What Degree Do You Need to Be a High School Teacher?

Read on if you’ve ever wondered what certification a high school teacher needs. You can read more about what high school teachers do, the qualifications they must fulfill in terms of education and other factors in order to obtain teaching licenses, as well as job prospects and market trends.

Educating and preparing older students for university is the responsibility of a secondary school teacher. For those with excellent social and leadership abilities, teaching is a fantastic career. You can better plan your career path by understanding the procedures to become a teacher.

In this article, we define this profession by outlining job responsibilities, the career steps you take to become a secondary school teacher, solutions to frequently asked questions, and a list of competencies teachers need.

What is a High School Teacher?

A high school teacher is an educator who is essential to helping students get ready for success in college or other higher education. By teaching them difficult concepts and providing them with crucial study skills, high school teachers aid students in preparing for the demands of higher education during their formative years.

It takes a lot of work and responsibility to teach high school. You will undoubtedly spend a lot of time in the classroom imparting knowledge on your chosen field, but there is also all the work you will be expected to do outside of the classroom.

After all, learning takes place outside of the confines of the typical high school classroom. High school students can learn and be taught in a variety of settings. You may need to spend more time with students who are having trouble and could use extra support in addition to planning your lessons and grading papers and tests.

Additionally, you might be expected to assist in organizing and carrying out extracurricular activities like field trips that take place off campus. Naturally, you will also work with other teachers and parents to make sure your students are getting the most out of their education.

What Does a High School Teacher Do?

Even though teaching is primarily the focus of your job as a high school teacher, the position involves many other duties. As a high school teacher, you’ll be:

• Lesson planning. You will be expected to work from a lesson plan that details what you will be teaching your students each day, depending on the day or class period. It will depend on your area of expertise and how you plan lessons. You will need to plan various types of lessons based on your classes, for instance, some math teachers may teach students of various levels on a given day.
• both tutoring and mentoring. More individualized guidance can be helpful for students who might require additional educational support. Students who are struggling or aiming for a specific educational goal can benefit from tutoring in small groups or one-on-one sessions.
• evaluations of the students. This can come in a variety of forms, including marking essays and tests, conducting weekly, monthly, or quarterly evaluations to assess progress and adjust course as necessary, and in some cases assisting students in getting ready for state exams to help them reach their academic objectives. Students can succeed with the aid of progress reports.
• interviewing parents. Parents should get to know their children’s teachers. As a result, they are better able to comprehend lesson plans, the material being taught, how their child is responding in class, and what can be done to support their academic endeavors at home.
• Organizing activities and journeys. Depending on your area of expertise, you may collaborate with other educators to organize field trips that support specific lesson plans or chaperone activities that give students the chance to learn outside of the classroom.

4 Steps to Become a Secondary School Teacher

Before teaching in a classroom, candidates for the position of teacher must fulfill a number of requirements. Here are four steps to follow:

Pursue Your Undergraduate Degree

Secondary school teachers must possess a bachelor’s degree in either science education or arts education. In secondary education programs, students learn about things like methodology, curriculum development, and effective teaching.

Students must have either a polytechnic diploma—which they can obtain by enrolling in a vocational school—or a general certificate of education: advanced (GCE A-Level) in order to be admitted to a bachelor’s program.

Complete Postgraduate Studies

University graduates are trained to teach in secondary schools through postgraduate diploma in education (PGDE) programs. In the PGDE (Secondary) tracks, student teachers gain specialized knowledge in each subject while also learning how to teach two subjects.

To hone your teaching approach while pursuing a PGDE, you can look into positions like teaching assistantships. This gives you practical teaching experience and aids in applying what you learn in a bachelor’s program.

Obtain a Teaching Certificate

You can become professionally certified to teach students by finishing a postgraduate program. You can finish programs to get certificates in subjects like science, math, or English.

An OISE TEFL certificate, which you can obtain by taking online courses, may also be required in order to teach at a private school. Your ability to teach English as a foreign language is confirmed by this certificate.

Consider Advanced Education

If you want to make your resume stand out to potential employers, you might decide to obtain additional certifications or graduate degrees. If you want to become knowledgeable about a teaching subject, think about getting a master’s degree.

It requires two additional years to complete and only consists of coursework in the field you’re specializing in. Master’s degree holders in education frequently make more money.

Salary and Career Outlook for High School Teachers

High School Teacher Salary

Except for CTE and special education teachers, high school teachers’ median annual pay in 2021 was $61,660, according to the BLS. A master’s degree in education, becoming an administrator, or supervising extracurricular activities are all ways that teachers can increase their income.

Comparing particular institutions will help you get a complete picture of compensation since salaries and other benefits can vary between public and private schools.

Each state has a different average salary and demand for high school teachers. If you have the option to move, you might look for employment opportunities elsewhere in the nation. 

High School Teacher Job Growth

The United States as a whole, including the high school sector, suffers from a teacher shortage. High school teachers are expected to experience employment growth between 2018 and 2028 of 4%, which is about average for all occupations, according to CareerOneStop.

However, this figure only accounts for newly created positions; it excludes those brought about by attrition or retirement. Depending on the region and the specialty, different job prospects exist. Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut are the only three states that anticipate a decline in the number of high school teachers employed.

Consider working in a region with high poverty for an even better chance of finding a job.