How to Become a Teacher: A Comprehensive Guide!

Becoming a teacher can be one of the most fulfilling career paths. Obtaining a teaching and education degree and becoming a teacher will allow you to leave a positive mark and be of service to society. Once you get into teaching, you start working with young people and accompany them through a journey to prepare them for their future. 

An imperative teacher requirement is to have a strong moral compass. A teacher educates future generations and provides both subject knowledge and moral values. 

However, becoming a teacher can be more challenging than you expected. Other than the required qualifications for a teaching position, you can find patience, a passion-driven attitude, creativity, and communication skills. 

Requirements for becoming a teacher vary depending on the career path you want to take. For example, if you are wondering how to become a kindergarten teacher, you need to have sufficient knowledge about a vast array of subjects and how to interact with young kids properly.

On the other hand, if what you wonder about is how to become a history teacher in high school, you will have to attain a more specialized level of knowledge about the subject and possibly a teaching certificate. 

In this article, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide for anyone that wants to become a teacher.

It is necessary to be clear about your desired career path before you start planning your journey to become a teacher as different requirements are needed for different types of teaching careers. 

Qualifications to be a teacher depend on your target students and subject. Some positions need specific permits. For example, preschool teacher qualifications differ much from high school math teacher qualifications. 

To know what qualifications you need, you first need to know what kind of teacher you want to be. To find your ideal teaching job, you can try to think of:

• Who to teach
• What to teach
• Requirements and licenses
• Teacher salaries 

📚 Who to teach

A deciding step to becoming a teacher is choosing your target students. It will help you to plan your desired career path. Consider that every group presents different ages and education levels of students and consequently comes with different requirements for becoming a teacher.

The further you go, the more specialized the teacher requirements get. In the first three levels, students are much younger. Therefore, the subject knowledge you need to teach is likely more general, and you might also need to teach subjects you do not specialize in. 

Or if you teach middle school and high school, you will probably focus on particular subjects instead, such as mathematics, biology, or chemistry. 

📚 What to teach

You also need to assess what you want to teach before becoming a teacher. Start by thinking about why you want to become an educator. Understanding your motivation might help you decide whether your want to teach full-time or start as a TA. Moreover, it could shine a light on the subject you want to specialize in teaching. 

It is a whole different story to get into teaching as a teacher assistant and working in a kindergarten than going full-time as a specialized high school teacher. If your passion is helping children with learning disabilities, you could consider becoming a special education teacher. 

Follow your passion, whichever path you decide to follow to become a teacher. Education level, age, and the subject you decide to teach will provide a different working experience. 

📚 Requirements and licenses 

Choosing which teacher qualifications to pursue has much to do with the subject you want to teach. Look up the requirements for the teaching roles you’re interested in and local regulations before deciding what kind of educator you want to become.

For example, the English teacher qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in elementary or secondary education. You also need to pass a state-approved teacher preparation program to be a high school English teacher. Similarly, a degree in ESL is a common teacher requirement for teaching students whose first language is not English.

As for substitute teachers, qualifications vary from one state to another. In some is as easy as having a high school diploma, while others will require you to have a bachelor’s degree. To become a teaching assistant, you might need to complete an associate degree program in education.

In general, for most positions, the basics of how to get into teaching are similar. You will most likely need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Additionally, completing a state-approved program is an idea you have to consider. 

Other common teacher requirements are passing required exams based on your district/state like the Praxis I and II (each state has its acceptable scores you need to get before becoming a teacher.)

To sum up, the requirements for becoming a teacher can be very different in different states and for different types of teachers. The required qualifications and licenses should also be taken into consideration, as they will instrumentally influence how you work on becoming a teacher.

📚 Teacher salaries

Another thing to consider when you choose your teaching career path is the salary. Salaries in the US change from one state to another. Teacher salaries are not the exception. 

A teacher’s salary changes based on the age of your students, your teacher’s degree, school district, and many other factors. 

The average teacher salary across the US is around $63,000 yearly. However, for those who are just becoming a teacher, the salary expectations go lower than $40,000 per year.

In New York, teachers have a median salary of over $78,000 a year. However, the teacher requirements are also higher. NY is among the few states where qualifications for teachers include a Master’s degree.

It is clear that how to be a teacher is a question with different answers. You need different teaching and education degrees based on who and what you will teach.

✏️ Elementary school teachers

One of the educational qualifications for teaching at elementary school is a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Such programs help you meet the teacher requirements by providing courses about many subjects, from science to literature, and how to teach them. 

Elementary education programs also teach you how to become a preschool teacher and kindergarten level. You will also learn soft skills, teaching methods, and how to assess your students. 

Consider the following if you are passionate about health and fitness and investigating how to become a PE teacher. PE degrees are focused on teaching K-12 students. The main difference from other teacher degrees is its focus on physical fitness, sports psychology, physical disabilities, and other related topics. 

Here is another example. You should pursue a degree in political science, legal studies, and even history if you are interested in how to become a government teacher. On the other hand, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) is the best objective if you are looking into how to become a math teacher.

✏️ Teaching older students

Teacher requirements are not so different when teaching adults. You will at least need a bachelor’s degree, whether you are interested in how to become a biology teacher or how to become an art teacher in middle or high schools. However, having a master’s degree would improve your application.

Recent professional experience is a common teacher requirement for those interested in teaching a more technical subject, such as electronics, computer, tech-ed, and culinary arts.

✏️ Teaching assistants

You might be a bit disappointed if you are researching how to become a teacher after 12th grade. In most states in the US, you ought to have a bachelor’s degree to become a teacher. 

However, when it comes to how to become a teaching assistant, you usually only need a high school diploma. Therefore, becoming a teacher assistant is a way to build up your career while you obtain the proper teacher qualifications.

✏️ Special education teachers

If you are wondering how to become a special education teacher, you need to consider that you would be teaching children with a different array of disabilities. Therefore, you also need a specific education degree and area of specialization (such as elementary education or autism spectrum disorders) and an education specialist credential.

✏️ Substitute teachers

How to become a substitute teacher? Once again, you would have to check your state’s regulations. Other common requirements are passing a background check and a physical exam. 

In many states, you need to have a bachelor’s degree. For example, you could earn a biology degree if you are interested in how to become a science substitute teacher. As long as your diploma is in a related field, you are good to go in several states.

Then, what education is needed to become a teacher changes from one position to another and varies across different states. 

Similarly, for some positions, you will need to attain specific teaching certificates to meet the qualifications to be a teacher. 

✏️ National board certification

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards provides the most respected certification for anyone looking to become a teacher. Over half of all US States incentivize teachers to obtain it by giving them financial benefits.

A certified board will examine your application every summer and score your performance. You can obtain your NBPTS teaching certificate if you obtain a Level 3 or Level 4 score.

✏️ Alternative teacher certification

Several other certifications can help you meet the requirements to land your desired teaching position.

For example, if you are looking how to become an ESL teacher, you should earn a bachelor’s degree in ESL or TESOL for an ESL teaching position. You also need to obtain a state teacher certification with an ESL endorsement. 

Well, once you finish getting all the requirements for becoming a teacher, you still need to find a position and ace the interview. 

🔍 Look for vacancies.

Like any other job position, you need to know where to look. General Job boards like LinkedIn are always a safe bet. However, you might have better look if you use more specific ones such as EDJOIN. 

Visiting a specific website is better if you have a specific school or district you want to work in. It is time-consuming but it can help you filter positions you would not be interested in exploring further. 

By searching by the school, you can narrow it further down by education level. It is a good way to assure you meet the teacher requirements for the position you want to land.

🔍 Write a perfect teacher resume and cover letter.

A great resume is always influential. Make sure that you list all of your teaching experience, certifications, and credentials in yours. You can craft it depending on the position you are after.

A great resume is not enough to grab’s the principal attention. You need to write a killer cover letter, too. Make sure you clearly explain your motives and let your passion for teaching show. 

🔍 Nail the interview.

Like any regular job interview, you have to do your best to nail this one, too. Be prepared for a lot of questions.

Be ready to explain your motivation, teaching philosophy, and unique talents. Do not be afraid of asking questions too. 

Be prepared for situational and behavioral interview questions. Remember the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method. 

Always finish your interview by expressing your gratitude for their time. Remember that a thank-you email can further enhance the impression you made. Make sure the interviewers won't ever forget you!

--- Originally written by Roger Rene Ortega Figueroa ---