What classes should I take if I want to become a teacher?

(Please also see my response to your other question...)

My computer ate my first response to this, so I'll try again...I hope I can remember everything I had in it.

First and foremost, take a public speaking/speech or drama class. You will be doing a lot of speaking in front of a group as a teacher, and you need to build your confidence and ability to think on your feet. Even if you are very comfortable in front of groups, the speech/drama class will be helpful to you. Many teacher training programs require it as part of your college curriculum anyway. If you take the course in high school, all the better as you will have an extra leg up.

Courses in psychology, history, art, science, math, etc. are good for you because they broaden your knowledge of the world in general. Just because you are going to teach English (or math or science or social studies or underwater basketweaving...) doesn't mean that that is the only subject are you should be familiar with. In English, especially, you'll find that you need to know a bit about everything so that you can relate information about it to your students. Writers come from all kinds of disciplines and backgrounds. Having an understanding of them--however basic--just adds to your "arsenal" of information to share with your students. Further, it makes you a more well-rounded person.

Study or continue to study a language. Again, many high schools and colleges require languages (even sign language!) as part of their general requirements, so it shouldn't be that difficult for you. And, you never know when you will need that language or knowledge of how we learn language in the classroom.... I student taught in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had enough Spanish to serve me, which was fine, but I had a Japanese exchange student in my classes. Just having an idea of what it takes for a non-native speaker of English to understand in class was helpful to me, and Atsuko and I got along very well. Consider taking courses towards your ESL or TOEFL certification while you are in your teacher training classes. They will give you a lot of strategies that you can use with your non-English speakers as well as your regular students.

The same can be said for courses in Special Education. Take at least the basic courses in SPED so that you get some background and get a handle on some methodology and the laws regarding SPED. You will need it. Further, it will help you to be marketable when it comes time to apply for jobs. Since most SPED students are now mainstreamed into regular classes, you will need to have some background in working with them. The same would be true for the gifted/talented students. The strategies you learn will certainly transfer to your regular students so that everyone reaps the benefits.

Many teacher training programs are going to a fifth year for teacher candidates so that they have adequate time to take the courses they need for certification according to state standards. Some of them also allow some of those course hours to count towards a master's degree, so that fifth year really works for you.

Do, whenever you can, get yourself into schools to observe, assist, etc., before you do your practice teaching. This gives you a chance to see how schools work (from the other side of the desk, so to speak), but also in a different capacity. Try to work with all grade levels, not just the group(s) you intend to teach. Understanding how children learn from the very beginning all the way up to their graduation is helpful to you, but the experience also gives you a chance to really see if teaching is for you. You certainly don't want to spend four or five years preparing for a career as a teacher only to find out that you really don't like it when you get to your first job. It does happen!

Good luck to you!

Yes it is possible to be certified to teach more than one subject. We have a generalist degree that is either PreK-4, 4-8, or 8-12. However it would probably help you to become specialized in the area that you want to teach. If you want to teach English, are you wanting the grammar aspect and writing or the poetry and literature aspect. This should influence your choices in college.

I would suggest you go talk to an admissions counselor or director of the school of education at a college you'd like to go to. They can map out exactly what classes you will need and how long it will take.

Good Luck!!!

You can become certified to teach whatever subject you want. Keep in mind, the more subjects you want, the longer it is going to take you to finish. If you decide to go for a BA in Education, your course of study is two fold-half of it is in education, the other half is in the subject choice of your choosing.

The first thing you need to do is to go to a school that has a state approved teacher's program. Most of these are only located at four year universities, although some junior colleges offer similar programs. A school that is NCATE certified is even better, because then all states in the country will recognize your teacher education as being valid.

The school you apply to will eventually help you figure out classes. My BA was in Secondary English but I minored in Spanish, and because of that, I was able to also become certified to teach Spanish.

In order to become certified to teach a subject, first you need to complete a state approved teaching program. This will include not only your coursework, but a supervised student teaching experience.

You will also simultaneously take classes in your content area. You will need to prove to the state (through college transcripts) that you took enough credits in your content area. Finally, you will have to take a series of tests to get your license. Some states require you to take the content test for one subject area, and if you pass that test, you can teach whatever subjects you want to-as long as you took enough college classes.

The process is actually a lot longer than one would expect. Again, picking a college that has a state approved teaching program (NCATE is best) is the first step. Basic internet searches can help you figure this out.

Any college level courses in the subjects you want to teach should be good.

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you should take science, and ap bio (or some advanced biology or anatomy class) is highly recommended. it will help you out big time in college. you should also log onto the school websites for colleges you might go to and take a look at their curriculum for a phys ed major. try and take a well rounded number of classes that relate to the classes you'll be taking in college.

It depends on the college you attend. I have a degree to teach English in grades 7-12 and social studies in 7-9. I wanted to teach science instead of social studies, but the college I attended told me that "Science doesn't 'GO' with English" (whatever that means), so I took social studies. Just check out the college you're going to attend.

Get information from your college and high school counselors. I don't think any combinations are bad since we have all combinations being required especially in middle school. All things being equal go with your passions. What do you want to teach?

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