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Unit 1 You—The Teacher of Tomorrow
and any other state requirements (Figure 2.4).
In many states, students can complete a
bachelor’s degree and approved teacher
education program within four years. Some
states, however, require one or two years of
education courses after completing a bachelor’s
degree.
A certified teacher receives a teaching
license or teaching certificate from his or her
state. This official document verifies for schools
that the person is qualified to teach at specific
grade levels or in particular subject areas. For
example, teachers have a license to teach at the
early childhood level, the elementary grades,
the middle grades, or secondary school. A
teaching license may also list a specific subject
area qualification, such as music. Not all private
schools require teachers to have a teaching
license, but most do.
College and university teacher education
programs usually correlate to the licensing
requirements of their state. What if you plan
to teach in a state other than where you go to
college? It is important to know the specific
requirements of the state in which you will be
teaching as early as possible. You can work with
your advisor to develop a plan. States often have reciprocal agreements
with some other states regarding teaching licenses or certifications. This
means that they agree to honor teaching credentials issued in another
state with which they have an agreement.
States issue teaching licenses for a specific time period. At the
end of this period, teachers must renew their licenses. States typically
require teachers to document additional education or training for license
renewal. Some require teachers to eventually obtain a master’s degree,
such as a Master of Education. This is a graduate degree and requires
the equivalent of one or two years of full-time course work. Many teachers
begin working on their master’s degrees part-time shortly after they begin
teaching.
If your goal is to teach at the college level, you may need to complete
a master’s degree to teach at the community college level. This degree is
usually not in education, but in a particular subject area or specialization.
To teach at a four-year college or university, a doctoral degree may be a
requirement. This, too, is usually in a specialized area.
Figure 2.4 After successfully completing
your student teaching, earning a bachelor’s
or advanced degree, and meeting state
requirements, you can become a certifi ed
teacher.