Whether you have recently graduated from high school or you are someone who is looking to make a career change, you might want to consider a career as a teacher. As a teacher, you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a positive impact on other people’s lives on a daily basis. In addition, you can enjoy the convenience of attending an online school if you choose to pursue an online education degree.

As a teacher, you will play a very important role in helping students grow and develop intellectually, socially and emotionally. Though the exact duties you perform each day will vary according to the grade level and subject you teach, your overall goal as a teacher is to prepare your students to become successful adults.

As a preschool, kindergarten or elementary school teacher, your task is to introduce your students to science, mathematics, language and social studies. While this may include giving a lesson in front of the class, these grade levels typically spend a great deal of time engaging in hands-on activities or working in small or large groups.

By the middle school and high school level, your job as a teacher is to start going into more depth with the subject matter. Rather than teaching all of the subjects, as is the case with most elementary teachers, you will teach a specific subject to your students. In addition to the core classes that are taught in elementary school, a middle school or high school teacher may choose to teach vocational classes such as Industrial Technology or Family and Consumer Sciences, or other classes such as foreign languages and business classes.

Some people who are interested in becoming teachers are more interested in teaching courses such as Physical Education, Music or Art. Typically, these teachers are trained to work with students at any grade level.

If you are already a teacher, taking online education classes can also help you maintain your teaching license or to earn an advanced degree.

If you are interested in earning a teaching degree online, take a look at some of our best distance education programs that offer classes for future educators:

Jones International University
Grand Canyon University
Argosy University
Walden University Online
Kaplan University Online
American InterContinental University

According to the American Federation of Teachers, first year teachers with a bachelor degree earned an average of $31,753 during the 2004-2005 school year. As you gain years of experience and complete more college coursework with the help of online education classes, however, you can expect your income to increase.