What to Teach
Choose your grade level
Deciding to become a teacher is only the first in a series of decisions you will be making before you finally take control of your own classroom full of students. One of those decisions will be to choose a grade level in which to earn your certification. While some areas of specialization provide certification levels ranging from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, there are specific steps required to teach different grade levels. These are divided into three categories:
- Early Childhood Education (pre-kindergarten through fifth grade)
- Middle Grades Education (fourth grade through eighth grade)
- Secondary Education (high school)
- P-12 Certification
To help you get a feel for what it would be like to work with each grade range, check out our information on teaching Early Childhood, Middle Grades, Secondary Grades and P-12 Certification where you'll find a description of each level, a breakdown of requirements and first-hand teacher profiles. Another great way to explore your options is to talk to teachers. Their opinions can prove to be very helpful, and they may be willing to let you shadow them during their classes or direct you toward opportunities to substitute teach. In the end, nothing will prepare you for the realities of being a teacher better than some hands-on experience.
Choose Your Subject
When considering a potential career, it's smart to think about how much demand there will be for your skills once you graduate. You may not realize it, but the state of Georgia is experiencing a major teacher shortage right now, which means there's never been a better time to pursue a career in teaching. Some subjects are considered “critical need areas” and if these subjects interest you, there may be some benefits to pursuing these subject areas.
For middle school, you will need two subject concentrations to teach, and for high school teaching, you will need at least one subject concentration. What areas of study most interest you? Wouldn't it be great if your future career allowed you to immerse yourself in those subjects? Teachers can do just that because teaching is all about turning your passion into your profession. It's up to you to hone in on your particular passion. Once you've decided which subject areas are your strongest, you'll be able to select which teacher preparation program is right for you. After all, there's a difference between having strong knowledge in a subject and knowing how to teach that subject to others, so once you figure out where your skills lie, we'll be ready to show you how to put those skills to good use. To start exploring your many options, check out our institutions with teacher preparation programs.