learning

2017’s Best and Worst States for Teachers

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world – educating our youth to become the future of our world. For those who choose the career path to become a teacher, they know it may not be easy, but they are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of their students, whether they teach Pre-K or graduate school classes.

Many teachers don't get the credit they deserve for doing such noble work. They may not be rightfully appreciated, paid very well, or work in an environment that provides the best atmosphere for them and their students. Others are luckier, with teaching/learning-conducive schools, fair pay, and are treated with the utmost respect, as they ought to be.

Depending on the U.S. state in which they teach, the opportunities and environments can be as different as night and day. That is why WalletHub's recent analysis of 2017's best and worst states for teachers is eye-opening. The personal finance website compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to help educators find the best places in the country to teach based on 21 key metrics. These include annual salaries, teacher turnover rate, teacher-student ratio, school spending, the best and worst school systems, teacher safety, and more. WalletHub's panel of experts reviewed and assessed the findings to determine which states were the best in terms of teacher-friendliness and which fared worst.

The top 5 states for teachers (#1 being the overall best):

  • 1. New York
  • 2. New Jersey
  • 3. Illinois
  • 4. Connecticut
  • 5. Pennsylvania

The bottom 5 states for teachers (#1 being the overall worst):

  • 1. Arizona
  • 2. Hawaii
  • 3. South Carolina
  • 4. Mississippi
  • 5. Florida

Did your state rank in the top or bottom 5? If you're a teacher or aspire to get into the profession, will these findings make an impact on where you choose to teach?

While these states are not in the top 5, some notable standouts include:

Wyoming – ranked #8 overall. Here teachers earn the highest starting salary (cost of living adjustments considered). They make $47,185 at the start of their career on average.

Vermont – ranked #27 overall. The student-teacher ratio is lowest in Vermont – 10.55. Students will get greater personal attention when the teacher has fewer students in their class.

Massachusetts – ranked #7 overall. This state ranked #1 for the very best school systems in the nation.

For the full ranking and additional specifics on WalletHub's findings, see the entire report.

If you are not in the teaching profession but are curious about the best and worst cities for jobs on the whole, see our report on WalletHub's best and worst cities for jobs in 2017.

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5 ways learning a second language can benefit your career

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Almost everyone wants to learn another language, but not that many actually commit to this self-improvement project. This usually comes down to a lack of motivation. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to become proficient in a language and even more time and effort to become fully fluent. Without a concrete motivating reason, many people don't even start in the first place, or become discouraged and give up. But there are many benefits to learning another language, including ones that will very positively impact your career.

1. A second language looks impressive on a resumé.

The most obvious reason to learn a second language is to brag about it. And it is pretty impressive. (There's a reason some people lie about it on their resumé, after all.) It doesn't really matter what kind of job you're applying to, pretty much everyone will give you a second look. Taking the time to learn a second language shows incredible discipline and dedication. It's a decent boost to your resumé, even if you don't really need it for your chosen career path.

2. Knowing more languages significantly increases your job opportunities.

Ever wanted to live in another country? Knowing another language can help open those doors. Rather than being limited to English-speaking countries, you could be able to live and work almost anywhere. For this option, you might want to pick a language that is widely spoken. The first most spoken language in the world is Chinese. Spanish is second and English is third.

3. You can increase your contacts and build more relationships with a second language.

But maybe you don't need new job prospects. Learning another language can probably help you in the job you already have. If you work in business, learning the language most of your clients speak can go a long way to build trust and create long-lasting relationships. The same situation can arise if you're a doctor or nurse. Knowing another language can help even if you're law enforcement. The possibilities are pretty endless.

4. Learning another language improves your memory and decision-making.

Let's say you don't need a new language for any practical reason. Taking the time to study one can still help you immensely. Studies show that there are many, many benefits to becoming bilingual. The ones most applicable in the workplace are improvements to your memory and decision-making. People who know more than one language have to know a lot more vocabulary than monolingual people. Because of this, it's often easier for bilingual people to retain information like phone numbers or grocery lists. When speaking in any language, you have to be careful of what vocabulary you are using when. This kind of decision-making can make you more conscientious on the job.

5. Ultimately, the practice of studying a language can ultimately improve your English.

Studying a foreign language brings your focus to the mechanics of the language, including grammar, conjugations and sentence structure. Being aware of how another language works can also lead to you become more and more aware of how English functions. You'll be more comfortable with the ways it can be structured and how it can be manipulated. These skills can make you a more effective communicator. That's a skill you need in pretty much any career path.

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Mobile app stores are full of potential time wasters and productivity killers. But developers also offer many options that can change wasted time into productivity boosters and hours of learning. That ninety-nine cents you're thinking about spending on a game could be put towards your Elevate subscription, instead. Here are some of the best apps available to use the powers of your phone for good and not evil.

Elevate

How trustworthy is a game that claims to improve your focus, writing, reading, speaking and memory? It turns out, Elevate's greatest feature is tricking you into thinking you're playing games while it quietly sharpens your mind. An intro quiz tells Elevate a bit about your proficiency in its five skill types and assigns you a starting Elevate Proficiency Quotient (EPQ), the app's scoring system. Then it starts a lesson—er, game—and suddenly you're exercising your brain.

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