Understanding Teaching

The Day to Day Life and Career of a Teacher

No two teaching careers are the same. The way you teach and pursue your career is unique to you. By choosing a teaching career, you bring your full self to the school community: your personality, your experience, and your ambitions.

Teaching Enables You To

elevate your life, transform others’ lives

give back to your community

expand your career and work path

experience a diverse community of future Minnesotans, be a part of the solution for education in this state

Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.

Nikos Kazantzakis

“To stimulate life, leaving it then free to develop, to unfold, herein lies the first task of the teacher.”

Maria Montessori

“I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.”

John Wooden

"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards."

Anatole France

"Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher."

Japanese proverb

Teachers are our greatest public servants; they spend their lives educating our young people and shaping our Nation for tomorrow.

Solomon Ortiz

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery."

Mark Van Doren

Teaching is One of the Happiest Professions

Myth 1

Anyone Can Teach

Wrong! The idea is nonsense - try organizing a child's birthday party or chaperoning a high school dance!

Myth 2

Teacher Preparation is Not Much Use

Wrong! Studies over the last 30 years show that fully prepared teachers are more highly rated and more effective students.

Myth 3

Teachers Don't Work Hard Enough

Wrong! Teachers have little time during the day for planning, locating materials, talking with parents, meeting individually with students, or grading papers, they do all of these things after school hours, typically well into the evenings or on weekends.

Why Choose Teaching