Getting my Bachelor's in a few months.. then what?

Question

I am currently in school for a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a minor in Web Site Design.

But what I really want to do is teach.

I will be enrolling in my Master's program as soon as I graduate.

I want to teach either elementary or middle school students. But, what kind of teaching degree do I need? How long do these programs usually last? Will I need to be certified after getting my Master's as well?

At my school now, the career counselor isn't very good... so any outside help is appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 1

Congradulations on earning your degree!. I believe that as long as you have a bachelors degree...any kind of Bachelors Degree...you can work as a substitute teacher. I think this would be a great place to start for you.  After that you can begin to study Early Childhood Education or try to get hired on as a full time teacher.  

Answer 2

In most states, you need certification to teach in public elementary or middle schools, which would also require that you have a degree in Education [including all the methods courses, student teaching, etc].  Rules for private schools are often more lax.

You could probably continue undergrad and get a second degree in Education.  You'd be taking the courses required for that degree which weren't included in the degree you now have.  Doing that could take one or two years, I'd guess [depends on how many credits you'd need].

But if you're already accepted into a Master's program, it sounds like you've already got something else planned.  Or is the Master's program in Education?  If so, then you're on track!

Answer 3

Well in order to teach K-12th grade, you'll need to get your Teaching Credentials (depending on what state you're in they also call them Teacher Certification). These can, depending on the school & their program offerings, be taken either along with your bachelor's degree or after you graduate.

Credentialing has more than one type: There is Single Subject, Multiple Subject and Specialized. For example, if you want to teach elementary education where you're teaching more than just English or History, you'll need the Multiple Subject Credentialing. But if, say, you only want to teach Social Studies or a foreign language, the Single Subject one would work.

Does your school have an elementary education program? If so, I would make an appointment to talk to that department head. They would be able to tell you exactly what you need to take in order to be able to teach.

Like I said before, it varies by state, but just to give you an example, here are the subjects that you can get Single Subject Credentialing in if you're in California:

*Art

*Biology

*Business Education

*Chemistry

*English (English, Theater)

*Foundational level Math (FLM)

*French

*German

*Geology

*Japanese

*Mathematics

*Music

*Physical Education

*Physics

*Social Science (Anthropology, American Studies, Economics, Geography, Chicana/o Studies, History, Afro-Ethnic Studies, Psychology and Sociology)

*Spanish

So I would suggest getting ahold of someone who runs the elementary education program. If you're planning on getting your masters at a school that doesn't offer education credentialing, I would strongly suggest looking at other universities that do.