How to become a high school teacher - Engage Education (2024)

FAQs

How to become a high school teacher - Engage Education? ›

Once you determine that high school — more formally known as secondary — education is right for you, you will need to complete an accredited teaching program, gain student teaching experience, and pass the state's licensing tests to earn your teaching credential and be qualified to teach high school in California.

Teaching high school is a big responsibility, and it's one that comes with a lot of hard work. Certainly you'll spend a lot of time in the classroom, teaching lessons about your chosen specialty, but there's also all the effort you'll be expected to put in during your out-of-classroom hours.

A California teaching credential is made up of two tiers or parts. The first part, the preliminary credential, takes about 2 years to complete. The second part, the clear credential, takes about another 2 years to complete.

'Engagement' in the teaching profession essentially is a synonym for teacher commitment, dedication, and involvement in their workspace.

Teaching engagement begins with the teacher's recognition that the learner is an authentic party in the learning process. This leads to a flow of positive interest and active involvement in the learner's creation of knowledge and intellectual progress.

While the difficulty of teaching a subject can vary depending on the grade level and individual student needs, mathematics is often considered one of the most challenging core subjects to teach across all educational levels.

But my answer often surprised whoever asked. From my point of view, one of the hardest things to do in teaching is figure out what students know about a topic and use that information to make in-the-moment decisions about how to teach. Making that formative assessment is much harder than most people realize.

While a master's degree in education or teaching can set you apart as a job candidate, it's not required for a high school teaching position. If you want to expand your knowledge base after earning your bachelor's degree and teaching credential, however, a Master of Arts in Teaching can be a great option.

What is the highest paid high school teacher? ›

The states and districts that pay High School Teachers the highest mean salary are California ($92,960), New York ($91,290), Washington ($88,530), Massachusetts ($82,960), and Connecticut ($80,230).

High School Teachers typically have a focused academic background in the subject they teach, coupled with a degree in education. Commonly, they hold a Bachelor's degree in their content area—be it English, Mathematics, Sciences, History, or a foreign language—alongside a teaching credential or certification.

You will need to complete a teacher credentialing program even if you are currently enrolled in or have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree program in education. Programs culminating in only a degree do not authorize teaching in California public K-12 schools.

— A teacher shortage is affecting schools across the nation, but it's especially bad in California. A recent study by the California School Boards Association found California ranks 47th among all states for its student-teacher ratio.

Engaged learners care about the subject, feel motivated or excited to learn, and take ownership of their own learning. We tend to think of engagement in the classroom in restrictive terms, as students asking and answering questions.

Engaged Learning (EL) integrates classroom studies with experiences beyond the classroom, in order to challenge students to think more critically and deeply about what they are studying.