What Do Education Professors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Education Professors teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. They also prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.

Other tasks include:

• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Supervise students’ fieldwork, internship, and research work.
• Evaluate and grade students’ class work, assignments, and papers.
• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as children’s literature, learning and development, and reading instruction.

We asked Education Professors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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83% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 83% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Education Professors keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. They serve as a liaison between the university and other governmental and educational agencies.

A typical day for a Postsecondary Education Teacher will also include:

• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Evaluate and grade students’ class work, assignments, and papers.
• Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

We asked some Education Professors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	56% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	60% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	56% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	35% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Education Professors also serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. They may also prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as children’s literature, learning and development, and reading instruction.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Education Professors Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. They might also Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

In addition, they Supervise students’ fieldwork, internship, and research work.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Evaluate and grade students’ class work, assignments, and papers.

To some Education Professors, it is also their responsibility to Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Postsecondary Education Teacher, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm

http://www.cgsnet.org/

https://www.acteonline.org/

http://www.teach.org/