You may have heard the statistic that half of all teachers leave the profession within five years. While this certainly doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy teaching, it does mean that you should carefully consider your options before committing to the career path. So, before you decide to pursue an online teaching degree, you should ask yourself the following five questions: 1. Do you enjoy children? If you’re considering working with children, you will be happier–and so will they–if you actually enjoy their company. Have you had experience with children? If not, you might want to volunteer with children in some capacity before diving into an online teaching degree program. 2. Do you have teacher qualities? Teachers must have a desire to help others, excellent communication skills, patience, creativity, flexibility, a sense of humor, and an engaging personality to bring the material alive for their students. You will also need to be emotionally ready for the commitment, dependable, and fair. Not sure if you have what it takes? Consider taking online career aptitude tests that can give you a better idea of where your talents and skills lie. 3. Is the pay acceptable? Pay rates differ greatly by school district, but generally one of the biggest complaints teachers have is salary. The good news is that, according to an American Federation of Teachers’ survey, the average salary for public school teachers increased 4.5% in 2006-07 to $51,009, but keep in mind that location plays a big part in salary levels. If you have a family to support, be sure that your potential salary will be enough to do so, especially if you will also have student loan payments. 4. Do you mind working unpaid overtime? Teachers’ duties differ, but one thing nearly all teachers have in common is that they take work home. Whether it’s planning lessons, grading exams, or even preparing and attending extracurricular functions, most teachers work far more than the time spent in school. If you’re the kind of person who wants to leave work at work, teaching may not be the best choice for you. On the other hand, you will most likely get summers and holidays off, and although that’s not a good reason to become a teacher on its own, it may somewhat compensate for the extra hours of work during the school year. 5. Are you ready to deal with parents and the community? Becoming a teacher means that you put yourself out in the community as a role model and respectable citizen. Communities respect teachers and hold them to high standards, so be aware that even what you do outside the classroom, outside of your job description, and even online may come under a microscope; this is nothing to fear, of course, but you should be aware of it before entering the profession. If you’ve considered all of these issues and have concluded you want to become a teacher, why not start your online teaching degree program today?