Journalism Teachers

To explore a teaching career, look for leadership opportunities that involve working with children. You might find summer work as a counselor in a summer camp, as a leader of a scout troop, or as an assistant in a public park or community center. To get some firsthand teaching experience, volunteer for a tutoring program. To explore the area of journalism, join the newspaper or yearbook staff while in high school.

If you are interested in becoming a college professor, spend some time on a college campus to get a sense of the environment. Visit their Web sites to review their admissions brochures and course catalogs and read about the journalism or communications faculty members and the courses they teach. Before visiting college campuses, make arrangements to speak to journalism professors who teach courses that interest you. These professors may allow you to sit in on their classes and observe.

Participate in information interviews with journalism teachers. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What do you like most and least about being a teacher? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology change journalism and the work of educators the field?

Get involved in student competitions that are offered by the Journalism Education Association, National Federation of Press Women, Radio Television Digital News Association, and Future Business Leaders of America (which offers competitions in Broadcast Journalism, Journalism, Public Speaking, and other fields). Doing so will help you to test your skills against others, compete for college scholarships and other prizes, and meet people with shared interests.