Sometimes it’s easy to miss the fact that there are so many ways to become a teacher that are beyond taking PRAXIS tests and getting the traditional degrees required. There are ways to teach that are not through the school systems that we have grown to understand as the status quo. This is to say, Teaching comes in as many shapes and sizes as the programs that train prospective educators to be successful. With a bachelor’s degree in any subject, you are eligible for a job as an adult educator in a myriad of learning environments.
Adult educators often come to the table with the same love that traditional teachers have. This means a love for people and their stories, as many adult learners have hard stories that have led them to be approaching a high school diploma or a GED late in the game.
Passion often propels people into this field, so if it’s money your after, you might want to look elsewhere. If it is security, however, many of these positions stay the same and offer pretty good benefits. So, if you are interested in becoming a teacher without a teaching degree, your best bet is to look towards community education programs and find something that fits the bill as far as your passions and intrigue are concerned.
Are There Teaching Jobs Without a Degree?
Well, yes and no. There are many ways to work in community education settings without a traditional degree, as aforementioned. Generally you will need the life experience that will prove you are qualified to work with youth or adults in the capacities for which you are interested. Life experience and associate’s degrees can enable you to work in after school program settings, in some early childhood education settings, and with adult learners in many circumstances.
There are some private schools that will hire non-degree holding educators, but that is generally to teach a unit on something for which they are skilled. For example, if you are a professional photographer without a degree, you may be able to work within a private school environment as a professional in your field, but not as a fulltime classroom teacher. The degree itself is the means to a teaching certification. So if you are wondering how to get a teaching certification without a degree, the answer is, you don’t.
Are There Teaching Certifications Online?
There are bachelor’s programs in teaching that can be accomplished entirely online, other than of course the student teaching requirements that must take place in a classroom setting. Many times students are doing their required field work, sometimes for pay, while completing the coursework. Teaching assistant certifications are available online as well.
Sometimes students complete all of the online coursework while working another job, and then doing their student teaching at the end. This is all based on both how the program itself is structured, and the needs of the student. These degree programs are sometimes very tailored to the unique needs of their learners. For example, some programs are expressly delivered to support prospective teachers who have a degree in another field. They enable students to get what they need academically in order to qualify for a teaching certificate.
Many of these programs are delivered at an accelerated pace, taking into account the needs of adult learners who are interested in moving fast. On that note, they are delivered in a format that is designed to be flexible in order to accomodate the busy lifestyles of students who are required to work full time and have additional family obligations while engaging with an academic program. Some students want to work in education, but don’t necessarily want to teach classes. This means they are working on the policy or administration end, which sometimes requires the same course load. In most cases, they have a bachelor’s degree, and oftentimes a masters in some form of education.
There are even flexible online programs for master degrees in education as well. Some people choose this path in order to be even more skilled and cutting edge as an educator, but also if they want to take on leadership roles as administrators or other behind the scenes positions in service to the career path.
As you can see, teaching is made for so many different kinds of people, as proven by the programs that train perspectives in the path. There is no perfect program, unless it’s the perfect program for you. Take a look and see what is out there, beyond what you already knew was possible.