How to Become a Teacher: Steps, Education, & Requirements

Many say that teaching is a calling. To follow that calling, read on to learn how to become a teacher. There are many different pathways to teaching, making the journey from college student to certified educator more complex than you might expect.

Our guide will simplify the process and explain each step from start to finish. Read on to learn the steps to becoming a teacher, the education requirements you must meet, as well the different ways you can acquire your teaching certification.

Article Navigation:Why Become a Teacher? | How to Become a Teacher | Requirements by State | Required Education | How to Choose a Teaching Degree | Curriculum | Student Teaching Requirements | Certification Exams |  Alternative Teacher Certification | Endorsements | Professional Resources | Salary & Career Information | FAQs | Conclusion

Why Become a Teacher?

You might want to become an educator for many different reasons. If you like teaching, becoming a teacher is a natural fit. For those that enjoy a set routine, enjoy the school environment, and want to enjoy the summer break you get each year, then this is an excellent career choice!

To make sure a teaching career is right for you, it’s important to gain experience in a school environment. You can volunteer at a school. Depending on the school district’s rules, you could also shadow a teacher or become a substitute teacher.

That all said, there’s a lot to consider before becoming a teacher.

How to Become a Teacher

Becoming a teacher takes 5-6 years and requires education, experience, and certification before you can begin applying to jobs. Each step, and its alternative, will be broken down and discussed in depth in this article.

Step 1 – Check Your State’s Teacher Certification Requirements

Requirements differ slightly from state to state. It’s best to understand the requirements in your state before choosing your education path. That way you can ensure that you select a degree program that will meet your needs.

Step 2 – Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

The classic education route is to earn a bachelor’s degree. You can either earn a bachelor’s degree in education, in which case you’ll acquire your certification along the way, or get a bachelor’s degree in another subject and finish your certification with a teacher prep program.

Step 3 – Complete Student Teaching

Next, you’ll gain hands-on experience, typically between 12 and 16 weeks, as a student teacher. However, some programs require you to have up to a year of student teaching experience.

Step 4 – Pass Certification Exam(s)

Lastly, you’ll need to take your state’s certification test like the Praxis. Requirements vary by state; check out your state’s department of education to learn about the state-specific teacher requirements.

Teacher Requirements by State

Public school teachers must be certified or licensed in a particular grade level before practicing professionally in all states. You’ll need to meet requirements outlined by the state you intend to teach in. The requirements vary but the most states require:

• A bachelor’s degree in education OR the completion of a state-approved teaching education program, which you can complete if you already have a bachelor’s in another subject. A teaching education program is an accelerated program that can typically be completed in under two years and which includes student teaching practice opportunities. This is also known as alternative teacher certification.
• Pass a criminal background check through the FBI and at the state level.
• Complete the required number of student teaching hours.
• Pass the certification exam(s) including the Praxis.

Note: Most states require you to complete a state-approved “teacher prep program.” In many cases, accredited bachelor’s in education programs count as teacher prep programs.

Check the U.S. Department of Education to see what the education requirements for a teacher are in your state. Understanding these requirements will help you to select the right degree.

It’s helpful to note that depending on your state, a teaching license may be the same as a teaching certificate or vice versa. For example, Michigan requires educators to earn teaching certificates. Wisconsin requires educators to earn teaching licenses. Most states have you earn a license, however.

The best way to understand how to become a teacher is to look at some specific state requirements…

How to Become a Teacher in Texas

In Texas, for example, you must:

• Obtain a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and from a school that is recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
• Complete an educator prep program (may count as your bachelor’s in education)
• Pass Texas certification exams
• Submit a state application
• Complete a fingerprinting process

How to Become a Teacher in California

In California, you must complete the following requirements:

• Earn a bachelor’s degree
• Complete an accredited teacher prep program
• Have 600 hours of student teaching experience
• Pass a background check and a fingerprint session
• Take California licensure tests
• Complete a course or test based on the principles of the U.S. Constitution
• Earn a recommendation from someone in your prep program

What is Reciprocity?

What if you want to move to another state but still work as a practicing educator? In that case, you have to meet the requirements for certification in your new state of residence. If the state is part of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, NASDTEC, you could qualify for reciprocity: a principle that allows licensure in one state to count as licensure in another state. If the state you are moving to does not participate in reciprocity, then you will need to meet the certification requirements in your new state.

Education Required to Become a Teacher

The first step to becoming a teacher is a bachelor’s degree. You can earn your bachelor’s degree online or in person, and you can earn an education degree or a degree in another major.

What Degree Do You Need to be a Teacher?

To become an educator, you need a bachelor’s degree, at a minimum. However, there are a number of different types of teaching degrees that will qualify you to begin this career. Your bachelor’s degree does not need to be an education degree – in fact, it just needs to be any bachelor’s degree. But, getting a bachelor's in education is the most common degree choice because you’ll:

• Learn specific subjects and topics related to instructing students
• Complete your student teaching time as part of your program
• Acquire certification at the end of your program

Put simply, a bachelor's in elementary or secondary education (6-12) is a streamlined, straightforward path to teaching, whereas another degree requires you to take extra steps to get your certification (like completing a state approved teacher prep program).

Is a Master’s Degree Necessary?

A master’s degree is not necessary to become an educator. However, a master’s in education or teaching can be an alternative path to certification if you do not possess a bachelor’s degree in education. Furthermore, a master’s in education or a related topic may allow you to pursue school administrative positions later in your career. Not to mention, a graduate degree will also make you a more competitive hire relative to other candidates, and it frequently correlates with a higher salary, even if you’re just starting out in your career.

Can You Complete Teacher Education Requirements Online?

Yes! The steps to become a teacher online are similar to those participating in an in-person program. These days, you can get the bachelor’s degree needed to be an educator online. However, you will need to acquire some in-person student teaching experience no matter what. Because of this, you cannot become an educator solely through online education. You’ll need to arrange things at a local school to acquire student teaching time if you choose to earn your degree online. And all candidates must complete a certification test for their state of residence in order to acquire their license(s).

How to Choose a Teaching Degree

There’s a lot to consider when choosing the right teaching degree. The most important factor is whether or not your bachelor’s degree includes a teacher preparation program. In order for your bachelor’s degree to fulfill teacher certification requirements, it must be from a regionally accredited college or university, approved by your state’s board, and include teacher prep. Most bachelor’s in education are designed for this purpose and will include teacher prep either at the same time undergraduate coursework is completed or after. Some other factors to consider are detailed below…

Accreditation

Accreditation is the most important thing to consider when choosing a teaching degree program. It indicates that a program is academically rigorous and provides you with up-to-date knowledge about your chosen subject. In a practical context, an accredited teacher certification program is trusted by educational institutions and future employers, such as public schools or colleges. The college or university you choose must hold regional accreditation to be accepted by state licensing boards.

In additional to verifying your chosen school holds regional accreditation, programmatic accreditation, which is granted to individual degree programs, offers an additional level of prestige. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is the top degree-specific accreditation for teaching programs. They accredit both on-campus and online teaching and education degrees. View CAEP accredited online K-12 education degrees in GetEducated’s cost rankings.

Online vs. On-Campus

You can also select between two types of degree programs: online or on-campus. Online programs are oftentimes more flexible, but you may not benefit from as many peer or professor networking connections. Remember, your student teaching practice hours, which are required for completing an education degree and acquiring licensure, must be completed in person and at a local school. If you decide to take an online degree, you’ll need to contact and work with a local school in your area to get your student teaching hours under your belt.

Cost & Financial Aid

Then you should consider cost and financial aid. A four-year education degree will cost anywhere between $20,000 and $50,000, on average, from start to finish. You can lower this cost by pursuing scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid.

Prospective educators can take advantage of many different financial aid opportunities. For example, TEACH Grants are offered by the U.S. Department of Education and are intended to help students become educators. These grants have service obligations that require you to work as a teacher for four years within eight years after graduating. You could also look into specific scholarships or grants offered by organizations like the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, which offers a one-time $10,000 scholarship each year for future math educators.

Don’t forget to think about other financial aid offers and loans. At a minimum, fill out your application for the FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Perkins Loans and PLUS Loans represent alternative financial avenues for you to lower the monetary burden your education places on you for becoming a teacher.

Other Factors to Consider

Aside from those factors, be sure to consider things like student support resources, the format of your lessons, and where your program is located. The location of your program is an important factor in your student teaching experience and the certification process.

What College Courses are Needed to Become a Teacher?

Most teaching degree programs have similar curriculums that cover core classes and require you to select a minor and complete practical experience in a classroom working as a student teacher or teacher’s aide.

Selecting a Major & Minor

While you can earn a bachelor’s degree with a non-education major and an education minor, an education major is the best choice if you want to complete your requirements as fast as possible. When opting for an education major, consider the level and age of the students you wish to teach. Here is a breakdown of the different levels and ages of students.

The first three levels in the above table have a broader curriculum that caters to a younger population. Educators for these levels have to teach multiple subjects to younger children. Individuals interested in teaching elementary students usually have a degree in elementary education.

However, in middle school and high school, teachers focus and specialize in a particular subject area like social science, geography, or biology in order to deliver a more in-depth learning experience. Therefore, if you want to instruct at these grade levels, simply select a major in the subject area you want to teach. Instructors for certain areas like the foreign languages, English as a Second Language (ESL), mathematics and chemistry are typically in high demand.

Common Coursework

Teaching degree programs will include classes covering topics such as:

• Lesson plan creation
• Philosophies and techniques
• Instructing students with special needs
• Curriculum development classes
• General education classes, which are required for all bachelor’s degree programs
• Introductory psychology and/or sociology courses
• The history of education
• Learning theories
• Basic or generalized and differentiated teaching methods
• Cultural competence classes to assist educators in working with students of diverse backgrounds
• Children’s literature and language developed classes
• Specific subject or age-level classes, such as sixth-grade math classes, seventh-grade science classes, etc.

In these courses, you’ll learn how to educate students based on established methodologies and techniques. You’ll also learn how to develop lesson plans, how to organize your classroom, and how to command the attention of a busy group of students. As for the subject-based classes, these classes are about how to instruct a particular subject rather than the raw materials themselves (which you will be expected to already know).

Western Governors University offers an online science education degree that can be completed within 31 months. Its classes include eight professional core courses focusing on topics like emotional learning, diversity and inclusion, and incorporating technology in the classroom.

Classroom Experience

As you earn your degree, you’ll have a different classroom experience based on whether you attend an online or in-person university. Note that both types of programs will require you to get in-person experience to earn your license.

With an online program, much of your work (if not all of it) may be able to be completed asynchronously. You may have access to recorded lectures and online resources, such as group chat lobbies. Depending on the program or class, you may be required to digitally “sit in” to a videoconferencing lecture. While you may not meet your professors or classmates in person, you will be expected to communicate and collaborate with them online in many ways. In contrast, an in-person program will offer a more traditional classroom experience where you sit for classes and can network and collaborate with your peers.

Student Teaching Requirements

Completing student teaching experience requirements is the next step to become a teacher. Most teaching programs require 12-16 weeks of student teaching, however some require up to a year. Before you enroll in a teaching degree, make sure you understand if student teaching experience is included in the program and if it meets your state’s certification requirements.

What is Student Teaching?

Student teaching is a cooperative experience where you start by assisting licensed educators in their classrooms and possibly run your own class towards the end of your posting. You’ll handle all the day-to-day duties of teaching a class, such as creating lessons, carrying out those lessons, and grading papers. In most cases, student teaching takes place at the end of your program, so you already have the academic knowledge needed to run a classroom. You will be evaluated by your supervising teacher and your program professors.

This hands-on experience takes place at local public schools or colleges in your area. For instance, if you’re earning an elementary education degree, you’ll complete your student teaching experience at a local elementary school.

Alternatives to Student Teaching

Depending on your chosen program, your certification program could accept alternative experiences or qualifications instead of student teaching. For instance, if you previously worked at a private or charter school as a teacher or substitute teacher, that experience could count as alternative certification teaching experience or qualify as student teaching credits. Be sure to speak with your program’s administrators to acquire about this topic if you think you have alternative experiences that may allow you to skip student teaching.

Teacher Certification Exams

Lastly, you’ll need to take your state’s certification test to become a teacher. There’s no one single test to become a teacher but there are many commonalities between states.

Praxis Exam

The main tests to become a teacher are the Praxis exams. There are multiple Praxis exams, such as a general test, and specific tests on particular subject areas, like math or biology.

The first exam is the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Praxis Core test). It is used by most schools as the entrance exam for Bachelor of Education programs. This exam assesses your skills in reading, writing, and math. You’ll take this test early in your program. The Praxis Core test is comprised of 152 questions and two essays. You must pass this exam to continue with your bachelor’s education program.

Meanwhile, the Praxis Subject Assessments are used to determine your readiness for state certification in the subjects in which you want to teach. For instance, if you want to teach secondary social studies, you must take the Praxis Subject Assessment for social studies. Both the Core Praxis and Subject Assessment tests are taken via computer.

Then there’s the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching or PLT exam, which assesses your understanding of instructional theory and student learning techniques. You may have to take the Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching or CKT test. This measures specialized content and subject area content for instructing students in the elementary grades.

Exam Structure & Cost

The more specific Praxis tests, such as the Subject Assessments, are comprised of fewer than 100 questions (the math test is 56 questions, for example), and some, like the English test, require essays as well. Each of the Praxis tests takes a few hours to complete from start to finish. You must pass these exams to earn your state license.

It is essential to study for the Praxis tests well ahead of time, as they take some time to complete and require you to pay a fee each time you take them. The Praxis Core test and each Subject Assessment cost $90 each. Alternatively, you can pay $150 for a combined test of two tests. You can take the tests as many times as you need. Although, you will need to wait 29 days before retaking the exams, reregister and pay the exam fee each time you take the exams. Therefore, it is best to be prepared and ready to take them.

Alternative Teacher Certification

The above process is the traditional route to teaching certification. However, there are some alternative certification teaching routes you can investigate.

For example, the Teach for America program is an alternative certification route in over 25 states. This may enable you to acquire your license if you have real-world job experience that qualifies you to teach at the professional level. There’s also the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence, which provides online alternative teacher prep programs in 11 states. There are also location-specific programs, such as the Academy for Urban School Leadership in Chicago. This type of program is perfect for prospective educators who want to help at-risk students and teach in the area where the program is run.

Three common scenarios where you might want to choose an alternative teacher certification program are detailed below:

How to Get a Teaching Certificate if You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree

Can You Minor in Education and Become a Teacher?

Yes. However, you will still need to meet the required teaching qualifications. In order to do so, you will need to complete a teaching education program (which can take up to two years, somewhat like an accelerated certificate program) and/or complete some student teaching practice hours under the supervision of a licensed educator in order to take your own certification exam.

I have a Master’s Degree; How do I Become a Teacher?

It depends what your master’s is in. If your master’s is not in education or teaching, you can still become an educator by taking a state-approved educator prep program, then applying for state licensure and taking the relevant Praxis tests.

What Are Teaching Endorsements?

As you progress your skills, you may wish to pursue teaching endorsements as well. Teaching endorsements are proven statements of your skills or expertise in one subject or area.

For instance, if you have an English as a second language endorsement, you have additional qualifications that may mark you as having exceptional skills in teaching English as a second language to non-native English speakers.

Some positions require you to have one or more endorsements. Special education teachers, for example, oftentimes need to have special licenses, pass additional tests and hold teaching endorsements proving they are qualified and have the knowledge to educate special needs students, such as students on the autism spectrum.

Professional Organizations, Associations, & Resources

As an aspiring educator, you may benefit from checking out the below professional resources and organizations as you move through your career.

• National Education Association, the biggest educator labor union in the US and the largest labor union overall. It represents US public school educators and related support staff in labor disputes and salary negotiations.
• National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, NASDTEC, is a professional membership organization that represents state education department and professional educational boards and commissions. This organization prepares, licenses, and disciplines educational personnel from K-12.
• National Council on Teacher Quality, a 2000 think tank that evaluates, researches, and offers guidance on teacher preparation topics, pay, quality, and similar subjects.

Teacher Salary

Your salary as an educator may vary depending on what grade levels you teach. For example, kindergarten and elementary school educators earn an average salary of $61,350 per year. Meanwhile, middle school teachers earn about $61,320 per year. High school educators have the highest average salaries at $61,820 per year. Note that all public school educators earn about the same amount of money.

Public school educator salaries are impacted by local taxes and laws – meanwhile, private schools can pay however much they like, so they may offer high, competitive salaries to attract the best educators for their students. By the same token, however, private schools often rely on donations or other income sources, which may not be as consistent as tax funding.

What Type Of Teachers Are In Demand?

All education jobs are projected to grow in the near future by up to 5% over the next ten years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are at least 77,400 high school teaching job openings each year. However, keep in mind that some niches like math, science, and ESL are underpopulated and offer less competition than others. These high-demand jobs often require particular expertise or extra certifications. Seniority also plays a major role in what jobs are available to you; the longer you are an educator, the more desirable jobs you’ll find open.

FAQs

What do you need to become a teacher?

To meet the required qualifications, you need a bachelor’s degree, as well as having completed a state-approved educator prep program. Then you have to complete certification tests and acquire your license.

What type of degree do you need to be a teacher?

You need at least a bachelor’s degree to become an educator. However, it does not have to be in education.

How many years does it take to become a teacher?

From start to finish, it will take between five and six years to become a school teacher, which gives you enough time to acquire a degree, then get student teaching experience, and finally earn your license in your state of residence.

How to get a teaching job

First, find out the requirements for the particular state where you want to work. Remember that every state has its own requirements, and to qualify, you need the correct teaching credentials. Next, consider locations that have a higher demand for educators. For example, high needs schools in some rural and urban areas have difficulty attracting and retaining educators and therefore may have more openings available to new graduates. You can also apply to open positions on job boards such as Indeed and reach out to contacts you’ve made in college.

Become a Teacher Today!

Summing up, you now know how to become a teacher from start to finish, including getting your educational credentials and acquiring your certification. With the right drive and ambition, you can become an educator in a handful of years and set yourself up for a rewarding, productive career guiding the next generation.

Even better, you can choose between many high-quality online programs. GetEducated’s school catalog and other resources can help you find the right online program for your needs. Check them out today!