Becoming a Teacher: The Path to a Career in Education
by Becoming a teacher is something that most people have at least considered at some point in their career-choosing process.
To the newcomer, the seemingly endless list of tasks, tests, college credits, internships, and certification requirements can be daunting – especially in light of the less-than-motivating US average salary for an elementary school teacher (which is barely over $40,000 [http://www.payscale.com/research/US/All_K-12_Teachers/Salary ]). If you are up for the challenge though, the tips below will save you a lot of time, frustration, and confusion.
Decide if you want to teach at the elementary level (grades K-5) or the secondary level (grades 9-12). Both levels overlap for grades 6-8. If you teach at the elementary level, your program will focus on education in general, and will cover all subjects generally. If you want to teach at the secondary level, your education program will be specialized in the subject you are going to teach (science, math, art, etc.)
Start earning a Bachelor’s degree. You must have a bachelor’s degree to be fully certified as a teacher in any state (some sates require a masters). The degree does not have to be in education, but if you are just starting college and you know you want to be a teacher, you should enroll in an education program.
Which state do you want to teach in? A teaching certificate is not transferable from state to state, although some states will allow a temporary exception (if you are certified in one of the cooperating states) while you update your certification in the new state. Your teaching experience (and salary) will vary widely depending on which state you choose to teach in.
On the Internet, search for the “_____(enter state here)_____ state department of education” website for the state you want to teach in. Use the menu on the website to navigate to a document that lists the certification requirements for your desired area of certification. Do this while you are still in school. That way you’ll have some direction and purpose to what you are doing.
Here is what you can expect the requirements to be in most states: (1) A bachelor’s degree, (2) A successful student-teaching experience (this is a required part of most accredited teacher education programs), (3) Fingerprint/background check, and (4) Passing score on one or more state-issued subject knowledge and professional knowledge tests.
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