How To Become A History Teacher
If you love history and are passionate about sharing what you know with high school students, you can combine both these interests by being a history teacher. In this profession, you will not only be teaching young minds facts to memorize. Rather, you will be helping them develop their critical thinking skills by letting them analyze historical events.
You will be teaching students general social studies, civics and economics subjects as well. Your role will not only be limited to the classroom. You will also be supervising students during field trips and other out-of-school activities.
To be a successful and effective high school history teacher, you will need a lot of patience. You will be teaching students of differing learning styles and backgrounds so patience is an absolute must. You must be very resourceful as well. Like other teachers, you will need to have excellent communication skills and a passion to teach.
Why Become A History Teacher
Since a career as a history teacher isn’t really a high-paying job, the wages aren’t enough reason to pursue this profession. Rather, the satisfaction of being able to teach young minds is one compelling reason to become a history teacher. Teaching is a vocation and seeing students flourish and develop under your hands can be very rewarding indeed. The good thing about this profession is that most states adhere to tenure laws, giving teachers a stable job after they have taught for a number of years.
Teaching history to young minds is a very fulfilling profession. Not only do they get to enlighten students about the happenings in the past, it also gives them the opportunity to influence how students think about the world and the way they interpret current events.
History Teacher Work Environment
History teachers work in public or private schools. The job of a teacher does not end in the classroom. After giving formal lessons to their students, they still have to check papers, prepare lesson plans and meet with parents of the students to update them on their progress. This work can extend even during weekends. The job can be stressful, particularly when the teacher has to deal with insolent students or those who have problems coping with the lesson.
History Teacher Salary
Many history teachers aren’t in it for the money because the pay isn’t exactly lucrative. Many of them have the passion for sharing what they know to their students. That being said, history teachers in college are paid more than those who teach in high school.
Average History Teacher Annual Salary
$82,900
The average annual salary for history teachers is $82,900 a year. Salaries start at $40,170 a year and go up to $134,870 a year.
Stats were based out of 21,120 employed history teachers in the United States.
Highest Paying States For History Teachers
- 1. District of Columbia $121,070 / yr
- 2. California $105,250 / yr
- 3. Rhode Island $105,590 / yr
- 4. Idaho $94,780 / yr
- 5. Massachusetts $94,260 / yr
Top Paying Cities For History Teachers
- 1. Rochester, NY $115,570 / yr
- 2. San Diego, CA $108,560 / yr
- 3. Riverside, CA $106,090 / yr
- 4. Boston, MA $105,950 / yr
- 5. Providence, RI $103,960 / yr
Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
History Teacher Career Outlook
The employment rate of high school teachers is forecasted to grow slower than the average for all job types. For the ten-year period covering 2012 to 2022, the employment rate is only set at 6 percent, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The demand will come from declining student-to-teacher ratios as well as increase in enrollment, both of which will prompt the need for more teachers. Job opportunities for history teachers will still vary by region, with the Southern and Western United States providing more opportunities for history teachers.
History Teacher Degree
History teachers typically hold a bachelor’s degree in history. They also sign up for a teacher preparation program. Public school teachers also need to obtain their license or certification. Private school teachers in general don’t have to. Each state has different licensure requirements but in addition to the degree and teacher preparation program, aspiring teachers also need to pass tests in general education as well as in history. In some states, high school teachers are required to get a master’s degree once they are certified to teach.
