Education and Teaching Schools

Although education and teaching schools are primarily considered as the right facilities for teachers to complete their degrees, there are also courses on school administration, educational research and even the highly specialized fields within the teaching profession. Selecting a teaching school that has the programs and specializations you are interested in for you teaching career is an important consideration.

As with any type of college, university or specialized school, different programs are known for producing high quality individuals in various teaching areas. If you are interested in becoming a specialized rather than a general teacher or plan to move into school administration, educational research or working as a educational consultant in your future, attending a program that focuses on cutting edge information is critical. Looking at both the overall program as well as the credentials, experience and years of experience of the faculty is also important when selecting a teaching school. Faculty should have at least a Master's level degree in education or a related field, and for higher level classes most instructors should be at the doctorate level. In most cases faculty will be past or current instructors themselves and should be actively involve in classroom work, research or teaching to ensure they are familiar with the latest methods, curriculum and trends in the school systems.

There are many different avenues for entering the teaching field, largely dependent on what type of teaching you are interested in. In some areas those students that already have a Bachelor level degree may be able to teach on an "emergency certification" as long as they are working towards a full teaching degree. These courses may be offered on an evening, weekend or part-time basis but may also be offered online. Students that do not have a degree can opt for a four year Bachelor of Education degree, or may also be able to work through accelerated programs in some states. Each state has slightly different methods of certifying teachers, but most will be required to complete an exam to earn their certification and be able to teach. Those teaching adult education may not need a full teaching certificate depending on the specific facility or agency they are working for.

Teaching and education programs, like any professional training, will include both theory as well as practical applications. Courses will include specific methodology classes where students will be taught the "how to" of teaching the different subjects, based on the level they wish to teach. Students will work either at the elementary, middle school or high school levels, with middle and high school teachers usually specializing in one or two subject areas while elementary level teachers typically have fewer specialization and are more general in training. The more common specializations in all levels of education include special education, reading, mathematics, administration, social studies, science, music and physical education. Typically students with these specialization areas will attend at least of the practicum or work experienced courses in their program of study at a school with a mentor teacher that functions as a specialist in this area.