Make an Impact Through Education
By Dawn Papandrea

It may sound cliché, but teachers and educators are often the most important influences in children's lives beyond their families. For those who want to make a true impact on society, studying toward education degrees to become a teacher is a surefire way to truly make a difference.

Those Who Love Learning Teach
Teachers reap the rewards of sharing their knowledge everyday, but it's also a great way to make a living in a profession that has strong job security. Society will always need intelligent educators. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those employed in education services can expect the industry and job openings to increase faster than the average profession. And that's on top of the 13 million workers that were estimated to have been in the industry (half of which were teachers) in 2004 by the BLS.

Flexible and Fun
Teaching offers a wide array of possibilities, from specializing in various subject matters to the age group you'd like to teach. In most cases, your education degree will reflect your future plans, so if you want to teach elementary school, you'd major in elementary education.  Those who teach at the higher education level, usually go on to earn doctorates in their field of study, as many colleges and universities prefer their professors to have earned such credentials. Other possibilities include special education, which focuses on special needs students, and requires a specific type of education training.

Many aspiring teachers appreciate working according to the school calendar, leaving their summers open to continue their own education, travel, or make time for family obligations. And for those interested in year-round classroom instruction, summer school teachers are always in demand.