Become a New York Science Teacher

<table border="1"><tr><td> Education/Experience Required </td><td> A Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree, Certification</td></tr> <tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> edTPA, CST, New York State Teacher Certification Exam - Educating All Students (EAS)</td></tr> <tr><td> Certification Renewal Period </td><td> 5 Years</td></tr> <tr><td> Mean Salary for Teachers in New York (2018) </td><td> Elementary - $83,010, Middle School - $83,490, High School - $85,300*</td></tr> <tr><td> Estimated Job Growth Nationwide (2016-2026) </td><td> Elementary - 7%, Middle School - 8%, High School - 8%*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i> </p><h3 id="section---JobDescription">Job Description</h3><p>Science teachers in the state of New York have a variety of different day-to-day responsibilities, some of which include grading student assignments, administering tests, creating lesson plans, maintaining their classroom, tracking the progress of their students, and meeting with other faculty. Science teachers in the middle school and high school setting may also be responsible for a lab portion of a class as well, and so it is imperative that teachers communicate proper safety procedures and maintain a safe environment for students. Depending on the school that teachers work for, they may be required to attend events such as open houses, parent teacher conferences, or staff meetings. </p><h3 id="section---EducationRequirements">Education Requirements</h3><p>When starting out on the pathway to becoming a science teacher in the state of New York, the first step is to earn a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. While in college, a minimum of a 2.5 GPA is required as well. As a part of the college or university experience, it is also required that students complete a student teaching experience in a science classroom. </p><h3 id="section---ExamRequirements">Exam Requirements</h3><p>Before applying for an initial teacher certification, it is required that applicants take and pass three different exams. First is the edTPA, which is used to measure if a teacher is ready to enter into her first job in the classroom. The second exam is the Content Specialty Test (CST), which will test the potential teacher's knowledge in science. The last exam required is the New York State Teacher Certification Exam - Educating All Students (EAS). This exam will test knowledge in general subjects, such as liberal arts, along with knowledge in a teacher's specific area (in this case that would be science). </p><h3 id="section---AdditionalRequirements">Additional Requirements</h3><p>Once completing the educational and testing requirements listed above, there are still a few additional requirements that need to be met before applying for an initial certification. Potential teachers will need to attend three different workshops, including the Dignity for All Students workshop, Child Abuse Identification Workshop, and School Violence Intervention and Prevention Workshop. They will also need to have fingerprinting done to run a background check for previous criminal activity. After that, the requirements are met and it is time for potential teachers to apply for their initial certification through the state's Department of Education. </p><h3 id="section---CertificationRenewal">Certification Renewal</h3><p>To continue teaching in the state of New York, it is necessary for all teachers to renew their certification. After holding an initial certification, teachers will need to apply for a professional certificate. To do this, a teacher will have to have completed the necessary coursework and earned a graduate degree. They will also need three years of teaching experience, along with one year of mentored teaching. Lastly, they will need to have completed a 6-hour DASA workshop.</p>