So, you have decided that you are ready to dedicate yourself to a career in education. Great! Now learn how to become a certified teacher.
Teaching is a career that can be incredibly rewarding and terribly difficult
at the same time. However, if you’ve done your research and you think that
teaching is the career for you, now is statistically a prime time to become a
certified teacher.
Teachers Needed
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, teaching jobs make up
three of the top ten fastest growing fields for those who hold a bachelor’s
degree or better. This increased need is due in part to a higher than normal
number of teachers planning to retire within the next ten years.
Elementary teachers (teachers of kindergarten through about sixth grade) top
the list with a projected increase of 223,000 new job openings between 2002 and
2012. Number four on the list is secondary teachers (middle school and high
school teachers) with a projection of 180,000 new jobs. Next, number six is
special education teachers (teachers who work with learning and/or physically
disabled children) with a projected increase of 130,000 new job openings.
Furthermore, according to TeachersCount.org, areas most in demand within the
education field include bilingual education, math, science (particularly
physical), computer science, English as a second language and foreign
languages.
General Certification Requirements
So, you know you want to teach, now what? In order to become a teacher you
must be certified as a teacher in the state you plan to teach. All states have
their own specific requirements, but most require some version of the
following:
Bachelor’s degree or higher:
Elementary teachers are required to hold a major or minor in education and
must have taken courses in basic subjects that you will teach, like math,
science, English and social studies. Secondary teachers usually require a
major in their subject area.
Completion of an accredited
education preparation program. Traditional teacher education programs at
colleges and universities are designed so that you can work towards the
major or minor coursework while you are also taking teacher preparation
courses. Additionally, these programs typically include a required number
of practicum hours and a student-teaching internship, usually a semester
in length.
State competency test. Most
states require teachers to pass tests that assess their basic liberal arts
knowledge, as well as their content area and teaching skills. Many states
use the PRAXIS series, while others have their own assessments. Depending
on the state, the tests can usually be taken within a year or two of being
granted a provisional license.
Background check and
fingerprinting. Many states now require applicants to complete a criminal
background check and fingerprinting process. Obviously, this is to ensure
that only upstanding citizens are placed in classrooms with children.
There are two basic ways to go about meeting these requirements. You can go
the traditional route or the alternative certification route. Depending on what
level of education you have currently attained, you can decide which one works
best for your circumstances.
Traditional Certification
The traditional way to become a certified teacher is probably best for
someone who is young and has not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. If this
describes you, it makes sense for you to find a teacher education program at a
college or university, because you need the four year degree. This type of
program will take the normal four or five years to complete a bachelor’s
degree. Along with your regular subject area and liberal studies courses, you
will get to take a number of teaching methods classes. You will be trained in
such educational foundations as curriculum development, classroom management,
and assessment. Some of your coursework may also require you fulfill a required
number of practicum hours, in which you observe and assist in local area
classrooms.
When your classroom studies are finished you will spend about a semester
student teaching, without pay, under a mentor teacher, usually near your
college. During student teaching you will have the opportunity to plan and
execute your own lessons in a regular classroom, with actual students. In the
beginning you will spend time observing and learning from your mentor teacher
and then slowly you will begin to take over the classes until you are the
primary teacher, although under supervision of your mentor. By the end of the
semester, you will transition back out of the classroom and return the classes
to the mentor.
During this process you will periodically be observed teaching by a
university supervisor from the education department of your school and
sometimes by the administrator of the school where you are teaching. In the
end, if you have fulfilled your requirements and demonstrated an aptitude for
teaching, your mentor and university supervisor will recommend you for
graduation.
Once your degree requirements are complete, you can then take the test
required by your state’s licensure department and apply for a license.
Alternative Certification
Due to teacher shortages in many parts of the country, many states have
approved an alternative method to become a certified teacher. This route is
best for someone who already holds a bachelor’s degree, but does not have the
required teaching education hours.
Alternative licensing allows you to earn your teaching certificate in a
short time period, usually within a year or two, and often allows you to
actually hold a paid teaching position while you complete your studies. In
order to be eligible for one of the alternative certification programs, your
degree needs to be in the subject area you are planning to teach. So, if you
have a regular bachelor’s degree in English and decide you would like to be an
English teacher, you could apply to one of the alternative programs.
If you choose this path to teaching, you usually will need to have secured a
teaching job in a school with the understanding that you will complete the
alternative program. This is possible in areas where there is a teacher
shortage. You will also have to pass the state teaching test, sometimes prior
to being accepted by the program and sometimes afterwards.
Generally, during the first year of your teaching assignment you will also
complete intense coursework in education teaching methodology through an
approved program. These programs are offered both online or on a college campus
after hours and on weekends, for your convenience.
Additionally, you also will need to complete the student teaching component,
but since you will be teaching already you will be able to count those teaching
hours toward your internship. Most programs will ask you to select a teacher
from the school where you are teaching to act as your mentor and liaison with
the alternative certification program. Like the traditional programs, a
supervisor from the program may also observe and evaluate you while you are
teaching. Again, once the coursework and internship are successfully completed,
you can apply for your teaching certificate.
When choosing an educational program for your coursework, make sure it is an
accredited teacher education program and that it will meet the state license
requirements in your state. Every state has a Department of Education website
that lists these requirements, so do your research and be sure that the path
you choose is the right one for your situation and your career.