How Do I Earn a Teaching License?

The way in which you acquire a teaching license depends a great deal upon your location, as different countries and regions often use varying procedures. In general, however, you need to complete a curriculum in teaching, such as a bachelor's degree in math education. Once you have your degree or other required experience, you can typically take an exam to demonstrate your skills and knowledge as an educator. Passing this test allows you to receive a teaching license, and this exam can be administered at a national level, or regionally in different provinces or states.

A teaching license is a form of certification required in many areas for someone to legally teach at certain levels of education. To receive this type of licensure, contact the licensing body in your area that is responsible for providing certification to determine the requirements they have established for it. You may need to look at multiple levels of governing bodies, however, since varying organizations in different countries oversee this process.

If you are in the US, for example, then licensure for teachers at the primary and secondary education levels is typically handled by state governments. Consult the department of education or similar agency in your state to determine what requirements you need to meet to gain a teaching license. In general, most states require that you have a four-year college degree, such as a bachelor's degree, in a relevant field. These programs usually include courses in which you learn to teach and gain experience through student-teaching, all of which can help you prepare to gain a teaching license.

In addition to your education, most areas also require that you pass some type of test or exam for licensure. Each state in the US administers a test that you need to successfully complete to get a teaching license. There is also a national license that you can acquire in the US, and other countries may only have a national level certification rather than individual exams for smaller regions.

You may also be able to receive a teaching license under special or emergency guidelines, which can make it easier to supply more schools with educators. In areas that are in desperate need of teachers, or for instructors in certain subjects, the usual procedures necessary for licensure can be relaxed. You may be able to begin teaching with a provisional license based on your professional experience or other grounds for recommendation. This type of teaching license often lasts only a few years, while you demonstrate your abilities as a teacher to earn full licensure.