How to Become a Web Design Teacher at a Public School

Web design is both technical and artistic.

When you think of public school subjects, Web design is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Web design is a relatively new discipline, one that originated in the early days of the Internet and continues to develop to this day. Since public school education mainly focuses on more established subjects, Web design is often left out of the curriculum. However, there are some public schools where Web design is taught, and full time design teachers are employed. If you want to be a public school Web design teacher, you should focus efforts on one of these schools.

Instructions

1. Take courses in Web design at a college. To maximize your chances of being hired, take enough courses to get a diploma. Take courses that cover graphics software, scripting and design principles.

2. Enroll in a teacher's education program. Look for teacher's colleges in your area; typically, these are smaller departments within larger colleges and universities. Ask the admissions people at the college whether there is a fast track program for people with expertise in another subject, because many teacher's college programs reduce to one year if you can prove that you have substantial education in the field you want to teach in.

3. Take courses in art and computer teaching. Very few teacher colleges have courses on teaching Web design per se, but art and computer teaching courses cover the basics of how to teach hands-on subjects involving computers and creativity.

4. Look in the classifieds for openings for computer teachers and design teachers. Look on online classifieds, as well as in newspaper classifieds. Be on the lookout for job ads that state they want teachers specifically to instruct Web design courses. If you can find a few dozen of these ads, stick to these openings alone; do not bother applying to generic computer and design ads when you have enough Web design ads to go on.

5. Send in application files for the jobs that looked appealing. Send your application files -- including cover letter, resume and reference list -- to the address listed in the ad. In your cover letter, include several paragraphs describing why you want to teach Web design. On your resume, include work history, educational background, volunteer experience, and skills. On your references list, include the names and contact information of three people who can vouch for your design and teaching skills.

6. Attend job interviews. Explain why you love Web design, and state why you want to teach. Give your resume a quick read over before you attend the interview, so that your memory is fresh enough to answer questions about the experience you listed on your resume.

References

• Web Design Book: Web Design: A Complete Introduction -- Teaching and Learning Resources
• Certification Map