virginia: When i was like in 1st grade i dreamed of becoming a teacher. i later decided it just wasnt for me as other interests arose. now i am once again wanting to be a teacher. i am a high school senior and this is one of my potential career choices. i know its not the highest paying job but im really interested in it. i love every aspect about teaching. so my questions are: how many years of college would i need to go through, is it terribly hard becoming one, what classes must i take in college? for new teachers in virginia: are there certain state tests that are required? could you tell me where you went to college and if you are happy with your career choice? thanks!|||Welcome! I hope things go well for you. I'm not from Virginia, but I am a fairly new teacher. 1. Find a college that you are comfortable with. One that has good professors in the teaching area and the one that goes out of it's way to make you feel welcome. Also look for one that has partnerships in local schools (ask YOUR teachers for recomendations too!) 2. Hit the books. There are a lot of educational theorists, and you'll be tested on them all! The good news is that most of it is common sense. I'm sure you'll do fine. Since you asked: You'll have the general college classes (2 englishes, a couple of maths and sciences, history, etc.) on top of that you'll take some specialized education classes (Child Development, Child Psycology, Educational Methods, atleast one class on Special Education). Then you'll do student teaching. Becoming a teacher isn't hard or time consuming. A typical program will allow you to graduate in 4 years. 3. Get additional certifications. Finding a job in elementary is difficult (next to impossible in some areas). Get your foot in the door by being ESL, SPED, Title 1 certified. 4. Yes, there are almost always certification tests. They are pretty basic, and you shouldn't have dificulty passing. 5. Find that job! Be flexible as to where you teach, the nearest job isn't always the best so be ready to move. 6. The first year is hell. 7. The second year is a lot better. 8. The third year is a breeze compared to the first two. Good luck, I hope I haven't scared you! We need more young teachers who are passionate about helping others learn!|||Congratulations on your choice, it's a satisfying profession! In VA you need to complete a bachelors degree. The State of Virginia does not offer an undergraduate program in Education / to teach in the public schools. That's really becuase they want to have outstanding teachers! Once you get your BA or BS you may choose to take 15 graduate credits or do a Masters Degree in education. You will need to take some prerequisites courses before entering an education program; some students choose to take some of the courses while going through ed. school. If you can, try to take them while you are working on your undergraduate; it will alleviate on stress...and give you time to learn and enjoy your student teaching experience. To get certified you now need to take the Praxis Exams and that depends on the area that you choose to become certified. Most likely you will need to take the Praxis I and 2 (#1 is general: reading, writing, and math. #2 is the area of specialty you choose). The Praxis is not that hard if you are disciplined, really you shouldn't have a problem passing them. You should try to take them before finishing your ed. program, so the university will have your scores, GPA and they will submit them and reccommend the State to certify you. You may also choose to take the tests later, get a provissionat teaching license, you will be able to teach in the public schools; then YOU will submit everything to the state once you have completed taking the tests. My best advice for a successful career is to always be ahead of the game, it really pays off to have objectives and plan ahead! If you love teaching you have a great future ahead of you. Find a good university, find out what the state requires to become a teacher, and talk and ask questions to professors and students. Best wishes!|||Congratulations on wanting to teach! That is a wonderful career to get into, despite what anyone says. You will need a bachelor's degree, which can be done in four years. If you want a master's, that's another two years, you will get paid more, and could teach college if you wanted. I went to James Madison University, and I highly recommend it. Unless you are going to be a music teacher, your first two years will mainly be general studies classes, then after that you will focus on your major, whether it's math, English, elementary ed., whatever. All teachers must pass the national teacher exams (NTEs) to become licensed by the state of Virginia. I could go on for hours about the benefits, and also the negatives, of going into teaching. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.