Teacher Certification

Overview

Teaching is a distinguished and rewarding profession. To take up teaching as a profession, however, you need a teacher certification. You can opt for an undergraduate degree or certifications like post-baccalaureate, professional, and alternative, or temporary. These certifications do not necessitate the requirement of a customary bachelor's degree. The traditional undergraduate certificate in teaching is received simultaneously with undergraduate degree, while the certificate courses can be taken up if you already possess a degree, but wish to become a certified teacher later.

You can specialize in areas such as early childhood to sixth grade, middle grade, secondary education, or a comprehensive alternative or post-baccalaureate certification covering all the levels. Professional certificates are valid for five years and renewable thereafter, while the temporary certificates are valid only for three to five years, depending on which state you are practicing and generally they cannot be renewed. You can apply for a permanent teacher certification if you hold a professional certificate.

The graduate degree curriculum includes core courses including teaching principles and the course of your choice such as computer studies, social sciences, etc. The duration for the undergraduate degree programs is three to four years, depending on the university you choose. The professional certification curriculum includes academic specialization, professional development, resource area, and approved electives for general teaching. For higher professional posts, the curriculum may include major course work in areas such as interpersonal communication, instructional supervision, finance school leadership, education law, and policy. The duration for professional course certification usually ranges between 15 and 45 hours.

Benefits

The unmatched respect, dignity and being a role model for the students you teach is the major satisfaction you derive out of the teaching profession. The continuing learning process makes teaching an amazing profession. Salary package for the teachers ranges from $35,000 to $45,000 per annum. Both your career and the salary package will see an upward swing with experience.

Costs

The cost of the teacher certification course varies, depending on your choice of college and university, but the average tuition fee for ranges from $8,000 to $14,000 per semester. The alternative certification program fee costs about $4,000. Additional expenses may include food, lodging, and transportation, which may cost around $7,000 per annum. You may look for a scholarship or financial aid either from your college or from other sources to reduce your financial burden.

Schools

There are many colleges in the United States of America that offer teacher certification degrees. There are also some colleges that provide online certification degrees as well. The University of Texas at Austin and University of Houston are some of the colleges that offer both graduation and certification courses.

Testing & Preparation

To become a certified teacher, you should qualify at the basic tests like Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) with a reasonable score. Almost every district in the United States of America has local tests, such as Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). You are required to clear these tests based on the schools that would employ you.

For the graduation degree, you should have a completed high school certificate and a score of 2.5 or more in the core courses. The temporary or professional certifications require a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited university (or college) in any major with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. You should be employed in the local school or college for a minimum of two years.

Financial Aid

Almost all the colleges that offer teacher certification degrees in the United States of America offer concession in the tuition fees for the state students. The Federal Student Aid and USA Funds provide financial aid and scholarships for deserving students. You can also apply for the International Student Loan if you are an international student willing to pursue their education in the US or US citizens opting to study abroad. You can also apply for loans in the banks such as Sallimae and Wells Fargo.