Education

Early Childhood or Elementary Ed Degree Better To Become A Kindergarten Teacher?

keys to becoming an kindergarten teacher

If you want to become a kindergarten teacher, it can be hard to decide which bachelor’s degree to earn to get you there. A bachelor’s in early childhood education or a degree in elementary education can qualify you to teach kindergarten. But each may lead you into different teaching environments, with different potential salaries and different opportunities for advancement. Here’s an overview that can help you decide which of these two teaching degrees will help you meet your needs as you work on your kindergarten teacher qualifications.

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Early Childhood Education Degree

Most bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education qualify you to teach and care for children from infancy or toddlerhood through kindergarten, and, in some cases, as high as third grade. Many states offer early childhood licensure, although it is not required to teach in most preschools. Licensure is, however, essential to teach in a public school setting, and some states may require elementary education licensure on top of that. This degree has a more narrow focus than an elementary ed. degree, in that it’s specifically tailored to learn about the educational and developmental needs of preschool-aged children.

If you earn this degree, you’ll learn about developing children’s minds through art, music, storytelling and the basic building blocks of academia: numbers, letters, colors and shapes. This degree is great for teachers who love the preschool setting and want to specifically focus their energies on the kindergarten classroom and curriculum. Instead of teaching the more rigid academics of older elementary grades, teaching kindergarten in many ways bridges the gap between preschool and elementary school and provides an important foundation for each student’s future learning attitudes and experiences.

Elementary Education Degree

Earning an elementary education bachelor’s degree can qualify you to teach grades kindergarten through sixth grade, and in some cases, through eighth grade. In order to teach in most schools, especially public schools, elementary education licensure is also required. This degree has a much broader scope than a degree in early childhood education, since teaching methods and techniques vary greatly among the grades you can teach with it. So in addition to learning how to teach younger children like kindergarteners, you’ll also be learning how to teach a variety of subjects to older grades (up through middle school, in some cases) as well.

If you choose an elementary education degree, you’ll have to learn how to teach subjects like science, math, history and English in addition to methods of teaching younger children. While this makes you more versatile, you won’t be focusing only on the preschool/kindergarten-specific pedagogy, even though it may be your top interest. Instead of just learning about methods of teaching preschool children, your training will include teaching five-year-olds through twelve-year-olds, in most cases. You may also have to accept that you may not get a student teaching placement within kindergarten, and your first job could be teaching another grade as well. However, this degree could make finding a job easier, as it covers twice as many grades as an early childhood education degree.

Kindergarten Teacher’s Work Environment

Many early childhood education majors teach kindergarten in a preschool setting that includes a preschool and a kindergarten, but no higher grades. It is possible to teach kindergarten in a public elementary school with an early childhood degree (with licensure). But in today’s climate of budget cutbacks in the educational system, this is becoming less of a reality, since teachers are frequently moved around from grade to grade to accommodate a shrinking workforce. So if you love the specific environment of a preschool, a degree in early childhood education is best. If, however, you like the idea of being in an elementary school setting and don’t mind the possibility of teaching grades other than kindergarten, then a degree in elementary education would be a better choice.

Kindergarten Teaching Salary and Benefits

The typical salary for kindergarten and elementary school teachers is about $59,000. acccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while those teaching in religious schools make about $10,000. less. But salary numbers don’t tell the whole story. Public school teachers tend to have much more solid benefit packages, which means they allow you to make more money in real terms as an early childhood teacher. “Perks” like the kind of strong healthcare and retirement packages you can get from working in a unionized public school’s kindergarten can make your career path much more profitable. If you want to work as kindergarten teacher in any public elementary school or in most private ones, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree.

Pre-School Teaching Salaries

Pre-school teachers make a good deal less: about $30,000. per year according to USBLS. But pre-school salaries vary widely, with some pre-schools paying just over $21,000. and others paying teacher salaries above $55,000. Pre-school can be a great place to work if you have a particular love of working with very young children. Another attraction is that the typical pre-school teaching requirement is only an associate’s degree, which obviously takes less of an investment on your part to obtain than a bachelor’s degree.

Early Childhood Education Salary With A Masters

earnings of kindergarten teacher with masters Does a graduate degree increase your earning potential if you’re teaching in kindergarten or another early childhood environment? There isn’t a simple answer to this question. One of the most widely quoted sources for data on this is salary.com, which pegs the typical salary for a kindergarten teacher who has either a master’s or an MBA at $55,345. to $61,299. per year. But it’s an odd choice to lump teaching master’s and MBAs into one category, since very, very few teachers at an early childhood level have a business degree.

A teaching master’s degree can increase your advancement potential, qualifying you to become a specialist or administrator. It’s also a sort of “public secret” that if you are a classroom teacher with a master’s and an administration job comes available in your district, you’ll probably find out about it before it’s advertised publicly and get a chance to apply for it before anyone outside the district.

Again, working in a public school environment is likely to give a greater salary benefit for a higher degree. That’s because public school systems not only pay higher base salaries than most private schools, they also tend to have have more standardized systems in place for tying salaries to a teacher’s educational attainment. In other words, in a public school, it’s more likely that getting a master’s or a specialized certification will lead you to get an automatic salary boost.

Can You Become A Kindergarten Teacher Online?

It is definitely possible to get your bachelor’s degree in education online, although you will probably need to complete several work and certification requirements in the state where you intend to work to actually start earning your living by teaching in class. Online teacher colleges can offer you options to get through your education faster in many cases than traditional schools, because they tend to have many adult students who are in a hurry to complete a career change, and tend to offer more options for accelerated degrees.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Kindergarten Teacher?

It will normally take you four years to earn a bachelor’s degree to teach kindergarten. In addition to your degree in early childhood or a closely related subject, you’ll need to complete your student teaching requirements and certification tests, which vary from one state to another, to realize your goal of becoming a full-fledged kindergarten teacher. Here’s a look at all the key steps involved.

The time investment to get your degree to become a teacher is generally four years. You may be able to get into kindergarten teaching with an early childhood education degree or some other type of education degrees. But virtually all such programs, be they either nBA (Bachelor of Arts) or BS (Bachelor of Science), will usually require you to earn 120 credits and will take four years to complete if you work at a normal pace. Don’t be frightened off, however if you see a credit requirement that’s more than 120. Because the way colleges define the term “credit,” there can be huge variations. Purdue University Global, for instance, requires 180 “quarter credit hours” for completion of its online BS in Early Childhood Development, but its generally completed in four years like just about all the 120 credit teaching programs out there. How long it ultimately takes you to get an early childhood teaching degree will, of course, depend on how much time you can dedicate to your schoolwork.

Tip: Spend some time researching the requirements you’ll have to get a teaching certification in your state before signing up for a degree program. Some states work closely with teaching colleges and impose unique requirements that can make it take longer to finish your degree.

Teaching Requirements In Your Bachelor’s Program

As part of your bachelor’s program, you’ll generally be required to do student teaching. Student teaching, known as a “practicum” or “student teaching.” These are actually two slightly different things. A practicum is a classroom experience where the teacher in training works as a partner with a classroom teacher, and it will be a part of one of your teaching courses. You will receive feedback but not necessarily a grade for your practicum – you’ll only get a grade for the course that the practicum was part of. Student teaching (sometimes called “demonstration teaching”) means taking more full control of a classroom, and possibly even meeting with parents and the PTA. You’ll almost certainly be expected to create and present good quality lesson plans. Student teaching is considered a free-standing course unto itself, and you will receive a grade based on observation of your work. While classroom training work can be hard, student teaching and practicums are tremendously beneficial, as they can increase your confidence about becoming a kindergarten teacher. Remember that when it comes to student teaching, different states have different minimum requirements. They can have an influence on how much time you’ll have to spend doing this type of work before graduating from your school.

Tip: Online teaching degree schools also require student teaching. They generally have specialists who can set you up to do your in-classroom work under an authorized observer in your local area.

Getting A Real World Job As Kindergarten Teacher After You Finish A Degree

When you finish your teaching bachelor’s, it’s time to pursue your teaching certification. The length of this process varies from state to state, but generally one or two years at most.
To teach in any state in the U.S., you will need to take and pass a certification test. Keep in mind that it may be possible to do this while you are still in college working on your bachelor degree program – obviously a desirable approach to get you out into a teaching job faster. But many teaching college grads begin working toward their certification after they finish their degree.

You’ll need to take an approved teacher prep program. These types of programs are approved by state organizations with names ranging from “education professional standards board” to a basic state board of education. But there will only be one credible approval board for each state, which you can quickly locate through internet research. Some schools will actually hire you and allow you to work on getting certified while you teach. But they may only give you up to one year to complete this process.

What Tests Do You Take To Be Certified As A Kindergarten Teacher?

In virtually every state, you’ll need to take an appropriate course and test for your particular area of teaching specialty, sometimes called a “content specialty” test or “Praxis” test for professional subject areas. For kindergarten teachers, most states offer a certificate for “birth through kindergarten.” Many states also require unique courses for certification that are not focused on academics, but which might loosely be referred to as “sensitivity training.” New York State, for example, requires all prospective teachers to take a course called “Dignity of All Students.”

Be aware that several steps in the teaching certification process can involve fees. A background check, for example, is required for teacher certification in most states. That can cost you $100. or more. There may be a fee of $100 to $150 for simply submitting your teacher certification application.

Your state educator preparation program is likely to include an in-classroom teaching element and a test or series of tests. The testing varies tremendously from one state to the next. Many states have created several of their own tests to certify teachers. Again, some quick internet research will show you which organization you need to apply to for prep courses and certification tests in your own state.

Teaching In A Different State Than You Went To College In

If you have gone through the preparation process or even taken and passed the certification test in one state and then decided you would rather work in a different state, you may be in luck. Many states have “reciprocity” agreements under which they accept credentials teachers have earned from each other.

Tip: As you work through your student teaching, prepare a “teaching portfolio” with your evaluations, a list of the classes you’ve taught and a statement of your philosophy of teaching. When it’s time to go job hunting, it will help employers to see you as a polished, professional educator.

Tip: Get a specialty teaching certification. Either within your bachelor degree program or right afterward, you might consider getting certified in an in-demand specialty like English as second language or special education. Some of these certifications can be done through online colleges.

Can I teach kindergarten with a B.E. degree?

Yes, it’s possible to become a kindergarten teacher it you have a bachelor of education degree that’s not specialized in early learning. But your ability to get hired to teach young children will vary a great deal in different states and in different types of schools.

When it comes to the highest paying and most highly sought-after jobs in good public school kindergartens, you may find that your B.E. officially qualifies you to be hired, but makes you less competitive than other candidates who have early childhood specialty degrees.

You will need to need to pass any competency exams your particular state requires for teaching young children before you start your job hunt. The next step will be to do some serious research on schools in your area if you really want to get into kindergarten teaching.

The landscape is very complex. For example, the national Head Start program now requires that at least half of all their teachers have a bachelor’s in early childhood or a related category. On the other hand, most states only require that you hold some kind of bachelor’s in education to teach kindergarten, while other states only insist only that you have a bachelors degree of any type.

Many states have more specific requirements for teachers in public school kindergartens than those in private or pre-schools. And to complicate matters more, you’ll find variations between specific schools and programs in a particular state, with some requiring either a bachelor or associate specialized in childhood development or other similar specialty and others having no such requirement. The “net net,” as they say, is that it possible to teach kindergarten with a bachelor’s that’s not focused on early childhood learning, but it can take a good deal of work to find the specific school that will hire you.

Click to search for all Early Childhood Bachelor’s Degrees
Click to search all Early Childhood Master’s Degrees

Bachelor’s Degrees Online In Early Childhood Ed

Purdue University Global
Very large, well-known online school with a wide range of degrees in many subjects.
B.S. Early Childhood Administration
Undergraduate in Early Childhood

Rasmussen College
Accredited school with over 13,000 students in it’s online program and multiple campuses.
Early Childhood Education Leadership Bachelor’s Completion Program

Ashford University
California-based school with over 39,000 students and 50 online degree programs.
BA in Early Childhood Education
BA in Early Childhood Education Administration
BA in Child Development

Master’s Degrees In Early Childhood Education

Grand Canyon University
Large private school offering online degrees at a relatively moderate price for a school with strong name recognition across the country.
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education (leads to initial teacher licensure)
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education (does not lead to initial teacher licensure)

Walden University
MS Education, Elementary Reading and Literacy, Grades Pre-k to 6

Other Types of Kindergarten Teacher degrees

As you search for the right qualification to teach in kindergarten, you’re likely to run into a dizzying array of other degree titles. Typical examples at the undergrad level will include BS in Behavioral Health with Emphasis on Infancy or Early Childhood studies. Some BS programs in this area focus on a sub specialty like teaching STEM or Christian studies to young children. There are also early childhood ed degrees in administration, which can be a good idea if you’re strongly focused on becoming the head of a kindergarten or other preschool.

Having a master’s degree can improve your career prospects in almost any area of education. Degrees you may benefit from as a kindergarden teacher include an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Ed or a Masters in Curriculum or Instruction specialized in K-12 grades. But even more general grad degrees in secondary education can, in some school districts, qualify you for a higher salary grade.

Choosing Which Grade Level to Teach

By Paul Mannet

Which grade level to teach at?

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Choosing which level to teach at early in a college career can make key differences in a professional one.
Here are some important factors to consider:

Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits for primary and secondary teachers is reported to start around $31,000 and the median salary is around $50,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10% earn on average between $75,000 and $80,000.

Postsecondary educators do see a small hike in median salary – it’s about $58,000 – but the scale is much wider. The middle 50% ranges from about $41,000 to almost $84,000. Rank, subject, and geographic location all influence these numbers, which are also factors to think about.

Credentials
Postsecondary teaching might come with slightly higher average salaries, but that’s because there is a distinction in the college investment. Primary and secondary schools typically call for a bachelor’s degree in education and in some cases a master’s.

College professors on the other hand are typically required to hold a doctoral degree, which can take anywhere from three to eight years of additional education, dependent on course study.

The important thing to consider here is not only what you’ll be paid after college, but the amount of time (and tuition) you’re going to spend getting there.

Job Scope
While there is no list long enough to describe exactly what teachers do every day, these are a few important pieces of the nature of their work that can help you in choosing which level to teach.

Primary Teachers (Kindergarten – elementary school)

Work each day with young children
Play a vital role in different stages of development
Teach many subjects
Teach one group of students each day

Secondary Teachers (middle school – high school)

Work each day with teenagers
Build upon foundational concepts and introduce more ideas
Specialize in a single subject area
Teach many different groups of students each day

Postsecondary Teachers (college)

Work each day with young and middle aged adults
Specialize in a single subject area
Teach many different groups of students each day
Can opt to work in research in addition to, or instead of teaching

The Classroom Ages
In addition to weighing the work environment, it’s important to consider the age of your future students. For example, working with young children can be extremely rewarding, but it also requires patience. If you have a desire to stimulate the minds of youth, remember that there will be minds on occasion that don’t want to be stimulated. As a college professor you won’t face these kinds of issues necessarily, but remember, in order to become one you must put forth the biggest initial investment.

These are all important aspects to teaching that should be weighed against each other. Ask yourself questions like “Do I want to work with kids every day?” and “Would I prefer teaching one subject or many?” Write down your answers – it will make you truly focus on what you’re thinking and reveal which factors are most important to you and your quest for choosing which level to teach.

Salary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Degrees Consider If You Want To Move from Teaching to Administration

By Paul Mannet

“Online

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By Susan Ott
Many teachers who decide to go back to school for an advanced degree to move up the proverbial career ladder into a position as an administrator. Principals and vice principals form the largest group of administrators, but there are other senior jobs involved in the management of a school or district that involve dealing with organizational, procedural and financial decisions.

While not all teachers want to move into this type of work, there are benefits to a job as an administrator for those whose strengths fit the job description. Number one on the list of many who chose this career path is money. Administrators almost always make more money than teachers. Other benefits include: getting out of the classroom to make decisions that affect the whole school, having control over policies you see as beneficial based on your teaching experience, and, for some, getting away from constant interaction with students and becoming more of a business manager instead.

What Degree Do I Need?
Both a master’s degree can often qualify you for a position in administration, though some candidates also get a doctorate before trying this type of career move. It just depends on how much education you already have and how much more you want to earn. While the names of the degrees vary, most contain the words “administration,” “leadership” or “policy” within their descriptions.

Some common master’s and doctorate degrees that can qualify you for administration include:

M.Ed. Administration
M.Ed. Education & Public Policy
M.Ed./Ph.D. Educational Leadership
M.Ed. Instructional Leadership
M.Ed. Teacher Leadership

What Courses Will I Take?
It’s important to be aware that almost all school administrators start out as teachers. That’s because it’s necessary to understand the unique challenges of the classroom before you take a position instituting policies that affect teachers and students. When you go through a graduate degree program for administration, however, the courses are usually a hybrid of educational policy & practice topics mixed with courses you’d find in a business management program.

Also be aware that most states require public school principals to have a school administrator license in addition to the proper degree(s). This is not something you earn during your master’s or doctoral program; rather, you must get tested separately by the state to earn your license. Some states require supervised on-the-job training as well. Private school principals usually do not have to meet this additional requirement. Even though it’s not a part of your coursework, your school advisor should be able to guide you through exactly which steps to take.

Your courses for this type of degree will most likely include variations of the following:

School Leadership
Educational Finance
Education Law
History of Education
Curriculum Development and Improvement
Educational Management (both business & financial)
Cross Cultural/Racial Instructional Evaluation
Educational Technology
Instructional/Teacher Supervision

What You Need to Know Before Starting A Career In Teaching

By Paul Mannet

“Start

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The day to day demands of a career in teaching have evolved along with the rest of the world, in ways that can make the teacher’s life both more satisfying and more challenging. Many of the old-time learning methods of rote memorization and drills have given way to classroom and multimedia tools designed to help students think in abstract terms and develop critical through processes.

But for every teacher, career skills that have been used to centuries also remain important. It’s as important as ever that a teacher have a good knowledge of the subject or subjects being covered in class, an understanding of how children at different ages think and learn, strong communication skills both for dealing with students and their parents, and an ability to plan out a variety of engaging lesson plans.

“A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.”
– Patricia Neal

You can learn the basic tactics of how to work in a classroom environment, including student motivation, testing methods and dealing with learning disabilities, in an accredited teaching degree program. But intangibles like creativity and an enjoyment of getting up in front of a class and performing can also serve you well in a career in teaching. Finally, one thing that never changes is the need for a teaching professional to be able to control a large classroom.

Starting Out
Although many teachers change their specialties as they grow and advance, it can be helpful to start your journey in teaching by thinking about what level you want to teach at. The four key areas today are:

Pre-school & kindergarten, where teachers use storytelling, games, arts and other somewhat less structured approaches to give young children their first exposure to basic concepts of vocabulary and mathematics, and a very important early understanding of getting along socially.
Elementary school, where one teacher generally covers a variety of subjects (sometimes acting as a team mate with another teacher), and increases student’s ability to work and learn more rapidly as they move from one grade to another.

“I touch the future. I teach.” – Christa McAuliffe

Middle school and high school, where the teacher will generally specialize in a single topic that he or she has an in-depth knowledge of. Teachers at this level begin to teach subjects that are career-oriented, or which will help students get into a college program. Middle school, in particular, is an area where a teacher who can effectively deal with teenagers is extremely valuable.
Special education. Recent “No Child Left Behind” and other rules have put much more responsibility on schools to educate children effectively, regardless of whether they come with special challenges or special skills. As a result, special ed teachers are in demand to teach children with learning disabilities of many different types, and, at the other end of the spectrum, to provide advanced teaching for high-performing students.

Teacher Career Requirements
Every state in the U.S. requires public school teachers to have certification or a license to teach (private schools often do not require this). The rules differ from state to state, but generally speaking, to get started in your career in teaching, you need certification in the particular area you will be working in: elementary, early childhood, K–12 or special ed. A bachelors degree will, in most cases, provide you with certification upon graduating. Make sure, however, that you will be certified in the state you intend to teach in. If your school doesn’t give you a teaching certificate, you will probably be required to take a state certification test before you can even apply for a teaching job.

“To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching.” – George Bernard Shaw

Teaching certificates can be a complex matter, because pay scales are often tagged to the specific level of your certification. In New York State, for example, a new teacher out of school will receive an “initial certificate,” based on completing certain specific classes in a college bachelor degree program. (An associates degree can qualify you to teach certain career-skill classes in New York such as cosmetology and auto repair). Working teachers are then required to perform a certain number of paid teaching hours and take certain specific training courses within five years to receive the more advanced “professional certificate.” Failure to complete this work in five years can result in you losing your certification to teach, though it is possible to apply for a time extension. Finally, New York also issues temporary certificates to teachers who specialize in subjects it’s hard to find qualified teachers. Your state government can provide certification rules for your state.

Master’s in Education
A masters degree can be helpful in terms of distinguishing you from other teaching job applicants. It isn’t necessarily required for employment in many schools, but the school district may require you to be in the process of getting your masters degree to continue teaching there long term.

There are well over 4 million teachers in the U.S. today, and opportunities are expected to grow in the field as the population continues to grow. For the aspiring teacher, career opportunities should only get better in the coming decades.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

Transitioning To Teaching In College: The Tools You Need

By Paul Mannet

Moving up from teaching in k12 to teaching college

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By Susan Ott
Teaching college can be a fulfilling career step for current teachers who want a more flexible schedule and a new challenge in their work. College courses generally require teaching deeper subject matter than K-12, and draw on an individual’s expertise in a given field just as much as, if not more than, one’s teaching credentials and experience. For teachers who still enjoy teaching but feel they need a change, transitioning to teaching at the college level may be the right step.

College students are usually there by choice instead of obligation and a bit more mature and therefore easier to relate to. As a college professor, you’ll also have a flexible teaching schedule and be paid beyond your salary and benefits; professors are usually compensated for research and publication, as well as many times given travel allowances or other compensation as they learn more in their chosen fields. So even though they’re not unionized, they can negotiate for more attractive and flexible immediate pay packages than their K-12 counterparts (though unionized K-12 teachers usually have more comprehensive benefit and pension packages). There are, however, different qualifications one needs to teach college. Find out the steps you can take to transition into a new career teaching college.

Acquire Advanced Education
In order to teach at the college level, you’ll need a master’s degree; more prestigious institutions or those with a 4-year tenure track will require you to earn your PhD as well. Unlike getting your master’s to continue teaching at the elementary or secondary level, you shouldn’t get a master’s in education, but instead obtain a graduate degree in the field of study in which you want to teach (math, science, history, etc.) The caveat to this rule would exist, however, if you wish to teach in the education department at a college or university. Then, a master’s or PhD within the field of education would be appropriate. Most college professors are not even required to have a teaching certificate, so your teaching background can prove advantageous as you make this career switch, since you already have experience in the classroom.

Become a Specialist In Your Field
College professors are expected to possess a certain level of expertise in their field. Students (and their parents) are paying large sums of money for an education that will hopefully land them a job, so the stakes are high. Make sure that you have advanced knowledge in your field of study, as well as professional training and enrichment within that subject area. This could include: additional research, professional conferences, a side business, an official affiliation with a legitimate groups or organization within the field, or extensive teaching experience on the subject matter. If you feel you’re lacking in this area, use the time you’re going back to school to up your expertise. The more knowledge and experience you possess, the more attractive job candidate you are.

Complete Steady Research Work
One of the perks of being a college professor is that you are able to have a flexible schedule and teach fewer hours than a traditional K-12 teacher. However, one of the main reasons for this is that you are expected to continue to research and write about your subject area. Many professors pursue publication of their scholarly work quite regularly in journals and other academic periodicals. Staying current in your field through research and publication is an attractive quality for a postsecondary professional, and can lead to bigger and better job opportunities. (Though on-the-job experience is also quite attractive for certain fields, such as in the sciences.) If you find this intimidating, start practicing while you earn your master’s or PhD. Getting experience and practice helps build confidence and gives you more to show prospective employers upon graduation. Then, once you get a job, you won’t be so rusty. Another option is to teach at a 2-year community college where the mandate for continuing research isn’t nearly as high, yet you can still get tenure.

Become a Graduate TA
A great way to gain experience as a college professor is to get a position as a TA, or Teacher’s Assistant. TAs are graduate students who work part time teaching, grading, and assisting in lower level college classes, usually within the field from which they are earning their graduate degree. This can be an excellent way to gain experience from and rapport with your college or university while earning your graduate degree to further your career. You probably already have a solid foundation in teaching techniques, but college level teaching is a bit different, and this experience will show you that. While this is not a requirement to getting a job teaching at the college level, it’s certainly a boost on your resume.

Above all, make sure you really want to make the transition to teaching college before you begin your graduate program. Graduate programs for future professors usually have different classes—resulting in different majors—than graduate programs for K-12 teachers, so it’s important to solidify your plans before you start to save yourself time and money. Teaching at the college level can be a challenging, growing experience, perfect for teachers who are searching for something more. While it may seem intimidating at first, if you follow each step, you’ll learn as you go and potentially discover a better career for yourself in the process.