enormous amount of respect for teachers and their role in society. The teacher who stands out to me the most was my first English professor at my prep school. That was the first time I had ever been exposed to a literature discussion, and he helped me fall in love with reading again with his own enthusiasm. Teachers like him truly make a lasting impact on students that continues outside the classroom. Unfortunately, too many students in the United States don’t have access to the resources they should. Thus, we need more passionate, caring teachers to spread the joy of learning where it is needed the most.
There is a number of organizations which bring teachers to areas that need it, but most of these focus on opportunities abroad and not right here at home. Teach For America is a program that recruits recent college graduates to teach for two years in schools around the country that are in need of passionate educators. You don’t have to be an Education major or an English major to get involved, recruits come from all backgrounds and all majors. Before being placed, recent grads receive extensive training and skills so they will be prepared to take on the world of teaching. Teach For America alumni go on to achieve greatness in all fields with a passion for making a difference. Over 25 years, Teach For America alumni have led more than 1,000 schools and school systems. TFA teachers and alumni reach more than 5 million children each day! why teach with Teach For America
Working after graduating college with a program such as Teach For America allows you to imporve kids’ futures and gain valuable work experience and skills that you wouldn’t learn otherwise. It’s always helpful to explore all options and areas that allow you to put your college degree to use for others. If you are passionate about children and the future, learn more about teaching.
Just because you’ve graduated does not mean you have to stop learning. fall in love with teaching and become the educator a child remembers. Don’t stress about not knowing what you want to do, you aren’t a failure. You can take your time exploring different things until you discover what makes you the happiest. You can make a difference in yourself by making a difference for others. Teach and be taught.
