Online Continuing Education Options for Teachers

Teachers never stop going to school. Most states require that a teacher continue their education in order to renew their teaching license. In addition, advancement on the salary scale directly correlates to credits earned. As a teacher in Nevada, I received a raise for 16 and then 32 credits above my bachelor's degree. The master's degree provided the next boost in pay. The final increments came with 16 and 32 credits above my master's. Since teachers have full-time jobs and other obligations, most are looking for viable course options that will fit into their busy schedules. Taking education courses online often fits the bill.

Master's Degree

In more recent years, many of my colleagues opted to get their master's degrees online. This afforded them flexibility with their time. They chose accredited programs such as the Master of Arts in Education through the University of Phoenix online. Don't look for this to be a walk in the park. They tell me their workloads were rigorous, and, naturally, there were deadlines to meet. The advantage was that their coursework was self-directed.

Professional Development

When a teacher isn't working toward a degree, professional development classes are taken to fulfill license requirements and keep up on the latest research and techniques. I took several professional development classes from Fresno Pacific University. Some were distance learning-coursework is mailed to the student, completed and returned to the professor-and some were online classes. There are many colleges that have similar options. I was skeptical when I took the first class. As it turned out, I was pleased with everything except the price (which, of course, I knew beforehand). The cost was more than the local university, but the convenience was important to me at that time. I emailed and spoke by phone to the professors many times. I actually felt as if I had more one-on-one contact than was usually available in a traditional continuing education class.

National Board Certification

Many teachers work toward becoming nationally board-certified. In my school district, this meant a considerable raise each year. A person with national board certification is looked upon, as a general rule, as someone who can meet high and rigorous standards. There are online continuing education courses offered to address this certification by institutions such as National University.

Non-Credit Offerings

Teachers are always looking to expand their horizons and improve upon their instructional methods, even when they're not earning credits. Vast online education is available for teachers to explore. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools Online Workshops offers materials relating to such topics as "Exploring the Nature and Prevention of Bullying" or "School Connectedness and Meaningful Student Participation".