Explore a possible path

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

How does this connect to your interests? →

A look at the work

  • Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
  • Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
  • Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
  • Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
  • Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
  • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
  • Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.7 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.2 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.8 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

7.0 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.9 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.6 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

2025-08

4.1 / 5

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2025-08

4.0 / 5

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2025-08

4.0 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2025-08

4.0 / 5

Learning Strategies

Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

2025-08

4.0 / 5

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

2025-08

3.9 / 5

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

2025-08

3.9 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2025-08

3.9 / 5

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

2025-08

3.8 / 5

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

2025-08

3.8 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 4 of 5 · 2025-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Bilingual and Multilingual Education →

Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching →

Secondary Education and Teaching →

Teacher Education, Multiple Levels →

Montessori Teacher Education →

Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education →

Online Educator/Online Teaching →

International Teaching and Learning →

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods →

Art Teacher Education →

Driver and Safety Teacher Education →

English/Language Arts Teacher Education →

Explore all related study fields →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 25-2031.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.