Careers in Education

The importance of a good education cannot be understated and in turn, teachers are important to the quality of education offered to the student.

A Teacher's Best Skills
What skills does a teacher need to be effective? In addition to being knowledgeable in their subject, teachers must have the ability to communicate, inspire trust and confidence, and motivate students, as well as understand their educational and emotional needs. Teachers must be able to recognize and respond to individual differences in students, and employ different teaching methods that will result in higher student achievement.

Organized, Patient, and Creative
They should be organized, dependable, patient, and creative. Teachers also must be able to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with other teaching staff, support staff, parents, and other members of the community.

Teacher Licensure Requirements
All 50 States and the District of Columbia require public school teachers to be licensed.

Requirements for regular licenses to teach kindergarten through grade 12 vary by State. However, all States require general education teachers to have a bachelor's degree and to have completed an approved teacher training program with a prescribed number of subject and education credits as well as supervised practice teaching.

Technology Training
About one-third of the States also require technology training as part of the teacher certification process. A number of States require specific minimum grade point averages for teacher licensure.

Master's Degree
Other States require teachers to obtain a master's degree in education, which involves at least 1 year of additional coursework beyond the bachelor's degree, with a specialization in a particular subject.

(Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition)

Teaching Education and Life-Long Learning
When you investigate teaching programs, consider the following points when choosing which college or university to attend:

• The education program should be state accredited. In addition to state accreditation, programs meeting national standards are those that are accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) or by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) . Click here for more information on accreditation.
• Consider what type of teacher you would like to be and what educational requirements you need to meet. For example, if you would like to teach in a public school, consider a program that prepares you for licensure.
• Talk to teachers who you like and respect. What advice do they have to give you?
• Does the school offer career services that include job placement, a resume service, job fairs and networking opportunities? Is there a fee connected with the career services offered? What is the placement rate for graduates of the program?
• What works best for you? Taking two years of college and then transferring to a four-year program? Or would you prefer four years at the same school?
• Consider gaining experience in teaching before going to college. For example, get involved in tutoring students. Or, get involved with children in an after-school program, a summer day camp, as a camp counsellor or a child care program.
• Are you able to attend school full-time or part-time? Evenings or weekends only? Have you considered online or distance learning.
• What is the cost of the education required? Will you require financial aid? Could you qualify for a scholarship? Are loans or grants available to you?
• What are your long-term goals as a teacher? Do you wish to specialize in a particular subject in high school teaching, such as mathematics? Do you hope one day to teach at the university level? Would you prefer to be a corporate trainer in a large business? How about becoming a school principal? Here are just a few of the many specialties for which you can study:

  Adult education Corporate training Curriculum design Distance education Early childhood education

  Educational administration Educational leadership Educational technology Higher education Special education

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