Teaching is an excellent profession for those who want to spread awareness and wish to learn something new every day. They are responsible for molding a thousand minds and remarkably handle their own trials too.
Becoming a teacher is a noble and giving profession that people work hard to achieve. There is an abundance of teachers in Texas that have found their calling in this field.
The long journey of becoming a teacher in Texas is worth it in the end. However, it does require plenty of steps to become one.
The Texas teacher certification programs are similar to those in other states, but these certification programs vary depending on the location. Since each of these locations have different laws, regulations, requirements, etc. Becoming a teacher consists of a varying set of requirements, but Texas also allows alternative methods to attain the qualification to teach.
How to Become a Teacher in Texas
The period for becoming a teacher can vary depending on their chosen method. For instance, a bachelor’s requires years to obtain, anywhere from three and seven years, or else it is required to have at least two to seven verifiable years of experience working in the Trade and Industry field.
The base requirement for candidates is to have passed the teacher certification program or hold a bachelor’s degree. The overall process of getting a teaching certificate in Texas includes:
- Completing educational requirements.
- Finishing the required teaching certification exams.
- Passing the background check.
- Also, submitting the state teacher’s application.
Prerequisite Preparations to Become a Teacher in Texas
To become a certified teacher in Texas, people at least need a bachelor’s degree. This degree should be from a university or any accredited college.
Plenty of states have a policy of a specific number of credit hours that they need to earn before they can start teaching. However, Texas does not have any particular requirements for undergraduates or that they should have specific courses and credit hours.
That isn’t to say that Texas is lenient with its selection of teachers, as these preparation programs should have if aspiring teachers want to be accredited.
Any program needs to involve a minimum of three hundred hours of training and prep, including at least thirty hours of working experience before teaching students.
The preparations and coursework should cover various teaching skill sets. This is stated by the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) standards. The aforementioned required skill sets include:
- Reading instructions
- Standard practices and code of ethics for Texas educators
- Instructional delivery and planning
- Student learning and knowledge of students
- Content expertise and knowledge
- Learning environment
- Professional practices, responsibilities, and data-driven practices.
- Instructions in detecting and educating students with dyslexia
- Instructions in detecting students with mental illnesses or other emotional disorders.
The Certification Programs
The requirements to become a teacher in Texas are specific and many states and educational institutes have made their regulations more thorough and strict.
This initially started because of COVID- 19 and its impact on online education and its effects on the lives of students and teachers.
However, Texas stands to have the most straightforward process for becoming a teacher:
Teachers should have completed an educator preparation program approved by Texas’s education agency.
And suppose an individual already has their certification to teach in Texas but wishes to teach in a subject other than the one they qualify for. In that case, they need to pass the corresponding and proper content test.
Quick Guide:
- People traditionally earn an education degree when they want to become a teacher
- Having a different bachelor’s then a classic educational bachelor’s is fine, many will refer to this option as an alternative certification process.
- When someone already has a bachelor’s in education but wants more qualifications, they should look into a master’s or a doctorate.
- Lastly, if an individual wishes to teach in another state after their education by the Texas standard, they should learn about teacher reciprocity.
Similarly, reciprocity in Texas is for experienced teachers who have out-of-state certification.
To be eligible for reciprocity, educators need to provide official transcripts from every college they attend.
This includes copies of all out-of-state teaching certificates published and the documents of school experience in any certified area (this documentation should be of the last two years).
After the TEA (Texas Education Agency) reviews your will likely issue a one-year teaching certificate, which is not renewable. During this year, teachers need to pass the Texas teacher certification examination.
Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Texas
This guide covers all aspects of how someone can become a teacher in the state of Texas. Thoroughly explaining the “how” part is essential.
However, one should take these steps to remove any lingering confusion when going about the entire process.
- Bachelor’s Degree
As previously mentioned, a bachelor’s degree is essential and it should it was done by a university or an accredited college. This is to ensure the aspiring educator is credible and capable. The Texas Administrative Code has made this criterion for all.
- Finish an Educator Prep Program
Every individual needs to complete an approved Educator Preparation Program. Suppose a person does not have a degree; they will need to complete a university program in that case. However, someone with a bachelor’s degree in another field should reach out to an Alternative Certification Program.
- Pass the Certification Exam
Every applicant should pass the proper teacher certification exam; they can reach out to their program for approval.
- Submit an Application to the State
When all requirements are met, they need to apply to the state. However, they should refrain from sending the application until they have verified their eligibility.
- Pass Fingerprinting
This is the protocol for most States in the U.S; all initial applicants need to pass the fingerprinting test, which is essentially a procedure to check an individual’s criminal background.
Bottom line
Becoming a teacher in Texas is no easy task; however, it is relatively easier compared to others in the U.S. When a person goes for this specific profession, they agree to service all those who come after them, and it is a service that many in the state value dearly. Optimistically, this guide explained how the system in Texas works and cleared away any confusion.