By Paula Dicu
If you're interested in pursuing a career in teaching, getting certified in your subject area is just the beginning.
However, to stand out as a highly qualified and versatile teacher, you may also want to consider pursuing teaching endorsements.
Teaching endorsements are add-on certifications that appear on a teacher certification. They further specify the additional content that you are qualified to teach, such as a specific grade level, class, or specialized subject area.
Once a candidate is certified, they can easily add other subjects to their certification by taking a subject exam to earn their upgrade.
For example, if a teacher obtains their teacher certification to teach high school science, they can take another course to get certified in math, thereby adding a specialized teaching endorsement.
This can apply to:
- Secondary school teaching candidates that desire to add other secondary subjects.
- Elementary school teaching candidates that desire to add a special education specialization or TESOL.
In this article, we'll discuss how teaching endorsements can qualify you for more teaching jobs, as well as how to get teacher certified and add on an array of teaching endorsements, including the TESOL endorsement.
- Obtaining your initial teaching certification
- Starting to qualify for more teaching jobs
- How to find a teaching endorsement
- Career flexibility with teaching endorsements
Obtaining your initial teaching certification
To pursue a teaching endorsement, the first step is to become a certified teacher. This involves completing an accredited, state-approved Teacher Certification Program (TCP), like the one offered by Klassroom. Once you have your initial certification, you can begin exploring additional endorsements to expand your teaching qualifications and better align with your career goals.
Klassroom’s TCP is 100% online so that you can study on your own schedule. This offers you the flexibility to work while still earning your teaching license.
Plus, Klassroom offers three different licensure fields through this program. The licensure fields you may select are:
- Special Education Mild to Moderate Disabilities, K-12
- Elementary Education, K-8
- Secondary Education, 6-12
Remember, as a teacher, you don't have to limit yourself to teaching only one subject or specialization. Instead, you can obtain your initial certification in one area and then expand your skills by adding additional endorsements as your career progresses. This allows you to teach a wider range of subjects and age groups, and specialize in areas that align with your interests and goals.
Starting to qualify for more teaching jobs
Endorsements are often required by states or school districts in order to teach certain subjects or to work with a certain demographic of students.
For example, a teacher who wants to teach high school math might need an endorsement in calculus or statistics, while a teacher who wants to work with special education students will require a specific endorsement in that area.
Having teaching endorsements makes you more attractive to potential employers because it shows that you have specialized knowledge and skills that can benefit their students.
It also means that you're more versatile as a teacher and can teach a wider range of subjects or work with different types of students.
This can open up more job opportunities and may even lead to higher salaries!
How to find a teaching endorsement
Depending on your interests and where you would like to teach, it’s important to choose a teaching endorsement that is aligned with your career goals.
Once you have your initial certification, you can add endorsements by taking additional coursework or exams.
To find specific endorsements, you can research the requirements for endorsements in your state or district, contact your state's department of education, or speak with a school district representative. Additionally, Klassroom can provide guidance on endorsement requirements and how to meet them.
Some endorsements may require additional coursework or exams, while others may only require a certain number of teaching experience hours.
It's important to remember that endorsements can make you a more versatile and valuable teacher, so it's worth considering multiple endorsements in different subject areas or specializations.
Career flexibility with teaching endorsements
One of the benefits of pursuing teaching endorsements is that it offers career flexibility. For example, if you initially become certified to teach elementary K-8, this doesn't limit you to only teaching those subjects and grade levels for the rest of your career.
Instead, you can continue to add teaching endorsements to your certification as your career progresses, allowing you to expand your expertise and teach a wider range of subjects and grade levels.
For instance, if you become certified in K-8 education, you could later add a TESOL endorsement to your resume, which would enable you to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages. This can be particularly valuable in today's diverse classrooms.
Similarly, if you initially become certified to teach a specific subject, such as science, you could later add an endorsement in special education to your certification, which would enable you to work with students who have special needs.
Moving forward with the best teaching endorsements
Teaching endorsements can be a great way to qualify for more teaching jobs and make yourself a more valuable teacher.
Adding endorsements to your certification allows you to expand your subject expertise, grade level range, or specialized skill set. Consider pursuing additional endorsements to enhance your versatility and knowledge as a teacher.
Keep in mind that you can start with an initial certification in one area, but can later add more subjects or specializations as your career develops.
Good luck on your journey to becoming a highly qualified and effective teacher.