Middle School Teacher Certification

Teachers at middle schools teach children who are typically in grades 6, 7 and 8. All states in the US require middle school teachers to be licensed and therefore there are specific educational and experience requirements that need to be met prior to being hired to teach in a middle school.

Education & Credentials

In general, to become a middle school teacher, a post-secondary degree is required. During these degrees, the individual usually must choose a specialization. These specializations could include subject areas such as math, English, history or even a foreign language. The degree must be at least at the bachelor’s degree level. Normally, an individual will receive a major degree in the subject they’d like to teach, a minor degree in education plus hands-on experience in a classroom. Some states even require middle school teachers to posses a master’s degree however, in many states a bachelor’s degree will suffice.

In addition to a post-secondary degree, relevant teaching experience with students is essential to obtaining a license. Each state outlines different experience requirements such as what level of teaching, how much teaching experience as well as what specific tasks need to be addressed during the teaching experience.

During training to become a middle school teacher, the social, intellectual and psychological aspects of children must be studied and understood. These aspects should be focused on children between the ages of 10-14 years of age. It is also important that teachers learn how to increase motivation in children during this age category. There are accelerated teaching programs that are offered typically towards undergraduate students.

Career Outlook

The average growth for middle school teachers is about 12.4 percent – as predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This employment growth is for 2022 and is similar to the growth rate for all other occupations. This figure translate to about 76,000 additional middle school teacher positions. As with many other occupations, growth is affected by the region.

Salary

During the year 2013, the median salary for a middle school teach was $53,940. The middle school teachers who were the lowest paid received a salary of about $37,050, while the highest paid received a salary of approximately $82,770. At the 75th percentile, the salary was approximately $67,420 and at the 25th percentile it was $43,790. The middle school teachers who took home the most money were the ones who resided in Chico, California, Kingston, New York and Nassau, New York.

How to become a Middle School Teacher

To become a middle school teacher, each state has varying requirements. In saying this, the one common requirement is a post-secondary degree. Aside from this, state requirements do vary but usually not by too much. Usually teachers must pass a general test for certification prior to becoming licensed. In addition to this, states usually have ongoing certification tests that teachers must pass in order to keep their licenses in good standing. In many states, such standardized testing is only required for middle school teachers in public schools; private schools are typically not required to participate in standardized testing. This is a result of state licensure not being mandatory for private schools.

In most states in the US, background checks are necessary to become licensed and hired in a middle school. These backgrounds are usually quite common when dealing with the vulnerable population. During this background check, fingerprints are taken and submitted to ensure there has been no crime committed that the individual has not disclosed during the application process.