One of the most rewarding, important careers that you could choose is teaching. As a teacher, you will help to educate your students and prepare them for the future, hopefully giving them the foundation that they need for a successful life. However, like most professions, there are certain requirements that you will have to meet before starting your teaching career, the most important of which is earning a teaching degree.
Every state in the country requires its teachers to earn a degree before they can be hired, and learning about these degrees is a great way to start on the path towards becoming a teacher.
Basic Degrees
There are some basic degrees that you can work towards that may make you eligible for entry-level teaching careers. For example, if you are not quite sure if you want to be a teacher but are interested in education, you could pursue an Associate’s degree in education. Completing this two-year degree will give you an idea if education is the right career choice for you and can make you eligible for jobs like being a teacher’s aide or a substitute teacher.
The other type of basic degree that you could achieve is a Bachelor’s degree in education. These are four-year degrees that will teach you the basic skills needed to be a teacher. Many Bachelor’s degrees also contain practical sections where you will get hands-on teaching experience. Almost every state requires at least a Bachelor’s degree to be hired as a teacher. A four-year degree can allow you to teach Elementary School and sometimes High School.
Advanced Degrees
If you are interested in teaching higher education, such as college, or wish to someday work in school administration, then you should consider pursuing an advanced degree in education. This will usually either be a Master’s degree or a Doctoral degree.
While these programs can take several years to complete, they will teach you advanced educational concepts that will open up new and exciting career opportunities and can increase your pay level. Many teachers pursue these advanced degrees after having completed a basic degree and gained a few years of teaching experience.
The Importance of Certification
When you are considering enrolling in an education degree program, there is one important factor that many prospective teachers fail to consider: accreditation. To earn a state certification to teach, you will almost always need to demonstrate that you’ve earned an education degree from an accredited university. This ensures that you have received the proper training and that you were held to high educational standards during the course of your degree.
Universities that offer education degrees are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Although an educational program will often make it clear that they are CAEP accredited, you should be sure to ask for proof of accreditation before enrolling in any program.
If you are interested in becoming a teacher, you need to first earn a teaching degree. Enrolling in an education degree program will qualify you to work as a teacher in most states, allowing you to enter this crucial and exciting career.