How to Be a High School History Teacher in Georgia
History teachers provide students with the tools to understand historical events. Read on to learn how to become a high school history teacher in Georgia.
Overview of Teaching High School History in Georgia
The history certification in Georgia covers grades 6-12, but most high schools in Georgia run from grades 9-12. Georgia history teachers will instruct courses in US history and world history, teaching students about key events and the circumstances leading up to these events. History teachers also develop lesson plans, deliver lectures, supervise in-class discussions and projects, assign homework and projects, develop and give exams, and assess student progress.
<table border="1"><tr><td> Education/Experience Required </td><td> Bachelor's degree with educator preparation program, completion of course on identifying and educating exceptional children</td></tr>
<tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> GACE Program Admission Assessment, Educator Ethics Assessments, GACE Content Assessment: History; edTPA</td></tr>
<tr><td> License Validity Period </td><td> 3 years (Induction certificate)</td></tr>
<tr><td> Mean Salary (2018)* </td><td> $58,050 (high school teachers in Georgia)</td></tr>
<tr><td> Job Growth (2016-2026)* </td><td> 8% (high school teachers nationwide)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---GeorgiaCertificationSystem">Georgia Certification System</h3><p>Georgia has a tiered certification system including the following levels: Pre-Service, Induction, Professional, and Advanced & Lead Professional. The Pre-Service level provides the certification required for field work and clinical practice during one's educator preparation program. The Induction level certification is for educators with less than three years of experience. The Professional is for educators with five years experience, and the Advanced/Lead Professional is for those with ten years experience and/or leadership certification. Let's find out more about how to apply for the Induction level certification.
</p><h3 id="section---Education">Education</h3><p>In order to become a certified high school history teacher, one must first obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and complete a Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)-approved educator preparation program. In order to be admitted into an educator preparation program, students must have a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale and pass the GACE Program Admission Assessment and the GACE Educator Ethics Assessment - Program Entry. In addition, certification at the Induction level requires that the candidate has taken a course on identifying and educating exceptional children.
</p><h3 id="section---FieldWorkAndClinicalPractice">Field Work and Clinical Practice</h3><p>Candidates for secondary history certification must complete field work and clinical practice with grades 9-12. In order to do so, candidates must have the Pre-Service certificate. This will be requested by the institution where they are completing their educator preparation program. Candidates must complete at least a semester of clinical practice, but a year is recommended.
</p><h3 id="section---Assessments">Assessments</h3><p>After completing their bachelor's degree and educator preparation program, candidates for the history (6-12) certification must then pass several assessments. They must pass the GACE Content Assessment: History, which will test candidates on the information, concepts, and principles that entry-level secondary school history teachers should understand. Candidates will be tested on world history, US history, and Georgia history.
</p><p>Candidates must also pass the Educator Ethics Assessment - Program Exit Assessment, which is designed to both teach and test candidates about ethical concepts, regulations, and ethical design-making in an educational setting.
</p><p>Finally, candidates must pass the Content Pedagogy Assessment: Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), which consists of teaching materials designed by the student and responses to prompts about teaching.
</p><h3 id="section---Application">Application</h3><p>Once a potential teacher has successfully completed the educational and exam requirements to obtain certification, one can then apply for a teaching job using Georgia's website: TeachGeorgia. Schools will then request a teacher's proof of certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.</p>