Journalism Teachers

Most journalism teachers are contracted to work 10 months out of the year, with a two-month vacation during the summer. During their summer break, many continue their education to renew or upgrade their teaching licenses and earn higher salaries. Teachers in schools that operate year-round work eight-week sessions with one-week breaks in between and a five-week vacation in the winter.

High school journalism teachers work in generally pleasant conditions, although some older schools may have poor heating or electrical systems. The work can seem confining, requiring them to remain in the classroom throughout most of the day. Teachers may sometimes need to focus more on discipline issues with their students instead of actually teaching, which can be frustrating.

High school hours are generally 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., but journalism teachers work more than 40 hours a week teaching, preparing for classes, grading papers, and directing extracurricular activities. Similarly most college journalism teachers work more than 40 hours each week, but their hours may vary. Many may teach classes in the evening or on the weekends. Although they may teach only two or three classes a semester, they spend many hours preparing for lectures, examining student work, and conducting research.