Know Your State Teacher Certification Requirements Before Choosing an Online Teaching Program

State teacher certification requirements varyexperience and may only be required to take the
from state to state, and even region to region,courses necessary to complete certification. Of
so before pursuing a teaching degree it iscourse, the availability and accessibility of alternate
important to know the qualifications andpathways varies across the country. For example,
requirements for your area. Teaching is a nobleAlabama offers a specific program known as
calling that brings with it many rewards; however,Troops to Teachers, designed for members of
the journey from making the decision to proudlythe military wishing to pursue a second career,
holding the degree involves a complex andColorado opens their programs to non-residents,
sometimes confusing process. Do some extensiveand Connecticut's programs are extremely
research before committing to any program. Youcompetitive in comparison to their more traditional
do not want to waste money on unnecessaryroutes. Many states recognize online degrees, but
courses or make costly mistakes because youyou need to confirm credit requirements and
were misinformed. By knowing where you wantaccess to work experience.
to teach and becoming familiar with the rules andExams and Tests: In most states, you must pass
procedures, you can realize your dream and learna series of compulsory tests and exams in order
to shape the minds of others without losing yourto complete certification; however, state testing
own.requirements vary. Such tests could include basic
Generally, all states require you to have at least askill assessments, proficiency testing (Praxis I and
bachelor's degree to achieve certification. If youII) or performance evaluations.
plan to teach at the elementary level, the focusAdditional Requirements: While pursuing a teaching
of your study may be rather general, such ascareer always begins with a bachelor's degree, in
child development or education. If, however, yousome states this is not enough. Check the
wish to teach at the secondary level, your degreenecessary requirements in your home state and
will need to be in a particular subject area such asmake sure you understand the minimum level of
English, Math, Science, or History. Also, in additioneducation for certification. Some states, such as
to course work, all states require you toNew York, require a master's degree to be
accumulate a certain number of hours in teachingcompleted within a defined period of time before
and classroom experience, and to passprofessional certification is granted. Also, check
mandatory tests and exams.with the state and ask if you are expected to
Unfortunately, that is where the similarities end.complete course work in computer technology as
So, if you have a bachelor's degree and you arethis is often one of the state teacher certification
considering a career in teaching, you should speakrequirements. Additionally, the number of hours of
with various boards of education and beginteaching experience needed, as well as the
investigating the specific qualifications needed toparticulars defining it, varies from state to state.
achieve certification.Some states are fully reciprocal, meaning that if
Alternate Pathways: Many states offeryou are changing locations you are eligible to
non-traditional licensing programs or alternativetransfer your certification without beginning the
routes to acquiring a teaching degree. Theseprocess all over again. If you already have a
programs facilitate career changes or allow forlicense in one state but wish to acquire a teaching
quick certification, particularly in areas where thedegree elsewhere, familiarizing yourself with the
need for teachers is high. In these cases, youreciprocity agreements could save you a lot of
may receive credit for past studies or worktime and hassle.