Government teachers instruct students regarding the fundamentals of the governmental system.
3 What Kind of Education Is Needed to Teach Kindergarten?
4 What Is the Next Step if I Have a BS Degree & Want My Teacher Certification?
If you want to be a high school teacher, you’ve certainly picked a career with lots of job opportunities. There were over 1 million high school teachers in the United States as of 2010, and the number of jobs is growing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. All states require secondary teachers to meet strict educational requirements to teach in public schools. Private schools can set their own standards, but usually follow state requirements.
All states require secondary school teachers to earn at least a bachelor’s degree. To earn a bachelor’s degree, you have to take a core or general set of classes in addition to the major courses your program requires. Core curriculum classes include English literature, science, mathematics, history and social sciences. Depending on the college or university, you might need to take classes in a foreign language as well.
High school teachers don’t instruct students in just any subject. Most states require secondary teachers to major in a content area. For example, a prospective high school teacher might choose to major in physics, mathematics or history. A foreign language teacher would choose a particular language such as French, Russian or Spanish. The major classes a secondary teacher takes depend on her chosen content area. For instance, if she picked history, she would take classes in historical methodology, in United States history, and in the histories of particular world regions and countries.
Prospective secondary school teachers must complete a state-approved teacher preparation program in addition to their chosen content area major. A teacher preparation program includes classes in child development and child psychology. A prospective teacher will also take classes in educational methods to learn how to effectively communicate ideas and instruct students with diverse backgrounds and talents. Teacher preparation programs include practical experience in the form of student teaching under the supervision of experienced high school teachers.
Every state requires public school teachers to be licensed or certified. To receive her license, a high school teacher typically has to pass a general teaching skills examination and a competency examination in her chosen content area. The license usually allows her to teach in her content area in grades seven to 12. Licensed teachers in most states must take continuing education or professional development classes on a periodic basis in order to maintain certification.
Adkins, William. "What Classes Do Secondary Teachers Have to Take?" Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/classes-secondary-teachers-take-5753.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.