Geography teacher: the pros and cons of the profession, how to become one?
Some professions do not lose their relevance and remain in demand from century to century. These areas of activity include the work of teachers. According to historians, this profession originated simultaneously with the first human civilizations.
About the profession
Today, no country in the world can do without professional teachers. This is a complex and multifaceted job with many characteristics and responsibilities. In addition to special skills, a person must have certain personal characteristics.
The main tasks of modern teachers are not only teaching children, but also monitoring their behavior. It is also necessary to win over students and create an atmosphere that will facilitate learning and development. Another of the teacher's responsibilities is to shift attention to himself, and given the large number of modern gadgets, this task becomes more complicated.
The geography teacher is a "living" encyclopedia. A specialist in this field must know the world around him. In addition to countries and their capitals, this subject studies the seas, oceans, rivers and a variety of landscapes. Do not forget that in geography lessons they talk about the animal and plant worlds.
A true professional should not only have a huge store of knowledge, but also be able to convey all this to the student in an accessible and understandable language. In the learning process, specialists work with additional tools such as maps, globes, and more.
It is also the teacher's task to teach how to handle them.
This profession includes the following areas in which fellow educators work: history, archeology, biology and other similar areas. Activities in the educational field are a lot of work, and specialists have been honing the skills acquired in universities for years in order to remain in the competence.
Every teacher must comply with the professional standard for the full education of schoolchildren. The job description contains a list of the employee's duties established by the relevant authorities. Each employee must familiarize himself with it before starting work.
Personal qualities
To be successful in education, you must have the following characteristics:
- excellent memory;
- attentiveness and concentration;
- the ability to smooth out the conflict and win over people;
- maintaining self-control in stressful situations;
- quick learning (when familiarizing with training materials);
- analytical mind and rationality.
This is just the main list of qualities that everyone who wants to achieve success in their position should possess.
Responsibilities
The requirements for a teacher may differ depending on the level of the institution he graduated from, but their list is established by the Ministry of Education of each state.
An educational officer in a modern school must fulfill the following duties:
- preparation of educational programs using educational materials (textbooks, encyclopedias and other official sources);
- helping students to study the subject;
- research work and scientific practice;
- preparation and maintenance of the necessary documentation;
- organization of extracurricular activities (excursions, visits to museums, trips to study the geography of the native land and other events);
- development of practices to improve the quality of education;
- personal assistance to the student to master the school curriculum;
- checking control and independent work of students to assess the knowledge gained;
- development of the potential of students, both creative and intellectual.
In the learning process, the teacher is in constant contact with children, and therefore he must know the psychology of the thinking of children. Only in this case can you become a highly qualified specialist.
The teacher can work not only in public schools, but also in private educational institutions or conduct tutoring activities.
Some specialists after several years of work become directors or their deputies.
How to become?
To work in the educational field, it is imperative to have a higher education. Only after graduation does the specialist get the opportunity to train others at the official level. To obtain the required qualifications, you must submit documents to a higher educational institution for the relevant specialty.
Many modern teachers who have been working in positions for more than one year recommend that you first get a secondary pedagogical education. You can do it on the basis of pedagogical schools, colleges and technical schools. As practice shows, it is much easier to study in such institutions than in universities, and it will be easier for a beginner specialist to start his career.
After receiving the first education in the specialty, you can start preparing for admission to the university. Having chosen the right one, it is advisable to visit the open day and get all the necessary information: what subjects you need to take for admission, how much will the training cost, the deadlines for submitting documents, and so on.
Do not forget about self-development. A true professional in his field necessarily attends refresher courses, and also gains new knowledge with the help of educational literature.
Also, the teacher draws up a document - a submission for compliance with the position held.In addition to personal data, the report contains information about education and work activities. This document is required for employee certification.
Career
Career advancement directly depends on the success of the students. This is evidenced by high scores (control and independent work, USE), victories at olympiads (regional, state and international) and participation in other similar events. Such achievements not only indicate the skillful work of the teacher, but also significantly affect the level of wages.
Do not forget that periodically, such events are held not only for pupils and students... There are competitions for teachers where professionals can demonstrate their skill level. In the Russian Federation, the most prestigious is competition "Teacher of the Year". It is held annually at the initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The winner receives not only a valuable prize (cash reward), but also fame throughout the country.
With due diligence, every teacher has the opportunity to move up the career ladder without leaving the walls of their home school. Many aspiring teachers, after several years of work, become class teachers and heads of the educational department.
A big plus for an educational worker will be the presence of a portfolio. There are many ways to design it, but the main rule is to demonstrate the teacher's level of skill as much as possible.
The work of a geography teacher is characterized by versatile mental activity, including a creative approach to business. You also need to have a desire to develop in the profession and use new techniques to improve performance. Self-education is an important component of a successful career for every teacher.