Planning To Become A Teacher Or Professor? - The Key Differences
Right from our childhood, we always learn numerous things from various individuals in our life. We start our learning in the womb from our mother, and hence, they are considered the first teachers. After that, we step into the education world where we meet school teachers, head to college, get influenced by professors or lecturers, and more. This learning cycle is constant.
Among all the people we learn from in our journey, teachers and professors play a significant role. Both of them are encompassed in the profession of teaching and make all the efforts to provide valuable knowledge to the students. However, not all educator jobs are similar and have the same responsibilities. While both use their expertise to let students succeed in their lives, they are poles apart in terms of their responsibilities and duties.
If you are planning to become a teacher or professor, it is crucial to understand the difference between the two to know which educator role to pursue. This article is a great way to start on your career path. We will discuss the terms and learn the key differences between a teacher and a professor. For those not in the academic profession, these terms might seem confusing. But reading this article will make everything clear and help you understand how they are different from each other.
Who Is A Teacher?
A teacher has experience in imparting knowledge to children, particularly in schools. It can be simply defined as a profession concerned with primary and secondary education. Such a person assists students in learning and gaining knowledge for a particular skill or a subject of study. A teacher is both instructor and supervisor and usually the first exposure to students in academic institutions. They play a crucial role in students’ lives, and they can have both good and bad impacts. If you sincerely look at the profession, then anyone can be a teacher as long as that person is assisting someone in learning. Whether it is a formal or informal setting, a person will be technically considered a teacher when learning is involved.
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Who Is A Professor?
Often known as an instructor, a professor is senior academic personnel with several years of classroom experience. Such an individual is a postsecondary educator who works in colleges and universities and has a specialization in the subject matter that they teach. Apart from just being responsible for teaching courses, they also conduct novel researches and experiments. Further, they publish their findings in academic journals or books. They are skillful people with great knowledge and abilities and often teach at undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels. The classes led by professors range in size from a few to hundreds of students. Since they are linked with higher education, they are required to earn a doctorate or have some specialization.
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Teacher Or Professor? Here Are The Key Differences
While we use words like a teacher or professor as interchangeable terms and consider them the same, they have a significant number of differences based on multiple factors. Here are some of the critical factors that determine their career path.
Level Of Education
Whether you want to be a teacher or professor, the first thing you need to know about is the level of education required. It is the key difference between both of these professions. The education requirements for a teacher are usually either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. Some schools require a bachelor’s degree in a subject area, while others require a master’s degree. In addition, they might also be asked to give an entry-level examination.
On the other hand, a professor requires a higher level of education, including a bachelor’s, master’s degree, and doctorate. While a doctorate is required to teach university students, some institutes might also hire individuals with master’s degrees as adjunct professors or based on the specific degree program.
Duties
The classroom responsibilities of a teacher or professor are unique because of the difference in the age group of students they work with. But before you select which career path is the right fit for you, it is essential to know the responsibilities they both have in the classroom. If we talk about a teacher, they are majorly responsible for making students learn the important topics or subjects that they will expand over a period of time. They direct the students’ behavior along with teaching them right from the starting of their academic career. Apart from teaching, their duties include creating lesson plans, assignments, grading, introducing them to opportunities, preparing them for standardized testing, etc.
While the role of the professor is more focused on instructions than guidance, they are required to teach students based on their specialty. They are in charge of creating students' curriculum, assignments, tests, and projects based on the skill goals. Such individuals do not deal with the parents and work directly with the young adult students. They prepare students for employment and a brighter career while challenging their thinking and knowledge.
Place Of Work
The other significant difference between a teacher and a professor is the level of the institution they work in. They both work in different places - a teacher works in both elementary and secondary schools. They are responsible for the fundamental level and ensure that they pass on basic knowledge to students. Their workplace is a school attended by students in the initial years of life.
On the other hand, professors share their skills and knowledge in colleges or universities. They often get higher positions in the institute and are required to deal with mostly adult students. Professors impart advanced knowledge to students in the academic field.
Workplace Environment
As the place of work differs in both professions, so does their work environment. The workplace environment usually depends on the number of students they are dealing with, age group, institution’s location, the subject they instruct, and more. When we talk about a teacher, the environment they work in includes classrooms where students come every day, and they decorate the place, maintain supplies, and stay there typically for five to six hours. They also conduct meetings with the parents and have to participate in school meetings and activities. A teacher’s schedule is mostly the same as that of children with a few extra duty hours.
However, if we talk about professors, their work environment is more varied than teachers’. They usually have their own office and can take classes in different rooms across the campus. As per the class size, instructions, and availability, they can conduct their classes. The meetings with students and their grading are usually done in the office, and the professors are not responsible for managing the supplies. Their schedule keeps on changing as per their areas of teaching and requires them to work just a few hours a day.
Salary
This is one of the major factors you must consider if you are looking forward to a teacher or professor career. It’s valuable to understand the difference in the salaries before choosing the profession. Concerning the work responsibilities and expectations along with the educational requirements, there is a significant difference between the salary and the benefits that they both get. Teachers usually earn a moderate to average salary, which differs with the level of education, teaching style, location, and the class they are teaching to.
A professor’s salary is much higher than a teacher’s; they receive high wages and various benefits. The size of the college, the subject they teach, their experience, and their educational background influence the salary they get.
Job Outlook
It is important for all the budding teachers and professors to be aware of both professions’ job outlook or future prospects. Whether you want to be a teacher or professor, you must know the future of these jobs and then choose the right path for you. Both of these careers have very different job growth, where teachers’ jobs are likely to grow at the rate of 4% by 2028. While the increase rate of professors’ jobs will be 11% by 2028. In the coming years, more colleges and universities are likely to be built, and hence the jobs of professors will increase at a faster rate.
Teachers are likely to grow at a slower pace than the national average and that of a professor. So, everyone who wants to start their career in teaching must enhance their resume to stand out amid the competition.
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Teacher or Professor? Here’s The Verdict
Be it a teacher or professor, both are well-respected members of society and play an important role in propelling the community to greater heights. They showcase their talent and work towards making the world a better place for everyone. Both provide skills and knowledge to students and assist them in achieving their goals. Although they are often misunderstood because they belong to the same profession, there is a definite difference between the two which makes them separate career options. However, whichever profession you choose, teacher or professor, you will be regarded with great respect as you will be working for the betterment of society, leading to a brighter future.