How to Become a Certified Teacher

Teaching is a career that can be extremely rewarding while being incredibly difficult. 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.

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.

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.