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Table of Contents

Snapshot

Snapshot

Career Cluster(s): Education & Training

Interests: Teaching, lesson planning, leading instructional activities, adolescent development, student safety, peer mentoring

Earnings (Yearly Average): $58,000

Employment & Outlook: Average Growth Expected


Profile

Profile

Interests: Data, People

Working Conditions: Work Inside

Physical Strength: Light work

Education Needs: Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree

Licensure/Certification: Required

Physical Abilities Not Required: Not Climb, Not Kneel

Opportunities For Experience: Internship, Volunteer Work, Part Time Work

Holland Interest Score*: SAE

[1] * See Appendix A


Transferable Skills and Abilities

Transferable Skills and Abilities

Communication Skills

  • Expressing thoughts and ideas

  • Persuading others

  • Speaking effectively

  • Writing concisely

Interpersonal/Social Skills

  • Being patient

  • Cooperating with others

  • Working as a member of a team

Organization & Management Skills

  • Coordinating tasks

  • Making decisions

  • Managing people/groups

Research & Planning Skills

  • Creating ideas

  • Using logical reasoning


Careers Overseas

Secondary & Middle School Teacher

by Simone Isadora Flynn

Overview

Sphere of Work

Secondary and Middle school teachers, also called middle and high school teachers, are teaching professionals that focus on the educational needs of adolescents. Secondary and Middle school teachers may be generalists with knowledge and talents in a wide range of subjects, or they may have an academic specialization, such as history, language arts, mathematics, physical educations, science, art, or music. Secondary and Middle school teachers work in both public and private school settings. They may be assigned student and peer mentoring and administrative tasks in addition to their teaching responsibilities.

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Work Environment

Secondary and Middle school teachers work in high schools and middle schools designed to meet the social and educational needs of adolescents. The amounts and types of resources in middle and high schools and middle and high school classrooms such as art supplies, music lessons, physical education facilities, fieldtrips, and assistant teachers, differ depending on the school’s financial resources and the educational philosophy directing the curriculum. Middle and high schools may be private or public. They may be an independent entity or part of a larger school that encompasses more grade levels.

Occupation Interest

Individuals drawn to the profession of Secondary and Middle school teacher tend to be intelligent, creative, patient, and caring. Secondary and Middle school teachers, who instruct and nurture secondary and middle school students, should find satisfaction in spending long hours instructing and mentoring adolescents. Successful Secondary and Middle school teachers excel at long-term scheduling, lesson planning, communication, and problem solving.

A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities

A Secondary and Middle school teacher’s daily duties and responsibilities include planning, teaching, classroom preparation, student care, family outreach, school duties, and professional development.

Secondary and Middle school teachers plan and execute specific teaching plans and lessons. They may also be responsible for buying or securing donations for classroom or project supplies. They assign homework and projects, teach good study habits, grade student work, maintain accurate academic records for all students, and lead and administer activities such as lab sessions, reviews, exams, student clubs, and small group learning.

Classroom preparation and cleaning duties may include labeling materials, organizing desk and work areas, displaying student work on bulletin boards and display boards, and, depending on janitorial support, cleaning up and sanitizing spaces at the end of the school day.

Secondary and Middle school teachers greet students as they arrive in the classroom, promote a supportive learning environment, maintain student safety and health, provide appropriate levels of discipline in the classroom and school environment, build student cooperation and listening skills, and work to present lessons in multiple ways to accommodate diverse learning styles.

Some teachers may provide family outreach by greeting student families at school drop off and dismissal times and using a student school-family communication notebook when required. All teachers must communicate regularly with families regarding student academic performance.

Secondary and Middle school teachers must attend staff meetings, participate in peer mentoring, enforce school policies, and lead open houses for prospective families. Teachers may also be responsible for overseeing students in the school hallways and for supervising school fieldtrips. Their professional development duties include attendance at professional meetings, continued training, and recertification as needed.

Secondary and Middle school teachers must work on a daily basis to meet the needs of all students, families, fellow teachers, and school administrators.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Preparing lesson plans

  • Guiding the learning activities of students

  • Instructing students through demonstrations or lectures

  • Evaluating students through daily work, tests and reports, or through a portfolio of the students’ artwork or writing

  • Computing and recording grades

  • Maintaining discipline

  • Counseling and referring students when academic or other problems arise

  • Conferring with parents and staff

  • Assisting with student clubs, teams, plays and other student activities

  • Supplementing lecturing with audio-visual teaching aides

Occupation Specialties

Resource Teachers

Resource Teachers teach basic academic subjects to students requiring remedial work using special help programs to improve scholastic levels.

Work Environment

Immediate Physical Environment

A Secondary and Middle school teacher’s immediate physical environment is the middle and high school classroom. Secondary and Middle school teachers tend to have a fair bit of autonomy in deciding classroom layout and curriculum. Secondary and Middle school teachers generally work forty-hour weeks and follow an annual academic schedule with ample winter, spring, and summer vacations. Summer teaching opportunities in summer school and summer camps are common.

Human Environment

Secondary and Middle school teachers are in constant contact with adolescents, student families, school administrators, and fellow teachers. Secondary and Middle school teachers may have students with physical and mental disabilities as well as students who are English language learners (ELL). Secondary and Middle school teachers must be comfortable working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and able to incorporate lessons on diversity into their teaching.

Technological Environment

Secondary and Middle school classrooms increasingly include computers for student use. Teachers should be comfortable using Internet communication tools and teaching adolescent students to use educational software. Teachers may also use computers to perform administrative tasks and record student progress. Secondary and Middle school teachers should be comfortable with standard office and audiovisual equipment.

Education, Training, and Advancement

Middle and high school/Secondary and Middle

Middle and high school students interested in becoming Secondary and Middle school teachers should develop good study habits. Interested middle and high school students should take a broad range of courses in education, child development, science, mathematics, history, language arts, physical education, and the arts. Those interested in the field of education may benefit from seeking internships or volunteer/part-time work with children and teachers at camps and afterschool programs.

Suggested High School Subjects

  • Algebra

  • Arts

  • Audio-Visual

  • Biology

  • Child Growth & Development

  • College Preparatory

  • Composition

  • Computer Science

  • English

  • Foreign Languages

  • Government

  • Graphic Communications

  • History

  • Humanities

  • Literature

  • Mathematics

  • Political Science

  • Psychology

  • Science

  • Social Studies

  • Sociology

  • Speech

  • Theatre & Drama

Related Career Pathways/Majors

Education & Training Cluster

  • Teaching/Training Pathway

Postsecondary

College students interested in working towards a degree or career in Secondary and Middle education should consider majoring in education and earning initial teaching certification as part of their undergraduate education program. Aspiring teachers should complete coursework in education, child development, and psychology. Those interested in pursuing a career in secondary education often major in the subject area they wish to teach. Prior to graduation, college students intent on becoming Secondary and Middle school teachers should gain teaching experience through an internship or volunteer/part-time work; prospective teachers should also research master’s of education programs and state teaching certification requirements.

Related College Majors

  • Agricultural Teacher Education

  • Art Teacher Education

  • Bilingual/Bicultural Education

  • Business Teacher Education (Vocational)

  • Computer Teacher Education

  • Education Admin & Supervision, General

  • Education of the Blind & Visually Handicapped

  • Education of the Deaf & Hearing Impaired

  • Education of the Specific Learning Disabled

  • Education of the Speech Impaired

  • Elementary/Pre-Elem/Early Childhood/Kindergarten Teacher Education

  • English Teacher Education

  • Family & Consumer Science Education

  • Foreign Languages Teacher Education

  • Health & Physical Education, General

  • Health Teacher Education

  • Marketing Operations Teacher Education (Vocational)

  • Mathematics Teacher Education

  • Music Teacher Education

  • Physical Education Teaching & Coaching

  • Science Teacher Education, General

  • Secondary and Middle/Jr. High/Middle School Teacher Education

  • Special Education, General

  • Speech Teacher Education

  • Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education

  • Trade & Industrial Teacher Education (Vocational)

  • Vocational Teacher Education.

Adult Job Seekers

Adults seeking jobs as Secondary and Middle school teachers should research the education and certification requirements of their home states as well of the schools where they might seek employment. Adult job seekers in the education field may benefit from the employment workshops and job lists maintained by professional teaching associations, such as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Professional Certification and Licensure

Professional certification and licensure requirements for Secondary and Middle school teachers vary between states and between schools. Secondary and Middle school teachers generally earn a master’s in education, with a single-subject teaching concentration in language arts, history, science, political science, music, physical education, or art, and obtain a state teaching license for grades eight through twelve. Single-subject teaching licenses for Secondary and Middle school teachers require academic coursework, supervised student teaching, and successful completion of a general teaching exam. Background checks are also typically required. State departments of education offer state teaching licenses and require continuing education and recertification on a regular basis. Savvy and successful job seekers will find out the requirements that apply to them and satisfy the requirements prior to seeking employment.

CIOver_tick_icon.tif Additional Requirements

Individuals who find satisfaction, success, and job security as Secondary and Middle school teachers will be knowledgeable about the profession’s requirements, responsibilities, and opportunities. Successful Secondary and Middle school teachers engage in ongoing professional development. Secondary and Middle school teachers must have high levels of integrity and ethics as they work with adolescents and have access to the personal information of student families. Membership in professional teaching associations is encouraged among beginning and tenured Secondary and Middle school teachers as a means of building status in a professional community and networking.

Earnings and Advancement

Earnings of Secondary and Middle school teachers depend on their education and experience, and the size and location of the school district. Pay is usually higher in large, metropolitan areas. Secondary and Middle school teachers in private schools generally earn less than public Secondary and Middle school teachers.

Median annual earnings of Secondary and Middle school teachers were $58,030 in 2016. The lowest ten percent earned less than $38,180, and the highest ten percent earned more than $92,920. In some schools, Secondary and Middle school teachers receive extra pay for coaching sports and working with students in extracurricular activities. Some Secondary and Middle school teachers earn extra income during the summer working in the school system or in other jobs.

Secondary and Middle school teachers have vacation days when their school is closed, as in during the summer and over holidays. They may also receive life and health insurance and retirement benefits. These are usually paid by the employer.

Employment and Outlook

There were approximately 961,000 Secondary and Middle School teachers employed nationally in 2016. Employment is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2020, which means employment is projected to increase 6 percent. Most job openings will occur as a result of the expected retirement of a large number of teachers and will vary by area.

The supply of Secondary and Middle school teachers is likely to increase in response to growing student enrollment, improved job opportunities, more teacher involvement in school policy, greater public interest in education and higher salaries. Job prospects are greater in central cities and rural areas. However, job growth could be limited by state and local government budget deficits.

Related Occupations

  • Career/Technology Education Teacher

  • College Faculty Member

  • Education Administrator

  • Elementary School Teacher

  • Principal

  • Special Education Teacher

  • Teacher Assistant

Conversation With . . . MARÍA ELISA MORALES

Teacher

Taught English in Madrid and Bilbao, Spain

Taught abroad for two years

  1. What was your individual career path in terms of education/training, entry-level job, or other significant opportunity?

    I went to the University of Vermont and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience with plans to attend medical school after graduation. However, after graduating I quickly realized that I had a long road ahead of me and I really wanted to travel before getting into that. I’ve always been pretty horrible at saving money—which is very necessary for traveling—so I figured the easiest way to do it was to work abroad and travel in my free time. While there are many jobs abroad, being an English teacher is a quick way to get a visa without needing formal training. Luckily, I had a strong background in tutoring and peer mentoring, which made me a good candidate for teaching abroad. I’m also fluent in Spanish, but that wasn’t a requirement. It’s definitely helpful to speak the language of whatever country you’re going to, but not necessary in most places—at least not in Europe. All you need to apply for a job that will give you a visa is a bachelor’s degree in literally anything. The first year, I went through a teach-abroad program, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). The second year, I decided to do it through the Spanish Ministry of Education. I believe you can also teach in an academy by going directly through the academy, but it might be a little more difficult to get a visa.

  2. What are the most important skills and/or qualities for someone in your profession?

    Aside from being a native English speaker, which is really what these employers look for, the job will be much easier with a lot of creativity, leadership/management skills and above all, loads and loads of patience.

  3. What do you wish you had known going into this profession?

    Though I grew up in a bicultural household, there were still some differences one can’t really be prepared for until experiencing it. I wish I had known the expectations in the behavior of students in other countries as well as the way government and bureaucracy works. We often complain about how these things are here, but we actually have it pretty good. Government bureaucracy abroad really is a pain. It’s the kind of system where if you want to get anything done, you should expect to be on the phone for hours, getting transferred from one person to another. Or if you want to get something done in person, get ready to take the whole day off work. Most of this mattered when I had to do things like get my residency card or do banking. Things got really bad in my second year when, due to some kinks, I didn’t get paid for three months.

  4. Are there many job opportunities in your profession? In what specific areas?

    Here in the U.S., we are luckier than we know to grow up speaking English. In some Western European and Asian countries, English is a priority, but most countries in the world are just starting to make English as a second language the norm. This means thousands of job opportunities as these countries seek native speakers to teach in schools and language academies.

  5. How do you see your profession changing in the next five years? What role will technology play in those changes, and what skills will be required?

    In two short years, I have already seen changes in the way things are done. The majority of popular media and entertainment in the world is in English, which is a huge driving force for people, especially children. Students are learning more English outside of school than ever before and that’s thanks to technology. I expect this trend to continue and to actually make its way into the classroom now that personal tablets and computers are more accessible.

  6. What do you enjoy most about your job? What do you enjoy least about your job?

    What I loved most about my job was the students, of course. While they can be trying at times, they are so excited to learn. The U.S. has always been “as seen on TV” for them. They couldn’t believe things like how many kinds of Oreos are available and that I actually went to that school dance called “prom.” While the language can be difficult for them sometimes, the cultural side of it makes it worth it for them and I loved seeing them enthused about it.

    The most difficult part of my job was probably some of the teachers I worked with. We all had different ideas about teaching and class management. While most of us were able to agree, sometimes you have to learn to work with people who are either unpleasant or fundamentally different than you are.

  7. Can you suggest a valuable “try this” for students considering a career in your profession?

    Make sure you like kids, and make sure you can transmit information in an effective way. Try babysitting and tutoring. Also, if you haven’t already, try learning a new language and see what method works for you so that you can turn that around for students in the future.

More Information

American Association for Employment in Education

3040 Riverside Drive, Suite 125

Columbus, OH 43221

614.485.1111

execdir@aaee.org

www.aaee.org

American Association for Health Education

1900 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1598

800.213.7193

www.aahperd.org/aahe

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

1307 New York Avenue, NW

Suite 300

Washington, DC 20005-4701

202.293.2450

aacte@aacte.org

www.aacte.org

American Federation of Teachers

Public Affairs Department

555 New Jersey Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20001

202.879.4400

online@aft.org

www.aft.org

National Association for Sport and Physical Education

1900 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191

800.213.7193

naspe@aahperd.org

www.aahperd.org/naspe

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500

Arlington, VA 22209

800.228.3224

www.nbpts.org

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Suite 500

Washington, DC 20036-1023

202.466.7496

ncate@ncate.org

www.ncate.org

National Council of Teachers of English

1111 W. Kenyon Road

Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096

877.369.6283

www.ncte.org/second

NCTE Distinguished Service Award:

www.ncte.org/awards/service/dsa

NCTE Middle and high school Teachers of Excellence Award:

www.ncte.org/second/awards/hste

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

1906 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1502

703.620.9840

nctm@nctm.org

www.nctm.org

National Education Association

1201 16th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036-3290

202.833.4000

www.nea.org

National Science Teachers Association

1840 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22201

703.243.7100

www.nsta.org

NSTA Distinguished Teaching Awards:

www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx?lid=tnav

Publishes The Science Teacher for middle and high school level science teachers:

www.nsta.org/highschool/

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Flynn, Simone Isadora. "Secondary & Middle School Teacher." Careers Overseas,Salem Press, 2017. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CIOver_0017.
APA 7th
Flynn, S. I. (2017). Secondary & Middle School Teacher. Careers Overseas. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Flynn, Simone Isadora. "Secondary & Middle School Teacher." Careers Overseas. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2017. Accessed May 09, 2025. online.salempress.com.