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Guide to College Majors in Teaching Licensure

The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.
--Anatole France

Facing the Challenge

America faces a tremendous shortage of qualified teachers. Yet, so many of us who possess compelling life experiences cannot set foot in a classroom because we have not earned an official teaching license from the state in which we live. As a result, we tolerate large class sizes in our schools and fewer opportunities for our children to receive the kind of individual attention that helps them achieve success.

Therefore, a number of forward-thinking colleges and universities now offer stand-alone teacher licensure programs. This certification track offers potential teachers who have college degrees in other fields to quickly gain the key skills that states require for licensure.

What do Teaching Licensure majors actually study?

Because teaching licensure majors have usually completed an undergraduate degree in another field, most of these degree programs focus on the specific skills required by state licensing exams for new teachers. Students pursuing a bachelor's degree in teacher licensure study their area of focus in great depth, in order to pass that learning along to their pupils. Professionals making career changes will focus mainly on the most important skills they need to navigate their transition to education.

Online degree programs that confer licensure have become increasingly popular, particularly among working professionals who can't quit their jobs to enroll in a full-time, on-campus program. All teaching licensure candidates participate in mandatory, hands-on student teaching experiences; online degree candidates can often accomplish these requirements by performing a residency at a school close to them. Some schools offer short residency programs at their home campuses, where program participants can connect in real time to benefit from collaborations and networking.

What kinds of courses make up a Teaching Licensure degree?

Curriculum Design and Assessment

Prospective teachers learn how to develop effective lesson plans using textbooks, videos, lectures, field trips, and their own experience. They also develop skills to measure the impact of their lessons (regardless of how pupils fared on their report cards). Mid-career changers also learn to translate the success of their past career experience into engaging classroom content. Because younger students respond so well to new ways of learning, curriculum design classes also focus on innovations in teaching techniques. These courses help prospective teachers build their toolkits for future success in the classroom.

Contemporary Education Issues

Teacher licensure majors get a glimpse of what awaits them by studying the issues that face today's professional educators. Students in these courses look at the impact of tax funding on school systems, as well as the ways that federal mandates and educational reform campaigns change the learning landscape.

Human Development

During these courses, prospective teachers discover the genetic and biological factors that influence how we learn. By taking these facts into consideration, new teachers can understand more fully why certain teaching techniques work more effectively than others. Teaching licensure majors also examine the ways that ethnic diversity can impact learning.

Classroom Experience

Every candidate for teacher certification must undergo a rigorous evaluation of his or her classroom skills. In order to prepare for solo teaching assignments, teacher licensure candidates work as student teachers and as teaching assistants in real, working classrooms. Master teachers evaluate their progress and coach them on the fine points of teacher-student interaction. As other critical personnel do, like pilots and doctors, teachers must "learn by doing" before working independently with children.

Trends in Teaching

Our nation's obsession with standardized testing has made it easier for schools to measure their effectiveness in teaching certain fundamental areas like reading and mathematics. At the same time, poor test results can spur parents, politicians, and administrators to demand more individual attention and smaller class sizes. As a result, many school districts encounter difficulty finding enough qualified teachers to fill all of their open positions.

On an even more urgent note, more than half of the Baby Boomer educators working in elementary schools and high schools will become eligible for retirement over the next 15 years. With school enrollment increasing over that time, school boards desperately want to close that gap before it erupts into a chasm.

Therefore, many school districts have changed the way that they hire and compensate teachers. Teachers generally enjoy greater benefits and larger salaries than ever before. Professionals who have grown tired of working in one career track can shift into a teaching career with less resistance and with less threat of enduring a significant salary cut.

In many cases, experienced teachers may have left those districts to pursue opportunities at schools with better funding or newer facilities. As a result, the students left behind in these inner city and rural districts lack many of the resources they need to pursue college plans of their own. By enrolling in a teaching licensure program, students can become a major part of the solution to our country's educational crisis. At the same time, they can enjoy the financial rewards that accompany their good intentions.

For professionals living in underserved urban or rural areas, the federal government offers a compelling benefit to teacher licensure. In addition to the usual tax breaks that all students receive, state and federal governments offer to reimburse some or all of a student's education expenses if they commit to teaching in a specific school district.

Teacher Training & Career Options

Many of today's understaffed school districts will procure "provisional licenses" for qualified individuals from their state education boards. Provisional licenses allow teaching licensure candidates the opportunity to begin work immediately while they complete their requirements. In these situations, a strong online teacher licensure program offers students the ability to juggle classroom demands with college coursework.

Many teacher licensure majors seek out an on-campus or online degree program that lets them quickly convert their previous career experience to the classroom. At the same time, most teachers continue to benefit from tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs that allow them to explore new areas of expertise.

Over time, professional teachers can enjoy opportunities to learn new teaching techniques, while updating their curricula to incorporate the latest research. Many schools allow teachers to participate in exchange programs and residencies, which let educators share best practices across counties, states, and even countries.

What makes an ideal teacher?

Experienced educators suggest that a commitment to lifelong learning builds a solid foundation for any teacher. Successful teachers must possess an extraordinary amount of patience. Despite the hard work they put into lesson plans and the feeling of achievement they enjoy when students perform well, many teachers must cope with unruly students and anxious parents. Though every teacher lives with the threat of burnout, experts suggest that regular routines of meditation, exercise and other stress relievers can prepare educators to handle stressful situations.

"I wouldn't trade it for anything."
What would cause a successful technician to give up a lucrative engineering career to become a full time teacher? The answer sounds like that of the many professionals who have shifted gears and returned to the hallways of their old schools:

"Sometimes I feel that I've done it all. I've worked in a variety of industries, a wind tunnel, a hospital research facility, a building science laboratory, even a satellite testing facility.

...when I saw the plans for technological education the visionaries at this school board were developing, I saw... an opportunity to guide the next generation through their own exciting career leaps, a chance to play a larger role in this incredible revolution of a new age.

It's hard to describe the feeling you get when you see a student of yours begin to dream and imagine, to experience that flash of insight and that warm feeling of accomplishment. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

- Michael Scott, Ottawa

What degree programs are offered in Teacher Licensure?

On-Campus and Online College Courses in Teaching

Colleges and universities across the country offer a variety of teacher licensure programs designed to fit the needs of all kinds of students. Whether you have decided to change careers or you simply want to start sharing your love for a particular subject, you can find a program that can help you earn your teaching license.

Teacher Certification Programs

Expect to see more certification programs popping up across the country as more Americans answer the call to lend their talents in the classroom. Many certification programs build upon a student's existing degree, allowing them to focus on building the experience and the skills necessary to translate their previous career success to a school setting.

Although more online teacher certification programs exist than ever before, most states still require prospective teachers to complete supervised residencies. Depending on the program, candidates may engage in a student teaching position at a school convenient to them. Alternately, some programs feature limited on-campus residencies, in which participants gather from all over the country to earn their student teaching credentials in a compressed time.

Either way, online teacher licensure programs offer busy professionals the opportunity to start their new careers without suffering the loss of income that would arise from enrolling in a full time degree program. When choosing a certification program, be sure to check with your state education board to make sure it meets their requirements. Since each state uses slightly different rules to award licenses, this extra check can save you significant hassle later in your career.

Bachelor's Degrees in Education and Teaching

Many teachers start their careers with a bachelor's degree in teaching, education, or in a specialty area combined with a teaching concentration. Because state teaching licenses require professionals to specialize in a particular age group and/or subject area, most programs offer degree candidates the ability to choose their specialty either before enrolling, or early in the program.

As with all teacher licensure programs, bachelor's degree candidates will arrange to complete their mandated student teaching hours at a school close to them, or at a school close to their university's campus. Increasingly, online colleges and universities are arranging reciprocity agreements to allow distance learning students to conduct residencies through facilities closer to their homes.

Post-Baccalaureate Programs in Teaching and Education

Students who earn bachelor's degrees in a field like math or English must take additional teaching courses to qualify for state licensure. Many students do not realize until late in their academic programs that they may actually want to pursue a teaching career. Therefore, an increasing number of colleges and universities offer these students the opportunity to tack on a set of required teaching courses during a post-baccalaureate program.

Unlike a master's degree program, which takes far longer to complete and requires students to delve even deeper into their specialty areas, post-baccalaureate programs offer students from all disciplines the opportunity to synchronize their skills with the most current state requirements for new teachers. Most post-baccalaureate programs can be completed in less than a year, or even sooner for highly motivated students. Completion of the program allows a bachelor's degree graduate to obtain the appropriate teaching license from their state board of education.

Master's Degrees in Teaching and Education

Since a career in teaching requires a dedication to lifelong learning, many employers encourage or require their staff members to pursue master's degrees in their specialized fields. For career-changers with college degrees in other areas, the master's degree program combined with teacher licensure offers an opportunity to begin their education careers at a higher level than they otherwise might.

Most online master's degree programs in education offer currently working teachers the option of achieving expert status in their specialties. Because few teachers can afford to take two or three years out of their career to pursue an advanced degree--and don't want to step off the tenure track at their school--online programs allow them to balance their own educational requirements with those of work and home lives.

Many education professionals pursue master's degrees in order to extend their careers into management and administration roles. A specialist educator with a master's degree could earn the responsibilities of a department head, a principal, or even a superintendent. In addition, teachers holding master's degrees generally earn higher salaries than their bachelor's-level colleagues. They often receive invitations to advise other schools on their teaching techniques and performance.

Career Opportunities for Teacher Licensure Majors

Kindergarten or Elementary School Teacher

Most kindergarten or elementary school teachers work with the same group of students for the entire school day, teaching them key social and life skills. The most successful elementary teachers use strong interpersonal skills to defuse classroom disputes and to smooth over relationships with anxious parents.

Middle School and Secondary School Teacher

Teachers in middle schools and high schools specialize in one or two subject areas, which they teach to different sets of students throughout the school day. Unlike grade school teachers, secondary school teachers work in tandem with colleagues and department heads to develop an overall curriculum for each grade level. High school teachers must stay current with college admissions requirements in order to adequately prepare their students for undergraduate programs.

Education Administrator

Administrators work all year long to make sure that their teachers receive sufficient resources to effectively educate their students. Playing a combination role of manager and politician, administrators must balance the personal needs of teachers with the budgets passed to them from school boards and other local government offices. Effective administrators understand advanced fundraising techniques and leverage their skills to acquire extra funding, supplies, and other resources for their facilities.

Teacher Salary Ranges

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, many beginning teachers launch their careers with annual salaries around $30,000 per year, depending on location (the figure is higher in cities and other affluent areas with high costs of living). After a few years, they move closer to the national average of $44,367 for elementary and high school educators.

Many professional teachers take advantage of two months during the summer to participate in professional development programs. Other teachers opt to earn extra money by teaching summer courses or by tutoring for private clients. A handful of schools have started to experiment with year-round classes, a phenomenon popular in urban areas where working parents struggle to find quality day care.

Professionals from other industries who join the education sector as administrators can often capitalize on their highly marketable skills. More than half of the working education administrators earned an annual salary between $75,000 and $110,000 in 2004.

Certification and Licensure

Before applying for any open positions at public schools, a prospective teacher must earn a teaching license from their state's Department of Education. Although private schools and some educational facilities can occasionally hire unlicensed teachers, an official license from the state gives a teacher the flexibility to change jobs and pursue opportunities as they arise.

The PRAXIS Tests
Four out of five states that include testing as part of their certification requirements use the Praxis Tests, supplied by the same organization that administers the familiar Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). This level of recognition for a standardized test makes it easier for teachers to transfer their licenses between states when they move around the country. In addition, many teacher licensure programs focus on the specific skills and talents measured by the Praxis series of tests.

Created by teams of experienced educators, the Praxis updates its questions every year by asking established educators to name the key skills that a beginning teacher should possess before starting their teaching career. With the rapidly shifting demands of schools, especially related to innovative math and science programs, the exact focus of some Praxis tests can change from year to year.

Quality teacher licensure programs offer their students tremendous advantages when they prepare to take the Praxis tests. Aspiring teachers benefit from a program's focus on the specific skills they need to effectively educate students on a given subject. Furthermore, teacher licensure programs allow students to form independent study groups. According to the creators of the Praxis tests, prospective teachers working together in pairs or in groups perform significantly better than those students who attempt to pass the test on their own.

Lifelong Learning

A career in teaching requires a dedication to continual improvement and professional development. Though many experts argue that we will never truly be able to pay teachers what they deserve, education professionals generally enjoy tuition reimbursement as a job perk. While teachers cannot use that benefit to pay for previous education expenses (except in federal programs like Teach for America), they can apply that funding toward tuition for graduate studies and other development programs. Teachers can receive certification in specific processes and techniques that they, in turn, can pass along to their peers and neighbors.

National Certifying Bodies and Trade Associations

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