Routes To Teaching

I have a degree and now I want to teach.
What should I do?

The answer to that question depends on two other questions:

• Who do you want to teach?
• What is your prior degree field or major background?

We need the answer to the first question before we can help you make a good choice about your path to teaching.  The Georgia Professional Standards Commission provides a good outline of the various routes to certification. Look carefully at their description of traditional and alternative routes.  You may either complete a preparation program or follow an alternate route.  Alternate routes are only available to employed individuals and those individuals must have a degree in the teaching field or a closely related field.  School systems generally prefer to hire teachers who are already prepared or who are enrolled in a preparation program.  Praxis I is always required for both employment and program entry, and Praxis II is required for alternate route candidates in all fields except special education.

Most north Georgia school systems have a sufficient number of qualified applicants for positions in early childhood, middle and secondary language arts and social studies, the arts, and health and physical education.  It will be difficult to find employment in those areas without a certificate in hand. 

Once you have completed a planned program of study, the institution recommends you for a certificate, and must guarantee that you will perform satisfactorily. If North Georgia College & State University is the recommending institution, we are concerned that you understand students of the age level you want to teach, that you understand how schools work and how to structure instruction and manage classrooms. You must have a sound grasp of the content you will be teaching. Consequently, there are grade point average requirements and two state mandated tests required. You will need practice in the classroom, and we will need to evaluate your progress there.

Since everyone has a different content background, everyone will need a slightly different preparation program. North Georgia College & State University offers two routes to post-baccalaureate certification.

Route 1: You may complete content and teacher education courses as our students do in the regular undergraduate program. Use the links above-left for details. All of these courses are taught in the daytime. The minimum time required for completion is three semesters if most of your content is complete, although many students will require four to five because of course sequencing requirements. All of these courses are taken at the undergraduate level.

You must apply to the university as an undergraduate and to the teacher education program in the same way as any undergraduate. You may seek a second baccalaureate degree or pursue certification recommendation only. This route works best for people who do not have full time daytime jobs or those who lack a significant amount of content. It is the only route for certification in early childhood. It also works well for people who are trying to go part time.

Route 2: You may apply for the graduate post-baccalaureate program.

•   In Special Education this is an evening program which requires approximately two years including summers. It leads to initial certification and a masters degree. Your professional internship and one summer experience occur during the daytime.  You may be employed as a special education teacher while completing this program.

--Middle and Secondary Information to be posted soon.--
Questions? Email Barbara Dixon