A website for teachers who are blind or visually impaired.

Exploring Different Types of Teaching

When we are young, we think of "teacher" as the person who is teaching our class. This is a very limited notion of the career of "Educator".  In fact, there are almost limitless options for participating in employment as a teacher. When considering the profession of teaching, you should think about what interests you in the following aspects of the job:

  • Age of student:  Teachers are employed to work with the range of ages from birth through old age.
  • Ability of student: Teachers are employed to work with individuals with a wide range of ability levels.
  • Setting of the teaching experience:  While most people think that teachers teach in schools, there are actually many different settings for employing teachers: schools, universities, rehabilitation centers, community centers, daycare centers, even some corporations and businesses.
  • Subject matter:  This is one of the most important decisions.  What do you want to teach?  

There are many specialty areas in teaching beyond the classroom teacher. Some teachers teach in a single classroom and all subjects, while some work with students of different grades within the same school teaching specialized subjects, and some travel between schools to teach and consult with other teachers. Each of these specialties may require specific skills, but all require the basic foundations of an understanding of teaching strategies, facilitation of learning, evaluation and assessment, and interpersonal skills development. Below is a brief description of a sample of teaching roles.  Please note that this list of possible teaching roles is not exhaustive.

Primary classroom teachers: When most people think of a teacher, this is the kind of teacher that they imagine. A primary classroom teacher teaches in one classroom throughout the day. This is typical of most elementary school teachers who teach the same grade and group of students for an entire year at a time. These teachers have the benefit of having their own space to work in and the chance to get to know their students well.

Secondary subject teachers: In a middle or high school setting students typically rotate between classes during the course of the day. Secondary school teachers might therefore have several classrooms and teach one or two subjects to a large group of students.

Substitute teachers: Many teachers begin their careers as substitute teachers who fill in for regular teachers who are absent. Substitute teachers work in classrooms and schools that are not their own, with students they may not know and routines they may be unfamiliar with or may have to construct on their own.

Teacher-librarians: Combining qualifications as a teacher and as a librarian prepares a person to work either in a public library or a school library.  People who become teacher-librarians are employed to support schools and community in the transfer of knowledge from the vast resources of the library to the specific needs of children and adults in the community.

Specialty teachers: Schools today are diverse learning communities addressing the needs of students from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Classrooms include students of all ability levels. Therefore, school districts employ "specialists teachers" who have expertise to support general education classroom teachers and to work directly with children with disabilities and those who have other learning difficulties such as language barriers at school.

Counsellors and school psychologists: Some teachers continue their education to become qualified as a school counsellor or school psychologist.  These professionals may or may not have teaching degrees or experience.  Educators in the role of school counsellor and school psychologist support educational teams and individual students in the planning and implementation of effective assessment, instruction and evaluation.

School administrators: All schools have a need for caring and effective administrators (principals, directors of student services, directors of special education).  Most school administrators began their career as teachers in the classroom.  This experience gives them an important perspective on the needs of students, parents and teachers.  School administrators are responsible for all aspects of the running of schools: planning and overseeing budgets, handling personnel issues, assuring building maintenance, and making sure that academic programs are appropriately carried out. 

Post-secondary educators: Educators with advanced doctoral level degrees may be interested in and qualified for a position preparing future teachers at a college or university.  Post-secondary educators are responsible for teaching, conducting research and providing public service in their area of expertise.


Rehabilitation teachers: Rehabilitation teachers provide support to individuals who have disabilities, most commonly those who have an acquired disability and need assistance relearning to do daily tasks in a different way that accommodates for a sensory, physical, emotional or cognitive disability.  Rehabilitation teachers work cooperatively with a client/student to assess their needs, plan for acquisition of skills and evaluate progress.