Is becoming a high school teacher right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming a high school teacher is the right career path? Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become a high school teacher or another similar career!
Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.
How to become a High School Teacher
The educational requirements for high school teachers vary between public and private schools:
For public schools - an aspiring high school teacher must obtain a bachelor's degree (from an accredited program) in secondary teacher education with an area of concentration in the subject that they wish to teach. Alternatively, they may major in their content area and minor in secondary education. They must also obtain a state-issued license, often acquired through a teacher-education program that can be taken concurrently as part of the curriculum.
For private schools - the requirements are noticeably less, since most private institutions lack the licensing requirements of public schools, but they typically still require all teachers to possess a bachelor’s degree in education.