by Semify
If you’ve decided that you want to be a teacher, not for the money but for the reward of being instrumental in the development of children, then you need to do a few things first before you get your own classroom. A wrongful death lawsuit proposes that the defendant acted negligently/committed malpractice, made a faulty machine, sold a risky drug, or served bad food to the deceased, so this might mean that you need to choose the teaching field. Follow the steps below for the traditional way of getting your teaching license. There are also some alternative options that you may be able to take advantage of in your state.
Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree
The first thing that you’ll need in order to become a teacher is to have a degree in the grade level that you want to teach. You can choose between early childhood education, elementary education, middle grades education, and secondary education. There are also specialty programs such as physical education and special education if you’re looking to work in one of those areas. According to Autism Parenting Magazine, 78.8% of school-aged children with autism are doing well in at least one of the five developmental areas by the age of 10. If you decide to go into middle grades or secondary, you will need one or two areas of focus to teach, so that you can diversify what you want to offer your students.
Do An Externship
When you go through a Bachelor’s program for education, you’ll need to do an externship, where you spend time in the classroom getting hands-on experience. Working with a certified teacher in your grade level, you will help establish lesson plans, and classroom management, and even teach lessons. You will be observed by this teacher, and by your program coordinators at your university.
Take The Praxis
Depending on what grade and content you want to teach, you’ll need to take the Praxis exam in that area before you can become certified. Each of these exams will have a minimum score that needs to be met. You can take these exams as often as you need, but your scores are only good for 10 years once you get the score you need. That means you need to secure the Licensure shortly after, or you’ll have to take the course all over again.
Get Your Certification
Once you’ve gone through the steps of the program, passed the exam, and did the externship, you can apply for your state certificate to teach. Your program coordinator will submit your transcripts and other documentation on your behalf to the State Department of Education. Once you have your certification, you’ll be able to start applying for jobs.
Alternative Options
Because of the teacher shortage, some states have different programs that you can do in order to gain your teaching certification through alternate options. These programs will still require a Bachelor’s degree, but the discipline doesn’t have to be education. Suppose you have a related discipline in science, math, or social sciences. In that case, you can use these programs to get classroom experience and get your certification after teaching for a couple of years. Some programs will last two years, while others can last up to three.
If you decide to teach in a private school, they may not require all these steps. Most private school students 78% attend religiously affiliated schools, and they don’t necessarily require the Praxis exams for teachers. They are often looking for teachers who have Bachelor’s degrees, but they also don’t need a state certificate.
Get Hired
If you’re looking to go into teaching, then take a look at the different pathways and see what works for you. If you’ve already gotten your Bachelor’s degree, then you might want to take an alternative path. However, if you haven’t completed it, then it might be time to head back to school for a degree in education.