If you want to become a teacher in Pennsylvania, you will need to attend a
4-year college that has a teacher education program. Undergraduate certification
programs should have a specific course of study as well as practical experience
or student teaching requirements. Many undergraduate
education certification programs Pennsylvania also require observation hours
for prospective teachers as well. This means that a student will sit in on
different classes and observe the teachers and students.
Choosing a
College And Specialization Area
If you are attending college in
Pennsylvania, you will most likely need to specialize in a certain area. For
example, you may want to specialize in early childhood education or you might
rather specialize in secondary education. If you want to teach children from 6th
grade to 12th grade, you will need to get a PA
secondary education degree. If you decide to specialize in special education
and want to teach older children, you won't have to worry about earning a PA
Secondary Education Degree. If you earn a degree in special education, you will
be able to teach children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Many special
education teachers decide to take courses in a certain area. For example, you
may decide you want to teach blind students. If this is the case, you will need
to take braille and orientation and mobility classes. Or you could decide that
you really want to teach deaf students; in that case you will need to learn sign
language.
Pursue Your Career Goals
Once you enroll in college, you
will be assigned a faculty advisor. You can discuss your career goals with this
person and he or she will make sure that you are taking the correct classes that
you will need in order to graduate and to meet your goals after
college.
Take the Teacher Certification Tests
During your last
year of college or after graduating, you will need to take and pass some tests
in order to be certified to teach in the state of Pennsylvania. Teachers must
pass the Basic Skill Test or PPST. They must also pass the Praxis Test in their
area of specialization. The tests are taken separately and take several hours to
complete.
Apply for Certification From the State
After you receive
your test scores, you can apply to the Department of Education in order to
obtain your teaching certification certificate. Once you have your certificate
in hand, you are ready to go out and look for a teaching job in your field.
While it may seem like a lot of work to become a teacher in Pennsylvania, it
really isn't. Your faculty advisor will help you through the process so you do
not have to worry about making mistakes. Of course, you can always call the
State Department of Education or look on their website for more information
about the process at any time.
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secondary education degree reveals the author’s knowledge on the same.