Teachers

Criminal background checks may be required before any field experience, student teaching, applying for employment, or after securing employment. The district will direct you on the process they use to gather your fingerprints, and you’ll usually be held responsible for the cost of the background check. Different states use different criminal background tests. The Massachusetts test, for instance, is called the Criminal Offender Records Information (CORI).

In many states, tests like CORI in Massachusetts are administered to protect the welfare of students. These criminal background checks are usually required of all candidates for, and current occupants of, positions that have the potential for direct and unmonitored contact with students. The tests may be administered to teachers, teacher’s aides, school nurses, counselors, coaches or other extracurricular staff or supervisors, food service employees, custodians, and transportation providers. Volunteers, interns, student teachers, or other persons regularly offering support to any school program or facility, whether paid or unpaid, may also have to take the test.

Criminal background checks are an important part of ensuring that your future students are safe. You may request to receive a copy of the report that will be sent to your prospective employer, or you may waive the option. Asking to receive a copy will not reflect negatively on you.

While it may be intimidating to have a government agency look into your past, know that the check is just a routine part of applying for a job. Take a deep breath, do the paperwork, and keep moving forward with the job-seeking process!

In order to secure a teaching position in a public school, you must be licensed and certified to do so. There are different types of teaching licenses, including provisional, emergency, and permanent. A license authorizes you to teach, whereas a certification is an indication of what you are qualified to teach. You may also have more than one certification attached to your teaching license.

Each state sets its own requirements regarding tests and minimum passing scores to achieve state certification/licensure, although alternate paths to certification do exist. The tests are typically designed to evaluate teacher candidates’ basic academic skills, subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and in some cases, classroom performance.

1. Basic Skills Examination

Typically, in the first step of the process, teachers must pass basic skills examinations before they are admitted to teacher education programs or enroll in upper-level courses (those taken in the junior and senior year) at colleges and universities. The basic skills tests measure reading, writing, and mathematics skills.

2. Subject Area Tests

In the second step, educators who have graduated with a teaching degree must pass subject-area tests as part of the certification/licensure process in their state of employment. Subject assessments measure candidates’ knowledge of the academic subjects they will teach, as well as domain-specific pedagogy skills (how to best teach these particular subjects).

Many states use the Praxis system for license and certification testing. However, some states, such as Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, use their own testing service for certification purposes. You’ll need to check the requirements for your state.

3. “Highly Qualified”

Separate from certification, highly qualified is a status given to teachers in content areas after completing course work and/or passing a Praxis exam or equivalent. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires teachers to be highly qualified in their content area. Teachers may become highly qualified in multiple areas. A teacher highly qualified in elementary education may teach all subjects in grades kindergarten through sixth. After sixth grade, however, teachers must be highly qualified in each subject area they teach. For example, passing the science Praxis test makes you highly qualified in science, so you can teach this subject to students in grades 6 through 12. If you also pass the social studies Praxis, then you may teach both science and social studies.

Be aware that higher paying school districts that are known for positive teacher morale and educationally supportive communities are more competitive. This may make it more difficult for you to secure employment in one of these schools, because you’ll compete against a greater number of applicants. Take your time investigating and selecting appropriate schools to make sure that you can come up with concrete and valid reasons, sometimes other than simply high pay, that would make you willing to work in one of these schools. An additional factor to consider is that you’ll be applying along with “alternative route” teachers, who’ve already had career experience in other work forces. Taking time to identify applicants that you might be up against during the selection process will assist you in determining where your best chances lie of securing employment.

It’s a good idea to prepare for interviews before you’re called for one. Being prepared for the interview creates a favorable impression on your potential employer and will considerably reduce your stress levels before the interview.

When applying for a teaching position, you may encounter two types of interviews:

1. Online Interviews
An online interview is typically a preliminary set of screening questions. The online interview usually must be completed before being called for an in-person interview.

When completing an online interview, it is important that you take your time, proofread, and double-check that you have filled everything out correctly. You don’t want a minor mistake you get in the way of moving forward toward your dream job!

2. In-Person Interviews
An in-person interview is a face-to-face interview with an interviewer or team of interviewers. In-person interviews may be conducted by one or more administrators, a team of teachers, a combination of teachers and parents, or any arrangement of these.

Irrespective of the type of interview panel, it’s imperative to make a good first impression. A good interview suit is an excellent place to start. Interviewers also look for self-confidence, enthusiasm, poise, the ability to think and act quickly, appropriate grammar and a well-developed vocabulary, as well as clear and confident speech and diction.

The impression you make is often created by your personality traits, manners, and appearance, some of which may not be under your direct control. However, you can be prepared to answer questions typically asked by interviewers. Thoroughly research the school, making a visit to the school and speaking to experienced teachers who have been working at the school for a number of years. Prepare a series of questions to ask these teachers to allow you to get a good idea of the school environment as a whole. Familiarize yourself with the school goals, missions, and activities by browsing their Web site and by searching in local newspapers or at the local library. Apply your research findings to the questions typically asked by interviewers.

Becoming an educator begins, of course, enrolling in a college of education. Whether you’re starting your pathway to becoming a teacher straight out of high school or are changing careers after many years of working in another field, to become a teacher, you need a degree from a college of education.

Usually, university students apply to schools of education during their sophomore year and formally enroll in a bachelor-level teacher training program beginning in their third year, after completing other college course work. Requirements for enrolling in a college of education differ among colleges and universities and from state to state. You’ll need to see your advisor for details. In general, in order to receive admission to most colleges of education, you’ll need to meet these three requirements:

1. You’ve completed your university’s General Education requirements (or the equivalent thereof); you have an AA degree from an approved Community College, or transfer from another university.

2. You have an overall GPA of 2.5 or above.

3. You’ve successfully passed all three areas (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) of the Praxis I Skills Test or its equivalent.

If you don’t meet all these requirements, don’t fret! In some cases, students who don’t meet a college of education admission requirement may be assigned an “education pending” status. After meeting all college admission requirements, students complete a “change of major” request to change from “education pending” to their intended major.

Once you’ve been admitted to a college of education, the enrollment process will proceed with class selection. The course work for preparing to be a teacher involves two stages:

1. Core courses

The core courses are the basic classes required for most college students before declaring a major and entering a specific field of study. These classes typically account for 30% to 40% of a bachelor’s degree.

2. Teacher education courses

These courses focus on training you to be a teacher. At this point, you’ll select elementary or secondary education as your major and also choose your subject area.

When planning out your schedule, you’ll need to make sure you take all the classes required by each stage in addition to whatever electives you choose for your particular specialization. Elementary education teachers must teach a variety of subjects but have an area of concentration for which they must have a specific number of credit hours. For example, an elementary education major with a concentration in reading might need at least 15 credit hours in reading courses. Other areas of concentration include art, language, literature, mathematics, music, physical education, science, social studies, English as a second language, or specific foreign languages. Secondary education majors include grades 7 through 12 and require a specific major for the area. The courses you take in the teacher education program are specifically designed to teach you everything you need to know before teaching.

In addition, you must keep in mind that teachers must usually take and pass two Praxis exams in order to earn their degree and receive licensure.

1. Praxis II

This exam is a more focused test that specifically tests your subject area knowledge. Passing this test certifies you to teach and designates that you are highly qualified to do so.

2. Praxis III

This exam measures your performance as a new teacher in a classroom setting, mostly during the first year of teaching. It may include direct observation and structured interviews.

As long as you plan from the start, enrolling in a college of education and successfully garnering your teaching credentials will be easily achievable goals. Know your milestones, and plan your roadmap accordingly.