4 Alternatives for Becoming a Teacher without a Teaching Degree

4 Alternatives for Becoming a Teacher without a Teaching Degree

The education profession in the United States can sometimes be its own worst enemy. The certification process can be both expensive and restrictive. Every state has its own certification process, which can make it difficult to remain mobile in public schools, as an educator will need to receive new certifications in order to continue teaching outside of their original geographical area. If the certification process seems intimidating or out of reach, there is no reason to give up your dream of standing in front of a classroom. Many avenues exist outside of state licensing.

Travel for Experience

While the United States has many restrictions for those who want to enter the teaching profession, this isn’t necessarily true for many other countries in the world. Some schools just want educated, responsible adults who want to devote their time to students. This is a great way to expose yourself to the profession and return to the U.S. with experience. Workaway is a service that allows volunteers to do this with little cost. While most Workaway programs do not offer a salary, they do offer room and board that includes free meals. You can live rent free and not worry about your next meal, while gaining experience. Some programs will allow you to teach as long as you are willing to stay.

Private and Religious Schools

While private and religious schools generally lack the pay and benefits of most public schools, they also lack many of the restrictions. In most states, private schools can hire whoever they see fit to do the job. Some educators find a home in private schools and choose to stay for an entire career, while others successfully transition to public schools after receiving experience and the proper credentials.

Teach for America

Teach for America is a program that will allow a person to teach in a public school without certification. These teachers, however, have to qualify for this program by obtaining a bachelor’s degree and GPA considerations. While the program only requires a 2.5 GPA, most applicants have a much higher average. The great thing about this program is that a participant will receive the starting pay for the public school where they are teaching. The point of Teach for America is to put as many future leaders in suffering schools as possible, in order to nationally enrich the profession. Also, it provides educated people with different areas of study to offer their knowledge. According to the University of Harvard, more than 60 percent of teachers who participate in this program remain in the profession.

Volunteer and Volunteer!

One of the biggest mistakes is waiting. To be a professional educator, time without productivity is a huge enemy. It looks bad on a resume and provides the opportunity for others to gain experience over you. Even if you are in another academic program or have a full-time job, look for places to lend your teaching services. There are adult literacy programs, and depending on where you live, programs that teach those from other countries how to speak English. Many religious organizations have weekend education for children. If potential educators aren’t able to break into the profession, they can still continue to build an impressive resume that will pay off in the future.

About Post Author

Follow Us