How to Become a Certified Teacher

Teaching is a career that can be extremely rewarding while being incredibly difficult. However, if you've done your research and you think that teaching is the career for you, now is statistically a prime time to become a certified teacher.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, teaching jobs make up three of the top ten fastest growing fields for those who hold a bachelor's degree or better. This increased need is due in part to a higher than normal number of teachers planning to retire within the next ten years.

Elementary teachers (teachers of kindergarten through about sixth grade) top the list with a projected increase of 223,000 new job openings between 2002 and 2012. Number four on the list is secondary teachers (middle school and high school teachers) with a projection of 180,000 new jobs. Next, number six is special education teachers (teachers who work with learning and/or physically disabled children) with a projected increase of 130,000 new job openings.

Furthermore, according to TeachersCount.org, areas most in demand within the education field include bilingual education, math, science (particularly physical), computer science, English as a second language and foreign languages.

So, you know you want to teach, now what? In order to become a teacher you must be certified as a teacher in the state you plan to teach. All states have their own specific requirements, but most require some version of the following:

Bachelor's degree or higher: Elementary teachers are required to hold a major or minor in education and must have taken courses in basic subjects that you will teach, like math, science, English and social studies. Secondary teachers usually require a major in their subject area.