Middle School Teachers

At a Glance

Teach students who are between 11 and 14 years old
Work in both private and public schools
Use audio-visual aids, computers, lectures, and presentations
Training usually takes five to six years after high school
Public school teachers need a license
Work with students, parents, and other teachers
Often supervise clubs, sports, and social events
Often belong to unions

Career summary

Middle school teachers teach specific subjects to students who are between 11 and 14 years old.

Middle school teachers help students study individual subjects. Middle school teachers use methods of lecture and presentation to teach subjects such as:

English
Social studies
Math
Science
Music

Middle school teachers take attendance, keep track of textbooks and other supplies, and establish classroom rules so students can work and learn.

Middle school teachers also develop lesson plans to teach subjects according to the school or district curriculum. They assign homework so that students can apply the lessons from class.

Teachers grade homework and give tests to monitor student progress. They keep track of scores by recording them in a grade book. They analyze the scores to create progress reports and report card grades.

Middle school teachers often supervise activities such as student clubs and organizations. This may involve meeting with students after school or during lunch breaks. Middle school teachers may also have supervision duties for school dances, sporting events, or other school activities.

Middle school teachers participate in faculty meetings. They discuss school and class issues with school administrators. They may also participate in local or national conferences where teachers share ideas and successful teaching methods.

Middle school teachers may provide advice to students with behavioral or academic problems. They may meet with students, parents, and administrators to try and resolve these problems.

Middle school teachers may also provide general academic advising to students about what classes to take.

Related careers

This career is part of the Education and Training cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to middle school teachers.

Teach middle school students using methods such as lecture, question and answer, and demonstration. Make changes to meet student needs.
Take care of daily tasks such as attendance records and general classroom supervision.
Prepare class lessons according to school curriculum and state or local requirements. Sometimes use computers and audio-visual tools to enhance lessons.
Assign and grade homework and tests to monitor student progress.
Record and report grades that indicate students' progress.
Stock classroom supplies and equipment.
Meet with students, administrators, and parents to resolve behavioral and academic problems.
Provide academic advising to help students choose courses.
Participate in faculty and professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops.
Advise or sponsor organizations or clubs.
Supervise field trips and extracurricular activities.

Common work activities

Middle school teachers perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

Teach others
Establish and maintain relationships
Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
Get information needed to do the job
Organize, plan, and prioritize work
Develop goals and strategies
Coach others
Think creatively
Update and use job-related knowledge
Make decisions and solve problems
Identify objects, actions, and events
Use computers
Document and record information
Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
Evaluate information against standards
Develop and build teams
Analyze data or information
Explain the meaning of information to others
Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
Process information
Judge the value of objects, services, or people
Coordinate the work and activities of others
Schedule work and activities
Communicate with people outside the organization
Assist and care for others
Guide, direct, and motivate others
Perform administrative tasks
Provide advice and consultation to others

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, middle school teachers:

Interpersonal relationships

Have a high level of job-related social interaction with students.
Speak in front of a classroom on a daily basis.
Communicate by phone, e-mail, and in person on a daily basis. They also write letters and memos, but less often.
Are often placed in conflict situations where students and occasionally parents might become angry or unpleasant.
Are responsible for the health and safety of students.
Work as part of a team of teachers and other education staff.
Are somewhat responsible for the work done by others.

Physical work conditions

Often work indoors. May work outdoors to teach physical education or sports.
May occasionally be exposed to noise levels that are distracting.
Work near others, often within a few feet.

Work performance

Must be sure all work is done accurately. Errors could cause students to receive the wrong grades.
Often repeat the same activities, such as lesson planning and grading assignments.
Regularly make decisions that affect others. They rarely consult a supervisor before deciding a course of action.
Set nearly all their daily tasks and goals without consulting a supervisor first.
Must meet strict daily and weekly deadlines.

Hours/travel

Work regular school hours. Lunch, evening, or weekend hours may be required to supervise clubs and organizations.
May work overtime to complete grading.

Physical demands

Middle school teachers frequently:

Stand for long periods of time.

It is important for middle school teachers to be able to:

Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
Understand the speech of another person.
See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for middle school teachers to be able to:

See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.

Skills and abilities

Middle school teachers need to:

Communicate

Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
Read and understand work-related materials.
Understand written information.
Listen to others and ask questions.
Understand spoken information.
Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
Recognize the nature of a problem.
Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
Think of new ideas about a topic.
Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
Develop rules that group items in various ways.
Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

Check how well one is learning or doing something.
Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

Teach others how to do something.
Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
Look for ways to help people.
Persuade others to approach things differently.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

Other programs of study to consider

Training

To work as a middle school teacher, you typically need to:

have a high school diploma or equivalent;
have at least a bachelor's degree;
complete an approved teacher training program;
complete a student teacher internship; and
pass a state licensing exam.

Education after high school

To work as a public middle school teacher, you need at least a bachelor's degree from an approved teacher education program. You also need to complete 24 to 36 hours of college work in the area you wish to teach. (This number will vary by individual school.)

The trend in this field is for states to require teachers to have a master's degree in education. This usually involves one additional year of course work beyond a bachelor's degree.

To renew your teaching license, you need to take additional courses in education. Many teachers do this during the summer months.

Private schools may not require a bachelor's degree in education.

On-the-job training

Before graduating from a teacher education program, you work as a student teacher. Student teachers work in high school classrooms with experienced teachers. In the beginning, you observe the teacher and classroom. Later, you teach classes on your own.

In your first year as a teacher you may receive additional on-the-job training. This generally takes the form of extra supervision by the principal or another teacher.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

Child Development
Computer Applications
Psychology
Public Speaking
Teacher Assisting

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers look for middle school teachers who are licensed. They also look for middle school teachers who are confident and knowledgeable in their subject(s). Middle school teachers should be able to deal with many different kinds of personalities and age groups. Employers look for middle school teachers who are organized, dependable, patient, and creative.

Private schools may not require a degree or teaching license. If based on a religion, a school may require that teachers have a background in a particular faith. Other schools may require teachers to have some training in their philosophy of education.

Some employers look for teachers who are bilingual.

Costs to workers

Some teachers may be required to join a union and pay quarterly dues. Teachers usually pay for their own continuing education classes.

Licensing/certification

All public and private school teachers must be certified by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The certification for a new teacher who is completing or has completed an in-state teacher training program is the residency first issue teacher certificate.

Requirements for a residency first issue certificate for entry-level teachers include:

being age 18 or older;
evidence of good moral character and personal fitness;
passing a background check which requires submitting two fingerprint cards (waived if applicant has had record check within two years of applying);
a bachelor's degree from regionally accredited college or university;
completion of an approved college/university teacher education program, which includes teaching methodology, content, and an internship;
completion of a major (60-quarter hours or 40-semester hours) in one of six broad endorsement areas (the arts, English/language arts, health-fitness, mathematics, science, or social studies);
passing a basic skills test;
passing a content test on the subject matter for each endorsement; and
submission of an application and paying a fee.

The first issue certificate is good for five years. Teaching must take place at a state approved public or private school. To renew the residency certificate, 100 hours of approved continuing education, including 10 hours of STEM related training, must be completed every five years.

School districts may require a background check and fingerprinting for employment, even if the applicant has a certificate granted by the State. Fingerprinting is available at any of the nine regional Educational Service District (ESD) offices. Each ESD may add an additional processing fee.

#Modified licensing text content based on rewrite done spring 2018. If want to see/use prior content, it is stored at W:\IA\Occupations\Pre Aug 2018 Licensing Content for Teachers, 8/22/18 cj.

#Teachers who do not have a valid Washington certificate must pass a background check which requires submitting two fingerprint cards. School districts may also require this for employment, even if the applicant has a certificate granted by the State. Fingerprinting is available at any of the nine regional Educational Service District (ESD) offices. Each ESD may add an additional processing fee.

#CTW updated 3/20/08 lh. Just for our own internal clarification, the processing fee we talk about above is for fingerprints, not the ESD processing fee. I also added the combined 5- and 2-yr renewal fee statement. 3/11/09, cj. Updated base fingerprint fee ($46.25 + ESD $20 processing fee) 2/28/11, cj Deleted citation of all exact fees per conversation with LH 8/29/11 cj. Looked over 2/9/12 no changes. Lh

For more information on certification, contact:

Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Teacher Certification (external link)
Old Capitol Building
PO Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
360.725.6400

#change to residency cert length noted by CJ last yr, no changes here 2/9/12 lh. No changes to main info; added ProTeach Portfolio by professional cert section since are calling the assessment process this now, 4/10/13 cj. No change to content; updated link to page at OSPI 3/4/15 cj. No changes to this section 12/5/16 cj. Updated OSPI link, rest ok 4/9/19 cj.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website (external link) .

Wages

Career/technical education teachers, middle school (SOC 25-2023)

Location	Pay Period
Location	Pay Period	10%	25%	Median	75%	90%
Washington	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$47,540	$57,390	$70,250	$79,410	$89,920
Bremerton-Silverdale	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$44,516	$55,454	$73,180	$81,924	$92,385
Longview	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$44,943	$49,559	$69,322	$76,577	$80,930
Mount Vernon-Anacortes	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$39,345	$48,075	$58,670	$69,243	$79,132
Olympia-Tumwater	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$49,332	$57,860	$68,754	$77,966	$83,657
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$52,267	$61,133	$72,326	$81,406	$92,645
Spokane-Spokane Valley	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$48,707	$66,270	$76,779	$88,618	$99,608
Vancouver	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$54,212	$64,009	$76,190	$89,981	$99,591
Yakima	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$43,389	$47,687	$55,039	$65,252	$77,038
United States	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$39,890	$47,770	$59,230	$74,770	$92,550

(1) Wage estimate is not available.

Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education (SOC 25-2022)

Location	Pay Period
Location	Pay Period	10%	25%	Median	75%	90%
Washington	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$45,430	$55,120	$67,000	$76,840	$83,560
Bellingham	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$44,607	$55,031	$64,711	$76,350	$83,146
Bremerton-Silverdale	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$43,087	$54,664	$69,104	$78,982	$85,065
Kennewick-Richland	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$47,825	$57,781	$70,358	$79,445	$86,039
Longview	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$44,120	$52,799	$68,963	$77,310	$82,924
Mount Vernon-Anacortes	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$40,451	$54,206	$66,817	$76,166	$81,837
Olympia-Tumwater	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$45,886	$54,500	$65,321	$75,276	$81,135
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$48,187	$57,055	$68,273	$78,615	$87,440
Spokane-Spokane Valley	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$48,376	$59,476	$71,411	$79,805	$85,916
Vancouver	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$53,343	$66,052	$80,558	$100,636	$119,831
Walla Walla	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$37,471	$48,068	$66,508	$76,158	$81,959
Wenatchee	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$47,515	$57,186	$69,076	$77,724	$82,986
Yakima	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$43,513	$50,202	$64,989	$76,221	$82,857
United States	Hourly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Monthly	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
	Yearly	$39,090	$46,840	$58,600	$74,600	$93,180

(1) Wage estimate is not available.

Middle school teachers who coach sports or supervise other extracurricular activities may be paid extra for their work.

Teachers who work full time usually receive benefits. Common benefits include sick leave, health insurance, and a retirement plan.

Over half of all public school teachers belong to unions -- mainly the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. These unions negotiate with employers regarding wages, hours, and conditions of employment.

Because teachers usually work a ten-month year, their wages are reported annually.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education (SOC 25-2022)

		This occupation	All occupations
Location	Current employment	Growth over 10 years		Annual openings
Washington	10,752	16.3%	16.1%	1,164
Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan Counties	494	16.8%	13.4%	53
Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman Counties	625	2.6%	8.6%	48
Benton and Franklin Counties	516	17.6%	15.0%	57
Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties	378	11.4%	11.9%	36
Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties	798	17.5%	15.2%	89
Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties	637	18.7%	14.1%	73
Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties	588	17.9%	14.6%	66
King County	3,264	18.9%	19.6%	373
Kittitas, Klickitat, Skamania, and Yakima Counties	458	18.1%	13.8%	51
Pierce County	1,054	17.0%	15.2%	116
Snohomish County	718	18.9%	12.4%	82
Spokane County	855	7.7%	13.9%	75
United States	615,700	3.5%	5.2%	48,300

Vocational Education Teachers, Middle School (SOC 25-2023)

		This occupation	All occupations
Location	Current employment	Growth over 10 years		Annual openings
Washington	625	16.2%	16.1%	67
Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan Counties	20	15.0%	13.4%	2
Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman Counties	37	0.0%	8.6%	3
Benton and Franklin Counties	16	12.5%	15.0%	1
Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties	29	13.8%	11.9%	2
Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties	66	18.2%	15.2%	7
Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties	51	19.6%	14.1%	6
Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties	21	19.0%	14.6%	2
King County	102	17.6%	19.6%	11
Kittitas, Klickitat, Skamania, and Yakima Counties	35	20.0%	13.8%	4
Pierce County	78	17.9%	15.2%	8
Snohomish County	51	17.6%	12.4%	6
Spokane County	92	7.6%	13.9%	8
United States	11,800	2.5%	5.2%	900

National employment

Major employers:

Public and private schools

National outlook

Demand will be good for middle school teachers as the overall student enrollment in middle school is expected to increase. However, the growth rate varies by area of the country. States in the South and West--particularly Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Georgia--will have a large increase in the number of students. However, states in the Midwest are expected to hold steady, and states in the Northeast are projected to have declines.

Another reason that demand is growing is that teacher-student ratios are declining.

Many openings will occur as current teachers retire. Demand for teachers is high in inner city schools because crime is higher and wages are usually lower. Teachers who are willing to relocate or who are bilingual will have the best chances of finding a job.

Other resources

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
400 North Columbus Street, Suite 202
Alexandria, VA 22314
800.424.8080
703.706.4600

American Association of Teachers of German

American Federation of Teachers
555 New Jersey Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
202.879.4400

American String Teachers Association
4155 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.279.2113

Association for Middle Level Education
2550 Corporate Exchange Dr., Suite 324
Columbus, OH 43231

Association of American Educators
25909 Pala Place, Suite 330
Mission Viejo, California 92691
800.704.7799

BLS 2018 Career Outlook for teachers

BLS Career Outlook: Interview with a�Chemistry Teacher

Education World

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22209
703.465.2700

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
1906 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
800.235.7566
703.620.9840

National Education Association
1201 - 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.833.4000

National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703.243.7100

Service Employees International Union
1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
800.424.8592

Society of Health and Physical Educators
PO Box 225
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701
800.213.7193

Student Program Make It Happen - Teach
(National Education Association resource)

Washington Education Association
PO Box 9100
Federal Way, WA 98063-9100
800.622.3393
253.941.6700

Washington Federation of Teachers
625 Andover Park West, Suite 111
Tukwila, WA 98188
206.242.4777

References

Career cluster

Education and Training

Career path

Social

O*Net occupations

O*Net job zone

Job Zone 4 - Considerable preparation needed. A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

DOT occupations

Strong Interest Inventory

Art Teacher
English Teacher
Foreign Language Teacher
Mathematics Teacher
Physical Education Teacher
Science Teacher
Social Science Teacher

Holland occupational clusters

Social/Artistic/Conventional
Social/Artistic/Enterprising
Social/Artistic/Investigative

COPSystem

Service Professional