Happy Black woman, blond boy hold planets on sticks in class with other kids

How to Choose the Grade and Subject You Want to Teach

So you want to major in Education? Great! Do you know what grade level and subject you'd most like to teach? That's okay! Let us 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: Impact Through Education: 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

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

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

St. Catherine University

St. Paul, MN


Joycelyn

Joycelyn

High School Class of 2023

I’m currently a college freshman attending Towson University. My major is Information Technology, and I plan to minor in Electronic Media & Film to achieve my goal of becoming a production engineer. Upon graduating high school earlier this year, I was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from CollegeXpress, which greatly assisted in paying my tuition. Truthfully, this financial reward was the difference in affording my room and board and tuition, along with other expenses for school. My family and I haven’t stopped celebrating my award since it was bestowed on me. I will never forget this opportunity for allowing me to get my foot into my university financially.

Maya Ingraham

Maya Ingraham

October 2021 Mini Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has given me more confidence in my college process. With easy-to-access resources and guidance such as the CX Weekly Roundup, I have been able to find the best colleges for me. Most importantly, there’s a surplus of scholarship opportunities for every student to support their education.

Hannah Nelsen

Hannah Nelsen

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me look at colleges that fit my interests by taking my profile and matching it to colleges that have the programs I'm looking for. It has the ability to connect me to colleges so I can be contacted by them and look at them more in-depth to find what's right for me. Additionally, the scholarship database is super beneficial for getting scholarships for college. Not only does it help lift the financial burden of college but it shows all the opportunities available. Overall, CollegeXpress has been very helpful to me.

Keydi Banegas

Keydi Banegas

Scholarship for Students of Color Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress is a great application that helped me search for many different scholarships, and it narrows the scholarships depending on how you set your profile. Not only that, but it helps you choose different colleges to apply to by finding matches through the description of your profile. It was the best experience for me.

Hailey Riddile

Hailey Riddile

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me find scholarships to apply for and look into more colleges. While there are many websites similar to CollegeXpress, every website is different, and I've found a lot of good insight on this website. Receiving emails from CollegeXpress about scholarships is extremely useful, and getting insight about colleges near, far, and anywhere in between helps me narrow down my choices to what I want, which is also super helpful. The articles are always really good reads, and I can't stress enough how helpful this website has been to me. Anything related to college is beneficial to me as a senior, and I have learned lots of useful things to help me on my college journey this year.