Teaching Degrees
How To Find Teaching Degrees
If you are interested in a career as a teacher, you need to be aware that there are many different types of teaching degrees available. Therefore, you need to have a clear idea of the area and grade level you would like to teach in order to make sure you pursue the right type of teaching degrees to fulfill your career goals. In addition, it is important to note that the teaching degrees available from state to state may vary slightly, which means you need to have a good understanding of how teacher certification works in your state before you begin working toward earning your degree.
In some states, teaching degrees are broken into two major categories: elementary education teaching degrees and secondary teaching degrees. In this case, elementary teaching degrees generally allow the holder to teach students in first through sixth grade as well as in seventh and eighth grade if the school meets certain qualifications. In order to teach kindergarten, holders of these teaching degrees may need to take additional coursework in early childhood education.
In states with two main types of teaching degrees, the secondary degree qualifies them to teach students in middle school as well as in high school. This generally includes students in seventh grade through twelfth grade, though it may also include sixth graders if that grade is included in the middle school setting.
Some states break down their teaching degrees into even more categories. For example, students may be able to pursue early childhood education teaching degrees that will qualify them for teaching students in kindergarten through third grade. Or, they can pursue upper elementary teaching degrees that allow them to teach fourth through sixth grade, and possibly seventh and eighth grade. Or, they may pursue secondary teaching degrees for teaching students in middle school through high school.
Some states also allow students to pursue preschool teaching degrees. These teaching degrees may be two year associate’s degrees that qualify the holder to only work with preschool aged children and not with those that are in elementary school. Since these teaching degrees do not take as long to earn, the pay for those working as preschool teachers is often half of that which elementary and secondary school teachers receive.
