Teaching is a special calling. It is not a job well-suited to everyone. In fact, many new teachers leave within the first 3-5 years of teaching. However, there are many rewards that come with this oft maligned career. Here are my top ten reasons why teaching can be a great profession.
教学是个特殊的职业。这种工作并不适合所有人。事实上，许多新教师在最初的3~5年内离开了教学行业。然而，这个时常被中伤的职业也伴随着很多回报。以下是我认为的教学是个很不错的职业的十个重要理由。

1. Student Potential
学生的潜质

Unfortunately, not every student will succeed in your class. However, this fact should not keep you from believing that every student has the potential for success. This potential is so exciting - each new year presents new challenges and new potential successes.
遗憾的是，并不是你班里的每一个学生都是成功的。但是这一事实不应该妨碍你相信每一个学生都有成功的潜质。这种潜质太令人兴奋了——每一个新学年都会出现新的挑战和具有成功潜质的新人。

2. Student Successes
学生的成功

Closely related to the previous pick, student success is what drives teachers to continue. Each student who didn't understand a concept and then learned it through your help can be exhilarating. And when you actually reach that student that others have written off as being unteachable, this can truly be worth all the headaches that do come with the job.
这个理由与上一条密切相关，学生的成功是教师们坚持的动力。学生不理解某个概念，但随后通过你的帮助学会了，每一个这样的学生都会令你感到愉快。当你最终影响了那个被别人认为是教不了的学生时，这份工作带给你的各种头疼也就值得了。

3. Teaching a Subject Helps You Learn a Subject
教一门学科有助于你学习这门学科

You will never learn a topic better than when you start teaching it. I remember my first year teaching AP Government. I had taken Political Science courses in college and thought I knew what I was doing. However, the student questions just made me dig deeper and learn more. There is an old adage that it takes three years of teaching to truly master a subject and in my experience this is the truth.
你开始教一门学科的时候是你学得最好的时候。还记得我教AP Government课程的第一年，因为在大学曾学过政治学，所以我觉得我应该清楚自己的授课内容。但是学生们的问题让我钻研得更深、学得更多。有句老话说，花三年时间教一门功课你才能真正掌握它，从我自身的经历来看，这是事实。（小编注：AP考试是由大学理事会主办的全国统一考试，在全美2万多所高中有60％提供在高中阶段开设具有大学水平的AP课程。）

4. Daily Humor
生活充满幽默

If you have a positive attitude and a sense of humor, you will find things to laugh about each day. Sometimes it will be silly jokes you will make up as you teach that might get a laugh from your students. Sometimes it will be jokes that kids share with you. And sometimes students will come out with the funniest statements without realizing what they've said. Find the fun and enjoy it!
如果你有积极的心态和幽默感，你就会发现每天都有让你开怀一笑的事情。有时是你在教课时编的一个蠢笑话，这可能让你的学生为之一笑。有时是孩子们跟你分享的玩笑。有时候学生们会冒出一些有趣的言论，连他们都意识不到自己说了什么。寻找这种乐趣，尽情享受吧！

5. Affecting the Future
影响未来

Yes it might be trite, but it is true. Teachers mold the future each day in class. In fact, it is a sad fact that you will see some of these students more consistently day-to-day than their parents will.
好吧，这或许很老套，但这是事实。教师每天在课堂上勾画着未来。实际上令人遗憾的一个事实是，你会看到有一些学生每天过着比他们的父母还一成不变的生活。

6. Staying Younger
保持青春

Being around young people everyday will help you remain knowledgeable about current trends and ideas. It also helps break down barriers.
每天围着年轻人转可以帮助你始终掌握流行趋势和思想，也有助于你打破障碍。

7. Autonomy in the Classroom
在课堂上拥有自主权

Once a teacher closes that door each day and begins teaching, they really are the ones who decide what's going to happen. Not many jobs provide an individual with so much room to be creative and autonomous each day.
每天一旦老师关上门开始讲课，他们真的就决定了将要发生什么。没有多少工作会给个人提供如此大的空间用来每天发挥创造性和自主权。

8. Conducive to Family Life
有益于家庭生活

If you have children, the school calendar will typically allow you to have the same days off as your kids. Further, while you might bring work home with you to grade, you will probably be getting home close to the same time as your children.
如果你有孩子，学校的作息安排通常会使你与孩子有相同的休息时间。而且如果你回家批改作业的话，你下班到家大概与孩子回家的时间差不多。

9. Job Security
工作保障

In many communities, teachers are a scarce commodity. It is fairly certain that you will be able to find a job as a teacher, though you might have to wait until the start of a new school year and be willing to travel within your county/school district. While requirements might be different from state to state, once you have proven yourself a successful teacher, it is relatively easy to move around and find a new job.
在许多社区教师非常稀缺。可以肯定的是，你能够找到一份教师的工作，尽管你可能需要等到新学年开始，并且要乐意在自己所在的县/校区迁移。尽管各州的要求不尽相同，不过一旦你证明自己是个成功的老师，那么搬家再找一份新工作会相对容易一些。

10. Summers Off
暑假休息

Unless you work in a district that has a year round education system, you will have a couple of months off in the summer where you can choose to get another job, teach summer school, or just relax and vacation. Further, you typically get two weeks off during Christmas/Winter Holidays and one week for Spring Break which can really be a huge benefit and provide much needed rest time.
除了在执行全年教育体制的地区工作外，一般的教师工作在夏季将有两个月的休息时间。在此期间，你可以选择再找一份工作，在暑期学校上课，或者干脆放松自己享受假期。况且，你通常在圣诞假期或是暑假的时候会有两周的休息时间，在春假的时候有一周的休息时间，这些真的是很好的福利，提供给你许多必要的的休息时间。