Certification for Teaching as a Second Career
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Why a Second Career as a Teacher?
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One of the reasons a professional might seek certification for teaching as a second career is the inner fulfillment that a teaching career offers. Few careers can be as rewarding as one where you get the opportunity to transmit what you know to other people, with the potential that they will master it as well as or better than you. Another reason to get certification for teaching as a second career is that you have always wanted to be a teacher but opted for another career, and now you're looking to make your dream come true. Yet another reason could be an appreciation for the level of financial and career security that teachers enjoy--while teaching salaries may not always be high, teachers are professionals whose services are always in demand regardless of economic boom and bust cycles.
Requirements
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Requirements for getting certification for teaching as a second career vary from state to state, but they are generally about the same as the requirements for getting a teaching license. As a first step, register for a teacher education program at a university or college for a course of study that includes some units in pedagogy, meaning the art and science of being a teacher, with considerable course time in the psychology and philosophy of education. This should also comprise a practical internship unit, where you undertake supervised teaching in a real-world educational situation, usually in a school similar to the one where you want to teach after earning certification. While in many states you are not required to have a college degree to enroll for a certification program in teaching as a second career, many states have special (and often much accelerated) certification programs for people who already have a college degree.
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Certification Programs
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Apart from the traditional programs to become certified for teaching as a second career undertaken through universities and colleges, some states license teachers who participate in increasingly popular (proprietary) alternative certification programs, as long as the curriculum of such programs is adequate in terms of producing a competent teacher. Fees for these alternative certification programs for teaching as a second career are typically higher than the fees for the traditional programs for the same certification; on the upside, these alternative programs are typically more flexible, with many being offered as summer programs, and faster because many are offered on an intensive and accelerated basis. It pays, however, to ensure that such an alternative program is state-approved before enrolling to avoid spending huge amounts of money and time pursuing a program that won't help you make your dream to become a teacher come true. To determine whether a program is approved, contact the state board for education certification in the state or states where you wish to eventually teach.
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