A factor that many people don’t realize when considering a career in teaching is that teaching is a broad category. This means that many teachers work in specialized areas. These can include different education disciplines like English as a Second Language (ESL), Special Education and Adult Education.
If you’re interested in teaching in one of these specialized areas, your first and most important step will be to earn a specialized teaching degree. A specialized teaching degree will give you the training that you need to work in any of the previously mentioned fields or any other special teaching category. Learn more about specialized teaching degrees and find out your options for pursuing this interesting and rewarding educational career path.
Skills You Need to Be a Specialized Teacher
As a specialized teacher, you will be working with students that often have different needs than typical school students. This means that being a specialized teacher requires an advanced skill set that very few people possess. For example, a specialized teacher must be an excellent communicator, particularly if they work in ESL or Special Education.
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While communication is perhaps the most important skill for a specialized teacher, it isn’t the only skill they need to develop. Other skills necessary for a career as a specialized teacher include patience, attention to detail and the ability to explain difficult concept in an easily understood manner.
Becoming a Specialized Teacher
If you want a career as a specialized teacher, the most important thing that you can do is to get training in a specialized teaching degree program. Fortunately, this isn’t as difficult as you might imagine. The majority of Bachelor’s degrees in education allow you to specialize your training. This easily allows you to get the training that you need to become a specialized teacher.
For example, if you’re interested in becoming an ESL teacher, you may take courses like English Language Learning in addition to the general courses provided by your BA. In addition to your specialized courses, every Bachelor’s degree will require that you take general education courses like science, history and math.
Steps to Take After Your Specialized Teaching Degree
After you’ve completed your specialized teaching degree at the Bachelor’s level, there are several ways that you can proceed. If you’re interested in starting your teaching career, you can apply for your teaching license or certificate. Every state has its own certification requirements, so you should be sure to refer to the Department of Education in whatever state you intend to work.
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However, if you’re interested in improving your career prospect you could consider an advanced degree. Many specialized teaching degrees can be continued at the Master’s or Doctorate level, and earning either of these degrees can increase your future earnings and job availability.
BLS Career Numbers
One of the main concerns for many entering a specialized teaching field is what their future earnings might be. Fortunately, you can get an idea of your prospective salary by reading the numbers provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Your pay as a specialized teacher will depend at what level you teach. For instance, the BLS stated that high school teachers working in 2015 made a median salary of $57,200. During the same period, elementary school teachers earned $54,500. If your specialized field is adult education, you can potentially earn $50,280 per year.