Teaching Career

Question:
I have a Spanish degree and would like to teach elementary school in Illinois. What do I need to do?

Answer:
To teach in Illinois, you'll need a teaching certificate, which you can earn through an approved teacher education program. Before admittance into any such program, you'll need to pass the Illinois Test of Basic Skills, and afterwards you must pass a content test in your teaching area as well as a test called the "Assessment of Professional Teaching" for elementary school teaching.

You might be able to earn your certification through one of the alternative certification programs established by the Illinois State Board of Education. If you have a bachelor's degree from a nationally accredited university and you have worked for five years in a field associated with your degree, you might be eligible to enroll in an alternative certification program. If you qualify for one of these alternative programs, you'll still need to become a certified teacher, although the process will be shorter. For more information, see the Illinois State Board of Education online.

You also should consider what, exactly, you'd like to teach. With your Spanish certification, you might consider teaching middle school Spanish. Many middle schools offer Spanish classes, and they sometimes struggle to find qualified teachers. Presently in Illinois, there's a higher need for teachers of special education, bilingual education, and ESL teachers than those of elementary ed.