While some people have been passionate about teaching from an early age, others have successful careers in other fields before deciding to become certified teachers to pass on their knowledge to future generations. In either instance, one should know a few procedures when they examine the career route to becoming a certified teacher.
Teachers make an average of $47,989 a year, but with the credentials and experience, they can earn up to $70,000. You can increase your salary as a teacher by being certified to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL).
The career is anticipated to expand by 3% between 2018 and 2028, creating 53,100 employment openings nationwide.
This guide will assist you in learning the procedures and important details of becoming a certified teacher if you are interested in beginning a career in teaching.
See: 20 Alternative Jobs For Teachers In 2024 | Don’t Worry Again
Table of contents
Teaching for Each Age Level
Although encouraging learning is the goal of instruction, how this goal is achieved differs depending on the students’ ages.
An individual can choose the type of teaching position that most closely matches their career objectives by being aware of these age groups.
See Also: How can I become a Substitute Teacher in 2024? Training, Licenses, Salary & Cost.
Kindergarten and Elementary School
Students gain fundamental concepts in reading and math in kindergarten and elementary school. You’ll discover that many elementary schools include specific activities like art and music lessons in the curriculum to encourage young pupils to think critically and learning more.
Additionally, when they complete their assignments and interact with other students, they gain personal skills, including study habits and interpersonal communication skills.
Accordingly, someone interested in a career in elementary education would be aiming to aid in developing a student’s fundamental study and life abilities.
Middle School
Middle school grades range from sixth to eighth. Most institutions employ instructors who are experts in particular fields, like chemistry or mathematics.
Children can now be held to higher expectations for academic performance because they are developing into more advanced learners.
High School
Teachers in high school specialize in teaching one subject, like English or U.S. history. Their top priority is educating students and getting them ready to enter the workforce or continue their education at a university.
A secondary duty of a high school teacher can be to advise students on how to write strong college admission essays or perform well on standardized tests.
Higher Education
Teachers of all ages have similar schedules, with most working during regular school hours and taking two to three months off in the summer.
Schedules for college professors might vary depending on when they are conducting research and teaching students, but they can also take the summers off or decide to offer summer courses.
See Also: National Teachers College Academic Scholarships in 2024
How Much Do Certified Teachers Earn?
Teacher salaries vary widely based on multiple factors, the main one being the state where you live and teach.
Whether you work in a private or public school or you teach summer school, the subject you teach, your experience level, the grade you teach, and the degree you hold are other variables that contribute to teacher salaries.
Securing a job with a great salary is simpler when you have an alumni network across the country. An extensive network provides insight into many teaching jobs and school systems.
For instance, when you graduate from American University, you become part of a diverse network of talented students from over the United States and over 150 countries.
Steps to Becoming a Certified Teacher
The following steps will help you become a certified teacher in 2024.
Step 1 – Refine Your Career Goal
When studying how to prepare lesson plans, teachers-in-training frequently hear this advice, which is the first step in becoming certified teachers: Consider the end when starting.
It’s a wise suggestion for career planning as well. With a clear understanding of your objective, you can know the measures you will need to take to achieve it. So take some time to see yourself as a qualified teacher. What kind of teaching job would you prefer?
Which subject would you like to teach? Who do you intend to teach it to? At what level of education do you want to teach; elementary, middle, or high school? Do you like to be a substitute teacher or manage your own classroom? You can go to the following steps by making these clarifications.
Please choose whether you want to teach a single subject or a variety of them. Multiple-subject teachers are usually elementary school educators who spend the entire school year with a single class of students in a self-contained classroom.
Many special education teachers who work with students with impairments also have qualifications in many subjects.
On the other hand, single-subject teachers work with various student groups and grade levels all year long.
These instructors, who teach elective courses like art, music, physical education, computers, and libraries, are a minority in most elementary schools. However, single-subject teachers predominate in middle and high schools.
Step 2 – Check State Teacher Requirements
You should visit the Department of Education (DOE) web page for the state where you intend to apply for a teaching position because requirements differ from state to state.
Doing this can fulfill the standards without going above and beyond. Finding the data you’re looking for could require some navigation.
Step 3 – Create a Career Plan
You could get easily overwhelmed when you consider all the things you have to accomplish before beginning a career as a teacher.
Make a career plan that outlines everything you must do to achieve the requirements, such as earning a license or finishing a teacher certification course, to help you focus and remain on course.
Your state might offer resources that guide you through the procedure. The tool directs you based on your status, such as whether you’re a high school or college student, have a bachelor’s degree, are changing careers, or are licensed in another state.
See Also: How to Get Missouri Teacher Certification in 2024
Step 4 – Earn Your Undergraduate Degree
You’ll be delighted to know that there are several options available to aspiring teachers if you don’t currently have a four-year degree and are asking what degree you need to be a teacher.
Even though all states demand at least a bachelor’s degree from prospective teachers, they rarely define a particular field of study. You don’t need to have a degree in the subject you want to teach as long as you can show through testing that you are competent in it.
This is especially useful if you are switching from another career to teaching and have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a field other than teaching. You would then need to finish a teacher training course.
To save time, choose a degree and teacher education program related to your career and, if possible, integrate teacher training if you are aware of what you want to teach in advance. PreK–12 teachers frequently hold one of these bachelor’s degrees:
- Early Childhood Education
- Degree in a Specific Content Area
- Elementary Education (primarily for K-5 teachers)
- Special Education
Degrees in specific areas, like math and history, rarely include teacher training, although degrees in education that have received state approval typically do.
Related: Best Degree for a Teacher in 2024: Profesional Advice
Step 5 – Complete a Teacher Preparation Course
You must finish a state-approved teacher training program after receiving your bachelor’s degree if your degree does not include teacher training. These programs teach you how to organize lessons and units of study, deliver lecture material, run a classroom, and other essential skills.
The course and student teaching go hand in hand. For a semester, you assist a local schoolteacher in the classroom and progressively assume some duties of the teacher. You are not paid to teach, but a program supervisor will observe you frequently.
Faster training techniques, however, are gaining popularity. States like California have devised strategies to reduce the time it takes to become a teacher. You can sign up for a teacher intern program depending on where you intend to teach.
This enables you to work in a classroom for four terms as a teacher-of-record and get a teaching income while finishing your studies. Internship programs are advised for people with prior teaching experience because they are more rigorous than student teaching and call for you to run a classroom entirely on your own.
Your program sponsor will award you a teaching certificate once you’ve finished the course, regardless of the teacher training you ultimately go for. This endorsement demonstrates your successful completion of teacher training and your proficiency as a teacher.
Step 6 – Meet Basic Skills and Subject Requirements
One of the final phases is showing to the state that you are qualified to teach and have the foundational abilities and subject-matter expertise. There are several ways to do this, which differ by state.
Basic skills
For the state basic skills requirement, you can take and pass a test – like the MTTC Michigan Teacher Test – which evaluates your comprehension and proficiency in English reading, writing, and basic maths.
Your state ought to provide several choices.
Subject
The subject requirement can be satisfied by taking and passing a test, like the CSET examinations in California, or by finishing a subject program that the state has approved.
So, unless you’re moving in from another state, you won’t require a subject exam if you’ve already completed a university program in the field for which you’ll be certified.
Step 7 – Acquire Your Credential
Keep in mind to check the information on teacher licensure in your state since there can be additional requirements.
For instance, if you still need to complete a teacher preparation program that involves student teaching, California can require a Reading Instruction Competence Assessment.
In California, prospective teachers must also finish a course or pass a test on the U.S. Constitution.
You must apply for the credential after fulfilling all the prerequisites.
You must also send the following besides your application:
- Official transcripts, exam score reports, and other supporting documentation
- Application payment
- Verification that you’ve been fingerprinted
Even though it can take a few weeks for your application to be processed, you can check on its progress online via the state’s credentialing commission.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Certified Teacher?
Typically, it takes someone between four and five years to become a certified teacher. This timeline shows how long it takes to earn the certification to teach at the elementary, middle, or high school levels.
Teachers should also be prepared for further years of study if they intend to get an advanced degree, such as a MAT or a Ph.D. degree in education, depending on the level and type of work they want.
In contrast to a master’s degree, which you can earn in as little as three years, a doctoral degree requires several years.
The time it takes a student to finish their dissertation or research project, which they must defend in front of a panel, can also affect how long they take to get a doctorate in education.
Choosing Your Teaching Degree Program
When choosing a program, you should consider several factors before taking the steps to become a teacher.
As accreditation shows that a college or university can adequately train students for their chosen field, it is essential first to check whether a program is accredited. Your career may suffer if you earn a degree from a non-accredited university.
You should take the curriculum of a program into account as well. All programs will cover teaching fundamentals, but some may include additional in-depth courses focused on a teaching specialty that is pertinent to your interests.
Preference or choice are other factors to consider when looking for a teaching degree. Cost, class size, flexibility, and online versus in-person training are a few examples.
Are you a retired teacher? Check Out 25 Less Stressful Jobs for Retired Teachers.
FAQs
You can work as a teacher with a degree and a state license. Those who want to become teachers must get a license in the state where they intend to work. In all states, the procedures for becoming a teacher are largely the same.
You can work as a teacher with a psychology degree, but you’ll need a state license. Those who want to become teachers must get a license in the state where they intend to work. In all states, the procedures for becoming a teacher are largely the same.
No, an associate’s degree does not qualify you to teach. A bachelor’s degree in education or a closely related discipline is a minimum requirement to become a teacher.
Although it is uncommon, certain private institutions may allow teachers to be hired with merely an associate’s degree.
To become a teacher without a teaching degree, you must complete an alternative teacher preparation program. Typically, these courses lead to a post-graduate certificate or a master’s degree plus licensure and must be approved by the state’s board of education.
To work in early childhood education, you must have an associate’s degree. Most jobs require this, while others favor applicants with bachelor’s degrees in the field.
It would be best if you studied subjects related to a degree in education to become a teacher. Colleges vary in how prospective teachers earn their bachelor’s degrees. Various levels of education certification may require different degree majors.
Conclusion
Teaching is a noble job, but more, it offers the chance to touch people’s lives significantly and to shape how society develops in fields including the government policy, the arts, and scientific research.
This can make becoming a teacher one of the most fulfilling careers. We hope you find our guide on becoming a certified teacher helpful.
References
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