Saturday, September 11, 2010

Teacher Certification Programs - How to become licensed to teach in public schools

Teacher online accreditation programs are designed for individuals who have obtained a Bachelor's degree, and wish to qualify for teacher certification, at the elementary or secondary level, in the state in which they want to profess. The teacher certification programs are also suitable for those who hold a Bachelor's degree in a field other than education, but would like to change careers to teaching, as well as for temporary or substitute teachers who wish to earn a formal certification. 

All certifying institutions require at least a college degree and the completion of proper education courses, experience in teaching and passage of an approved exam. Teacher certification programs will provide you the proper teaching credentials, i.e. the license conferred by a state agency to teachers after the successful completion of certain state- mandated requirements - education courses and student teaching experience -, as well as passing additional state- mandated examinations. 

When browsing for the best teacher certification programs, keep in mind that each state has its own requirements for teacher licensure, but all states require a Bachelor's degree. Moreover, more and more states now require prospective teachers to hold a Master's degree, or earn one in the first five years of teaching. Teacher certification programs will grant you the proper credentials to teach either a specific grade level or a particular subject matter. Before applying to any of the teacher certification programs, check with your state's Department of Education in order to find out all the options and requirements they set, so as to choose the appropriate type of teaching credentials to pursue. Aspirant teachers can earn a certification either for the state they wish to teach in, or a national certification, accepted in all fifty of the United States. 

Teacher certification programs will vary according to your interests and professional goals, as follows:

- Programs offering teacher certification by grade level

An elementary school teacher can teach a wide variety of subjects, therefore the credentials are usually generalist. Middle school teachers can either be generalist, or specialize in a specific subject. There are different teacher certification programs offering certifications that cover all typical grade levels, qualifying aspirants for careers as an early childhood teacher (kindergarten through third grade), elementary teacher (kindergarten through sixth grade) or middle class teacher (grades five through nine);

- Teacher certification for secondary education

After the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2006, in order to teach older students (grades seven through twelve), a teacher must prove to be highly qualified to teach their chosen matters, therefore one has to obtain teacher certification for secondary education in addition to one or more subject area endorsements. If your undergraduate major doesn't meet the requirements of a teaching endorsement, you can take specific courses and exams in order to qualify. 

- Teacher certification for specific subject areas

A teaching career can be either age-focused, or subject-focused, as reading specialists, school counselors or speech therapists. For subject-focused teaching, there are certifications for a special education teacher (K-12), reading specialist (K-12), school nurse (K-12) or others. 

If you wish to pursue a career as a public school teacher, you can earn the proper license either traditionally, or online, through several teacher certification programs. Consider your interests and possibilities, as well as your state's specific requirements for certification, and find the programs that suit you best. If you want to learn more, check http://www.teacheraccreditation.com/.

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