Become a Teacher – Overview

The majority of teachers are primary and secondary school teachers. They generally choose a specific grade level or area of specialty in which to teach. Teachers are responsible for planning and then evaluating student performance. They are then responsible for promoting growth through providing additional assistance and meeting with parents and school staff to discuss student development and ways to improve current teaching methods to better suit students.

It is a teacher’s daunting task to add life to their student’s school day by generating interest in all subject areas, even those that can be tedious for most students. They work to create lesson plans tailored to their students’ level of cognitive ability and interests. Nowadays, teachers are working to move away from traditional methods of teaching and using more creative and abstract ways of presenting topics to their classes.

It is important that they have a good sense of humor and the ability to think like their students. They must also be comfortable dealing with a wide variety of personality types and ability levels, while still treating all their students equally.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia require public school teachers to be licensed, whereas licensure is not required for private school teachers. Teaching licenses are given by the State board of education or an advisory committee. Requirements vary depending on the state, but all states require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree and to have completed an approved training program. It normally takes about 5 years to receive your bachelor’s degree in elementary or secondary education. Approximately one third of all states require that teachers complete training in technology as part of their certification process. In addition, some states have strict minimum grade point averages for teaching licensure, and others even require teachers to have a master’s degree in education, which takes at least one year longer to obtain than the bachelor’s degree. The majority of states require candidates be tested for basic skills such as reading, writing, teaching, and subject matter of choice.

States have requirements for teachers concerning continuing education and renewal of licensure. In addition, many states offer alternative teacher licensure programs for people who have bachelor’s degrees in the subject they wish to teach, but do not have the coursework required for a teaching license. The programs are meant to attract recent grads and career changing individuals into the profession of teaching.

According to TeacherLinkUSA, New Jersey currently pays its public schoolteachers the highest average salary in the nation, $53,280, with South Dakota coming in last at $30,260.