What are the responsibilities of a high school teacher?

I'm considering becoming a high school teacher, but I'm not clear on the general duties. What are the main tasks and responsibilities involved in teaching at this level?

High school teaching comes with a variety of responsibilities across different areas. These can be divided into planning, instructing, and administrative duties:

Planning Duties

1. Lesson planning: High school teachers are responsible for creating lesson plans for their courses and adjusting the plans depending on the student’s progress.

2. Curriculum development: They often participate in the development of the curriculum for the subject they teach, ensuring that learning objectives are met and the material aligns with state and school guidelines.

Instruction Duties

3. Teaching: The main duty is teaching, which includes presenting information in a clear and comprehensible manner, according to the learning styles of their students.

4. Student assessment: They assess students' learning progress through homework assignments, tests, and quizzes. This helps determine their understanding of the material and identify areas where review or reinforcement may be needed.

5. Adapting teaching methods: Incorporating different teaching methods to engage every student is also important, and effective teachers recognize that students have different learning styles and tailor their approaches accordingly.

Administrative Duties

6. Attendance and grade records: They are responsible for maintaining accurate records of student attendance, grades, and other necessary records according to school requirements.

7. Parent-teacher communication: Teachers often hold parent-teacher meetings or communicate with parents regarding their child’s progress, behavior, or any concerns.

8. Disciplinary roles: They may also enforce school and classroom rules and discipline students who display inappropriate behavior.

In addition, high school teachers often have other responsibilities outside the classroom. These might include supervising extracurricular activities, sponsoring clubs, or participating in school improvement initiatives.

Keep in mind that while this may seem like a long list of responsibilities, the rewards of seeing students develop and learn can be incredibly fulfilling for many teachers.