How to Choose the Grade and Subject You Want to Teach

So want to major in Education. Great! What grade level are you going to teach and what subject? Not sure? We can help you figure it out.

If you’re considering becoming a teacher, choosing what subject and/or the age group you want to teach will likely be the first big choice you make when you get to college. Teaching is an incredibly rewarding career no matter what kind of teacher you choose to be. But how do you decide what grade level or subject you should teach when there are so many options? Here's how to choose where your teaching talents lie.

Consider your passions

When you think about teaching as a career, what gets you excited about your vocation—besides the prospect of full-time employment? Your calling in life is considered to be what you would do if money didn’t play a role in your decision-making process. You already know that teaching excites you, but ask yourself why. What satisfies you about the thought of teaching? Is it that “aha” moment when a student grasps a challenging concept? Maybe a certain subject matter excites you so much that you want to devote your life to becoming an expert. Think about the “why” before narrowing it down to your “what”—it will help make the answer clearer.

Related: How to Discover and Pursue Your Passions as a Student

Ask the right subject-related questions

To answer the “What subject should I teach?” question, start with your passion and branch out from there. For example, if you love science, do you want to teach biology, chemistry, or physics? You might not get your first choice subject in many districts if you lack seniority. Still, it’s wise to know what you prefer to teach and the potential for future openings in that specific field. Also consider how happy you’ll be in a related endeavor and whether your degree subject can extend to other career opportunities. For example, if you have your heart set on teaching biology, what could you do outside the classroom with such a degree? You might land a job with a conservationist organization, but if your other passion is lab work, concentrating on chemistry might serve you better.

Narrow down your grade level

If you want to teach advanced particle physics, kindergarten probably isn’t your best grade-level option. In fact, you might want to skip K–12 altogether if you’re thinking about a subject that complex. Think about whether you’re more interested in the specific subject matter or the teaching process itself—this can help you narrow down what grade level will be a good match. If you enjoy teaching primary skills and small children, you might love working as a kindergarten teacher. You also might realize that elementary-level grades suit your patience level better if you like little ones but want relatively self-sufficient students. Many teachers prefer middle school teaching for this reason because it falls between the challenges teachers often face with high school teens and children in elementary school; middle school students are old enough to assert their independence while maintaining enough impressionability to know you’re making a difference. On the other hand, if you love your subject matter and really want to focus on something specific, high school might be your jam. You can relate on a more mature level when discussing novels or the ramifications of scientific experiments, and you won’t need to teach basic skills or concepts like reading, writing, phonics, and more.

Related: What It Means to Be a Teacher

Evaluate your future goals

While you probably don’t want to imagine working outside the classroom, life happens. You might decide to relocate after college and move to a state with different income standards than teaching positions in your current area. In addition to your Education degree, think about pursuing a secondary certificate, minor, or double-major in another subject you love so you can take a job in another field should the need arise or if your dreams change. Planning your future goals and backup plans now will make finding a job—and advancing it—that much easier after you graduate.

Think about employment and market trends

When you’re choosing the subject matter you want to teach, think about what’s in demand as well as what you love. Right now, demand for STEM fields remains high, so consider concentrating on one of those areas if you’re interested in them. But don’t let that dissuade you from the arts; although, you might want to consider a double major if you favor a field like music. “Specialty” teaching areas like art, music, and languages likely have few positions per school, so be sure to consider the job possibilities and the likelihood of available positions as you narrow down your options.

Related: The Where, How, and When of Finding a Teaching Job

When it comes to planning your career in education, you should let your heart be your first guide—but think about the practical aspects of your professional goals as well. A healthy mix of the two could lead you to your ideal gig, whether it be teaching the basics to kindergarten students or explaining complex math to high school students. No matter what, students need inspiring teachers to guide them in their own academic journey, and whatever path you take will give you the ability to do just that.

For more advice on your way to a rewarding teaching career, check out our Education and Teaching section.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Alyssa Abel

Alyssa Abel

Alyssa Abel is an education writer who helps students and teachers pursue their passions. Read more of her work on Syllabusy

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Christina

Christina

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me find Allegheny College with the super-user-friendly search tool for both schools and scholarships. Using CollegeXpress, I was able to search for programs I was interested in studying and find colleges that offered those programs. Also, once you search for the college, CollegeXpress can get you connected!

Nazira Abdelkhalek

Nazira Abdelkhalek

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2014

I am very honored to be this year’s recipient of the Multicultural Student Community Service Scholarship! This scholarship is vital to helping me achieve and fulfill my dreams, and gives me confidence and motivation as I begin my college career. The CollegeXpress website has been invaluable over the past year as I planned my educational and professional goals. I highly recommend it to all students as they begin to focus on their college and career interests. The website is a wonderful guide to schools and scholarships.

Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

High School Class of 2022

As a high schooler, I know how hard it is to plan for college. You have to consider a lot of factors: SAT/ACT scores, college searches, scholarships, and more. CollegeXpress has been a helpful resource that solves all these problems. One can easily create a free account and search away. They help you search for scholarships and colleges, they have graduate program search, they have lists and rankings, and so much more. CX also has a lot of articles and advice to read—whether it’s financial aid, test prep, campus visits, internships/careers, or anything. Not only that, CX gives out free scholarship money to students who sign up and create a free CX account. I love CX and will continue to use it! Thank you CollegeXpress for making my college journey easier!

Rayan Hamdan

Rayan Hamdan

High School Student

I joined CollegeXpress just a few months ago. I had been struggling with severe anxiety, causing me to not be able to tour schools and make sure a college would be perfect for me. I came across CollegeXpress one day when I was searching for colleges online, and it completely changed the game. I was easily able to choose colleges that would suit me, and I also entered a few giveaways! Thank you so much!

Maliha

Maliha

High School Class of 2019

My college search began at CollegeXpress. Due to this helpful tool, I was able to gather a lot of information to guide my college planning decisions. Through CollegeXpress, I was also able to apply to several scholarships to help pay for my tuition. I would definitely recommend this website to anyone who wants to explore colleges and get more information from admission experts, counselors, and real students.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica and Albany, NY

Goldey-Beacom College

Wilmington, DE

University of Montana

Missoula, MT

Hiram College

Hiram, OH