Aspiring educators with bachelor’s degrees in other fields will be happy to hear the you can get a post-bac teacher’s certification online quite quickly. Online colleges are using high-tech platforms to help career changers, military veterans, and school paraprofessionals gain the pedagogical skills to instruct PreK-12 children. Studying online is beneficial for graduates to continue working while conveniently accessing teaching training material 24/7. Online teacher’s certification programs are generally aligned with state licensing requirements to help first-time educators pass Praxis exams, according to Teach. The non-degree programs lead to certification in early childhood, elementary, secondary, physical, or all-level special education. Admission usually only requires a bachelor’s degree and satisfactory GPA around 2.5 or higher to get started. Let’s review the basics of online post-baccalaureate teacher’s education to determine if it’s right for you.
Curriculum for Online Post-Bac Teacher’s Certification
Post-bac teacher’s certification programs offer fast-track, online training to prepare for licensed classroom practice, typically within 15 to 45 credits. Graduates will take introductory courses like instructional planning, education methods, literacy, mathematics content, adapted curriculum, and child development. Online courses could be asynchronous or synchronous with live cohort meetings. Preclinical fieldwork is woven into the course sequence for school district experience in your own geographic location. Post-bac teacher’s certification plans then include a semester-long student-teaching internship where you’ll be mentored by a certified teacher at your desired grade level. Many online universities require future teachers to develop professional portfolios via LiveText to showcase their learned skills.
Career Opportunities with Teacher’s Certification
Finishing your post-bac teacher’s certification online could translate into immediate job offers or pave way for entering Master of Education (M.Ed.) programs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that education occupations in the United States will grow by 8 percent through 2024 for 697,600 total openings. State teaching certification obviously opens doors for jobs like elementary teacher, high school English teacher, special educator, and GED teacher. Yet certified teachers can also springboard into outside-the-box careers, such as curriculum developer, training development manager, school administrator, private tutor, reading coach, and educational consultant. Some even utilize their online certification to instruct children in virtual classrooms.
Picking the Right Post-Bac Teacher’s Certification Online
Western Governors University, Drexel University, the University of Texas at Permian Basin, Granite State College, and Spring Arbor University are just a few of the schools offering post-bac teacher’s certification online. So, how are you supposed to choose? One of the most important factors to consider is accreditation. Online colleges should be accredited by one of six regional agencies and the Council on Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP) for quality training. Selecting an online college within your state will ensure certification standards are met. Review online education rankings from the U.S. News and other publications like Niche or Washington Monthly to judge prestige. You should also consider tuition affordability, experiential learning options, curriculum specializations, admission selectivity, and class size.
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Spending 18 to 24 months completing your teaching certification after a bachelor’s degree could pay off since average teacher salaries range from $30,322 to $58,175, according to Salary.com. Online teaching courses engage graduates in active discussions about learning theories and instructional methods. You’ll collect the fundamental skills for delivering effective lesson plans that incite content comprehension in students from age four and up. If your vocational calling is teaching, use the above suggestions to find post-bac teacher’s certification online that’s fast and convenient.
