No matter which route you take, it’s important to have a degree in the subject you plan on teaching. A master’s or a doctorate degree puts you ahead of your competition, and if you have the ability to teach advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses, you have an advantage. It also means you may get paid more.
While teaching in public schools requires certifications, sometimes, these can hinder a teacher’s ability to teach. While teacher certification may help serve to protect the educational establishment, the state education office usually only looks at transcripts and required courses to determine if certification standards have been met. Private schools on the other hand, while they do look at certification and transcripts, also focus on results and the teacher’s ability to be a great teacher.
Incorporating technology in the classroom is a great advantage. Using an electronic whiteboard, or tablet PC, are essential skills to have in the classroom these days. Understanding how to use technology effectively in the classroom is not something many certification classes have begun to address.
If you plan on teaching elementary children, meaning you don’t focus on any particular subject, it becomes more important to take certification classes. Teaching various topics means you need to know more about teaching itself than the actual subject matter. Communicating with your students becomes an important factor in their education, and learning how to deal with troublesome students also becomes more important.
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