HowtoBecomeaTeacher JobDescription Ateacherisresponsibleforprovidinganeducational atmospherewherestudentshavetheopportunitytofulfilltheir potentialforintellectual,emotional,physical,spiritualandpsychologicalgrowth. Thispersonisresponsiblefororganizingandimplementinganinstructionalprogramthat willresultinstudentsachievingacademicsuccess. WorkEnvironment Teacherstypicallyworkindoorsinawell lightedfacility,suchasaschool,daycarecenter, religiouscenter,communitycenter,etc.duringplayactivities,apersonmightwork outdoorsforshortperiodsoftime.teacherscanworkpart timeorfulltime,somework longhours,andsomework9 10monthsperyear. CareerOutlook ElementarySchoolTeachersisoneofthefastestandlargestgrowingoccupationsfor 2004 2014.ThegrowthprojectionsforteachersinCaliforniaaverage19.7percent. Income Mostteachingjobsrangefrom$20,000 $121,000dependinguponthetypeofcredentials, levelofeducation,yearsexperience,andeducationalsystememployed(publicorprivate). TopmonthlysalaryinCalifornia: 1. PreschoolTeacher($2,932) 2. KindergartenTeacher($4,802) 3. ElementarySchoolTeacher($5,231) 4. MiddleSchoolTeacher($5,258) 5. HighSchoolTeacher($5,432) Education&LicenseRequirements Forallteachinggradelevels,educationrequirementsvaryfromstatetostate. Requirementsarebasedonemployerrequirements,levelofeducationandtraining,and thesourceoffundingforprograms.theinformationprovidedisbasedoncaliforniadata. 1.PreschoolTeacher AlsoknownasNurserySchoolTeacher Teacheschildrentwotofiveyearsofage Preparation: EarlyChildhoodEducation(ECE)collegelevelcourses Stateteachercertification Demonstratedabilitytoworkeffectivelywithyoungchildren 1
HowtoBecomeaTeacher Requirementsforlicense: Five yearregularteachingpermit: Regularpermitsrequire: 24semesterunitsofECE,and 16semesterunitsingeneraleducation,andoneofthefollowing: Twoexperienceperiods*asapaidaideorassistantinachilddevelopment program,or Threeexperienceperiodsasavolunteerinaninstructionalcapacity,or OneexperienceperiodwithaLimitedInstructionalPermit,or Twoorthreesemesterunitfieldcourseworkandoneexperienceperiod. Complete16semesterunitsofcourseworkingeneraleducationtowarda Bachelor sdegree PassCaliforniaBasicEducationalSkillsTest(CBEST) 24semesterunitsofcourseworkinEarlyChildhoodEducation(ECE) 2yearsofexperienceasapaidAssistantinachilddevelopmentprogram(other exceptions,pleasevisiteureka.orgformoredetails) LocalColleges: CSUSanJoseStateUniversity B.A.andM.A.degreesinChildandAdolescentDevelopment CSUSanFranciscoStateUniversity B.A.DegreeinChildandAdolescentDevelopment M.A.DegreeinEarlyChildhoodEducation(Education) 2.KindergartenTeacher KindergartenTeachersspecializeinteachingchildrenafteroneyearofPreschool PleaseseetherequirementsofElementarySchoolTeacher 3.ElementarySchoolTeacher TeachesKindergartenthrough8 th grade Preparation: MultipleSubjectTeachingCredential B.A.DegreeinLiberalStudiesorLiberalArts;orchooseacollegethatoffersa TeacherEducationprogramthatallowsastudenttoqualifyforadegreeand credentialsimultaneously,suchassjsu ALiberalArtsprogramincludesteacherpreparationcoursesinmostofthe following:art,childdevelopment,earlychildhoodeducation(ece)theory, EducationMedia,LanguageArts,Math,Music,Psychology,Science,Social FoundationsofEducation,SocialStudies,andTeachingMethods. 2
HowtoBecomeaTeacher Requirementsforlicense: 5yearsworkexperiencedirectlyrelatedtoeachsubjectlistedonthecredential HighSchoolDiplomaorGED One of the following: California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST); National Teacher Examination (NTE); Single Subject Assessment for Teaching (SSAT); MultipleSubjectsAssessmentforTeaching(MSAT) Fingerprintingandcriminalbackgroundcheck CBESTforfirst timeapplicants Credentialrenewedevery5years LocalCollege: CSUSanJoseStateUniversity B.A.Degree,ChildandAdolescentDevelopment,PreparationforTeaching MultipleSubjectsCLAD/BCLADTeachingCredential MastersofEducation,CurriculumandInstruction(Education) 4.MiddleSchoolTeacher ElementarySchoolTeachersspecializeinteachingteenagersinjuniorhigh PleaseseerequirementsforElementarySchoolTeacher 5.HighSchoolTeacher alsoknownassecondaryschoolteacher Teachstudentsin9 th through12 th gradeinaparticularsubjectmatter Preparation: B.A.Degreethatqualifiesapersonforteachercertification SingleSubjectTeachingCredentialintheteachingsubject Demonstratedteachingskills LocalColleges: CSUSanJoseStateUniversity CSUSanFranciscoStateUniversity CSUEastBay CSUSanDiegoState Requirementsforlicense: UCBerkeley UCDavis UCSantaCruz UCSanDiego 5yearsworkexperiencedirectlyrelatedtoeachsubjectlistedonthecredential HighSchoolDiplomaorGED One of the following: California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST); National Teacher Examination (NTE); Single Subject Assessment for Teaching (SSAT); MultipleSubjectsAssessmentforTeaching(MSAT) Fingerprintingandcriminalbackgroundcheck CBESTforfirst timeapplicants Subject matterexamsrequiredformulti subjectsapplicants,unlesssubjectmatter equivalentisobtainedfromacaliforniacollegeoruniversity Credentialrenewedevery5years 3
HowtoBecomeaTeacher Certification Thereareseveralavenuestowardcertification College:Four orfive yearcollegedegreeprogramsinelementaryeducationor SecondaryEducationwillleadtocertificationupongraduation. Youhavetheoptionatcertaincollegestoearnyourlicensetoteachifyourmajorhas anassociatedteacherpreparationprogram. TakestatelicensingtesttobeateacherinthesubjectmatteroftheB.A.degree. Graduateschool:GettingaMaster sdegreeineducationisn'tabsolutelynecessaryto becomingateacher,butsomeschoolsrequirethatateacherpursueamaster sin Educationoranotherspecialtysubjectwithinacertainnumberofyearsafterbeinghired. Adegreeinhighereducationisalsorequiredtoadvanceintoschooladministration. Manyteacherschoosetoworktowardahigherdegreeafterteachingforafewyears. EmergencyTeachingCredential:Statescanissueemergencycredentialstocollege graduateswhowanttoteachbutwhohavenotyetmetthestate'sminimum requirementsforregularcredentials.thesearegivenunderthepretensethattheteacher willeventuallytakealloftherequiredcoursesforvalidcertification(sotheteachermust takeclassesoutsideofworkwhiletheyareteaching).ateacherwiththiscredential usuallyworksasasubstituteteacheruntilallrequirementsarecompleted. Exams Inaddition,youmustcompleteasingle subjectteacherpreparationprogram,which includesasuccessfulstudentteachingprogram. Meetthecriteriaforanelementary level5 yearmultiplesubjectpreliminary TeachingCredential.YoumustpasstheCaliforniaBasicEducationalSkillsTest (CBEST)withapassingscoreontheappropriatesubjectmattertestsORcompletea commission approvedelementarysubjectmatterprogram.inaddition,youmust passthereadinginstructioncompetenceassessment(rica)andcompletea multiple subjectteacherpreparationprogram,whichincludesasuccessfulstudent teachingexperience. Meetthecriteriaforasecondary level5 yearsinglesubjectpreliminary TeachingCredential.YoumustpasstheCBEST,withapassingscoreonthe appropriatesubjectmatterexaminationorcompleteacommission approved subjectmatterprogramor(for"specializedscience"candidates)completesubjectmattercourseworkfromthecommissiononteachercredentialing. ObtainaProfessionalClearCredentialafteryoucomplete5yearsofworkwitha5 yearpreliminarycredential.forboththeelementaryandsecondarylevels,this credentialingisdetailedandchangesfromyeartoyear.checkthedepartmentof EducationWebsiteforthemostcurrentrequirements. 4
HowtoBecomeaTeacher SourcesofAdditionalInformation AssociationofTeacherEducators(ATE) www.ate1.org 703 620 3110 CaliforniaDepartmentofEducation http://www.cde.ca.gov/index.asp NationalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren(NAEYC) www.naeyc.org 1 800 424 2460 NorthAmericanMontessoriTeacher sassociation www.montessori namta.org 440 834 4011 Teacher sunion AmericanFederationofTeachers(AFT) www.aft.org 1 800 238 1133 TheStateofCaliforniaCommissiononTeacherCredentialing 1900CapitolAve. P.O.Box944270 Sacramento,CA95814 (916)45 7254 EmploymentDevelopmentDepartment http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/ BureauofLaborStatistics http://www.bls.gov/ WorknetCareerVideos:PreschoolandKindergartenTeachers http://www.sjclmi.org/wknt_eng/calcareer/31303e.html 5