FIVE SIGNS YOU’RE MEANT TO BE AN ENGLISH TEACHER

Updated December 5, 2022 · 2 Min Read

In case you're facing any doubts about your next educational or career step, here are five signs you're meant to be an English Teacher.

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Signs You're Meant to Be an English Teacher

  • A Deep Appreciation For the English Word
  • You Have A Lifelong Reading Addiction
  • You're Always Analyzing Writing
  • You're Interested In The Meta-Level Impact Of English
  • You're Not Intimidated By Complex Grammar Rules

The basic requirements to become officially credentialed as an English teacher aren't the only things that you want to keep in mind if you're considering the career. English teachers are not just licensed for what they're capable of contributing academically, but because of their personal qualities as well.

If you want to be an English teacher, consider whether or not you possess the innate qualities that characterize someone who is truly meant for the field. The level of personal affinity that you have with all of the qualities that exemplify an English teacher will determine your job satisfaction and the overall potential amount of time that you'll likely stay with the job in the long run. The following are all signs you're meant to be an English teacher in spirit, not just in terms of what you know.

A Deep Appreciation For the English Word

One of the strongest signs you're meant to be an English teacher is that you are constantly looking for new ways to expand your vocabulary. You're not just the kind of person who sees language as a means to an end, but something to appreciate as a work of art. You have an appreciation for the ways that words flow together and create unique expressions of thought from the soul. You have a profound level of respect for the written word and what it is capable of. You don't just want to read the history of words, but you also want to play a part in crafting the future. To put it simply, English means something to you. English is not the something that you speak, but something that you have a true personal affinity for.

You Have A Lifelong Reading Addiction

You are an avid seeker of literature. Ever since you are young, you have always been on the lookout for the next good book. You don't just see books is something that is is mandatory, but rather a pleasure. You rarely minded assigned reading in school because you couldn't think of any better way to spend your time. Books are simply something that you cannot imagine life without.

You're Always Analyzing Writing

You are constantly analyzing the ways that people write. Even if it isn't in an academic setting, the correct usage of words is something that you enjoy seeing. Sometimes you have to resist the urge to correct people on their grammar when they are to be upgraded, but you just can't help it.

You're Interested In The Meta-Level Impact Of English

You're heavily invested in learning about how the written word can play into the ways that society is shaped as a whole. You don't you see English as a subject to study in books, but something that plays a role in the way that the world itself is formed. You're interested in discovering new ways to relate the ways of the written word to the manner in which the world is developing. You want to contribute your knowledge to the future and how English is interpreted, not just in the ways that we analyze writing from the past.

You're Not Intimidated By Complex Grammar Rules

Words like "syntax" and "adverb" are not boring or intimidating to you. You have an interest in figuring out different ways that a sentence's syntax can be formed while still remaining coherent. Grammar wasn't just something you found difficult to learn, but an exploration that you would like to share with students. The challenge wasn't something that was discouraging, but encouraging to continue learning.

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