I am working on my teaching degree is it important that I get Nationally Certified?
I am asking if I should could Nationally Certified as a teacher because does this give me better skills to be a teacher or just extra accreditation? I want to always find more ways to keep kids engaged. #teaching
2 answers
Hannah’s Answer
Howdy Dena! Certifications all depend on which state you want to work in. In Texas, for example, you have to take the TEXES Certification exams otherwise you aren’t allowed to teach.In other states, however, they may only require the PRAXIS (national teacher certification exam). Due to the inconsistency across the nation, it’s best to do some research in regards to the particular state you would like to work in. All it takes is a simple search on that state’s Educational agency website to find out!
The best way to learn better skills is to attend Professional Development, this is where you get to be specific on what you learn so you can focus on those things that are either a struggle or high interest to you! Note: Most states require you have a set number of Professional Development hours within a certain time frame in order to keep your license. In Texas we have to have 225 hours every 5 years to maintain our license and avoid having to retake our certification exam.
There are many free professional developments available to teachers, some are; Texas Gateway (only for Texas Educators), Microsoft for Education, Google for Education, LinkedIn Learning (30 day free trial), coursera.org
Hope that helps! -Hannah
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