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Teaching degrees
in the United States vary state by state, with different certifications based on the age group or subject area taught. Basically, there is no specific degree to become a teacher, although all states require at least a Bachelor’s degree. There are, however, different degree majors that will help you obtain a teaching position. They include:
Education degree
Elementary Education degree
Math degree
Science degree
Child psychology degree
Art degree
The first step to becoming a teacher is to research the different teaching careers. Talk to teachers, volunteer in a classroom to experience it firsthand. Research the various age groups or type of environment where you’d like to teach. Some suggestions include:
Early childhood education
Elementary school teacher
Special education teacher
Private school teacher or tutor
High school teacher
College professor
Once you know what type of environment in which you’d like to teach, follow these steps to becoming a teacher:
Research your state’s teaching certification requirements.
Earn your Bachelor’s degree.
Complete an accredited teacher education program. More and more states are requiring certified teachers to hold master's degrees.
Pass teacher examinations. You'll need to pass either a state test or the widely used PRAXIS exam to gain licensure and become a teacher.
Teachers work with students in all age groups. They plan lessons, teach in classrooms, assign projects and grade assignments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, school teachers held down approximately 3.5 million jobs in the United States in 2008. This 3.5 million breaks down into 179,500 kindergarten teachers, 1.5 million elementary school teachers, 659,500 middle school teachers and 1.1 million secondary school teachers. The employment rate for educators is expected to grow about 13 percent between 2008 and 2018. The median annual salary for a teacher in 2008 was between $47,100 and $51,180.
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