A high school teacher is an educator who teaches specialized subjects to students across grades 9 to 12. Your job responsibilities will include maintaining discipline, creating lesson plans, delivering lectures, compering class discussions, restructuring lessons for different students’ needs and interests, creating assignments and tests, grading papers and assignments and generating report cards.
Here is how you can become an education for secondary education.
Step 1: Get a bachelor’s degree
You can earn a bachelor’s degree in secondary education by focusing on a specific subject like science, mathematics or foreign languages. These teacher training programs are usually 4-5 in duration and include courses to enable you to carry out your job role. The last phase of the teacher training includes a teaching internship at a local high school.
Step 2: Complete a Teacher Education Program
If you hold a bachelor’s degree in a particular subject, but your degree program does not contain a teaching component, you will need to enroll in a teacher education program. These programs will cover theoretical aspects like curriculum planning, student psychology and education theory, as well as practical skills such as lesson planning, classroom management and assessment. These programs will also comprise a teaching internship at the end.
Step 3: Get a teaching license
While public schools across the US require a license, some private schools don’t need you to be licensed. To obtain your license, you will need to take a competency exam called Praxis. For more information, visit www.ets.org. You will also need to clear criminal and background checks. Many schools have a provisional licensing programs that need you to prove teaching proficiency over time. Renewal of your license would need you to earn a specific number of continuing education credits.
Step 4: Working and advancing your career
You are now job ready. You can further enhance your career opportunities by getting a voluntary certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This will help you get better pay, state reimbursement for continuing education and easier licensure if transferring your state.
Another option is to earn a master’s degree in your subject area. A degree in teacher leadership, curriculum and instruction, education counseling or administration will further your career towards mentor teacher or to administrative positions such as an instructional coordinator, guidance counselor or school administrator.