Becoming a History Teacher in North Carolina

<p>If you want to teach history in North Carolina, you should also decide which age group you want to work with when you consider a career. You can decide to pursue a bachelor's degree in elementary, middle grades, or secondary education, with a concentration in social studies or history where necessary. Your future students' ages will also determine which exams you need to pass before earning a license. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Education/Experience Required</td><td>Bachelor's degree in elementary education, middle grades with concentration in social studies, or secondary education with concentration in history <br />Teacher education program</td></tr> <tr><td>Exams Required</td><td>Basic skills assessment<br /> Praxis Content Exams<br /> Pearson Fundamentals of Reading for elementary students</td></tr> <tr><td>License Validity</td><td>Three years for Professional Educator's Initial License</td></tr> <tr><td>License Extension</td><td>No renewals for initial license; must be upgraded to Professional Educator's Continuing License</td></tr> <tr><td>Average North Carolina Salary (2018)</td><td>$47,580 for high school <br />$47,050 for middle school<br /> $46,500 for elementary school teachers*</td></tr> <tr><td>National Job Growth (2016-2026)</td><td>8% for middle and high school<br /> 7% for kindergarten and elementary school teachers*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---JobDescription">Job Description</h3> <p>As a teacher of history, you can explore some of the important events throughout the United States and the world as time has moved on. You could educate your students on cultural shifts, natural disasters, the rises and falls of various civilizations, and military conflicts. Classroom discussions and graded exams can be just a small portion of a year in your career, which usually lasts from late August to early June. You will likely assign homework to reiterate the concepts and material you cover in your classroom, and in higher grades, you might be in charge of a homeroom where students organize before they begin their school day. </p> <h3 id="section---EducationAndTrainingRequirements">Education and Training Requirements</h3> <p>When you are ready to select a major, you should figure out what grade you want to teach in North Carolina. A Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education will include courses that cover all of the material you will teach to grades K-6, including the history contained in social studies classes. For grades 6-9, you can earn a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education, with a concentration in social studies and one other area, such as language arts or math. If you plan to teach high school, a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education usually requires you to pick one concentration subject, which would be history in this case. All education degrees come with a student teaching component, giving you the opportunity to explore classroom teaching under the supervision of a licensed educator. </p> <h3 id="section---ExamRequirements">Exam Requirements</h3> <p>The number of exams you need to pass to become a licensed history teacher will largely depend on the grade level you plan to teach. Before you get to the licensing stage, you will have to earn a passing score on a basic skills assessment; you might be able to use your scores from the SAT or ACT, but you can also take the three-part Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators to fulfill this requirement. If you're teaching elementary students, North Carolina requires the Pearson Foundations of Reading test. There's also the Middle School Social Studies exam for the respective grade level, and if you're teaching high school, you'll need the Principles of Teaching and Learning: Grades 7-12 and the Social Studies: Content Knowledge exams. </p> <h3 id="section---LicenseRequirements">License Requirements</h3> <p>You can earn your North Carolina Professional Educator's Initial License after completing your degree and earning satisfactory scores on your exams. You should be aware that this license only lasts for three years, and in that time, you will need to prepare for and upgrade to the Professional Educator's Continuing License. You can work toward this new credential with work experience and a National Board certification, although your school district may have other requirements you need to meet for testing. The continuing license must be renewed every five years after fulfilling obligations for continuing education.</p>