How to Become a Certified Tutor in Virginia

<table border="1"><tr><td> Education/Experience Required </td><td> Bachelor's degree; <br/>Teacher preparation program approved by the state</td></tr> <tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA); <br/>Praxis Subject Assessments</td></tr> <tr><td> License Validity Period </td><td>Five (5) or Ten (10) years</td></tr> <tr><td> License Renewal Requirements</td><td> 180 points (5 year) <br/>360 points (10 year)</td></tr> <tr><td> Mean Salary (2018) </td><td> $48,040 *</td></tr> <tr><td>Job Growth (2016-26)</td><td>8%* (Nationwide)</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Job Growth stats listed for Teaching Assistants nationwide.</i> </p><h3 id="section---UnderstandYourRoleAsATutor">Understand Your Role as a Tutor</h3><p>As a tutor, you will be instructing your pupils at their homes, your office, or even online. Your pupils can be those who need extra help for their school subjects or those who prefer homeschooling to traditional schooling. The number of pupils you teach will be less compared to classroom teaching. This allows you to have close interaction and bonding with the students. It also helps you to focus more on the subjects and areas that trouble each student. </p><h3 id="section---GetTheNecessaryEducationalQualification"> Get the Necessary Educational Qualification</h3><p>You should hold at least a bachelor's degree from an approved college or university to get the license. Completing a Teacher Preparation Program, along with the bachelor's degree, would be beneficial. Most of the approved universities in Virginia offer such programs which will help you towards licensure. Moreover, these programs give you a prior understanding and experience of the learning environment. </p><h3 id="section---PassTheVirginiaTeacherLicensureAssessmentTests"> Pass the Virginia Teacher Licensure Assessment Tests</h3><p>The assessment includes two tests - Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) and Praxis Subject Assessments. </p><ul><li>Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA): It is a year-round, 4 hours online test which assesses your communication and literacy skills. It includes two subtests, one for reading and one for writing. The passing score is 235 for each subtest or a composite score of 470. </li><li>Praxis Subject Assessments: It is also a year-round online test, which assesses your subject knowledge. The passing score varies for each grade level and subject. </li></ul><h3 id="section---MeetOtherEssentialRequirements"> Meet Other Essential Requirements</h3><p>The Virginia Department of Education mandates Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition Training, and Dyslexia Awareness Training to get qualified for the license. You should also undergo Emergency First Aid, CPR &amp; AED Training, which includes hands-on practice. Once you pass all the tests and complete the required training, you can apply for the teaching license. Additionally, if you are hired to homeschool a child, you have to follow one more step - getting the approval of the district superintendent. Once the superintendent validates your teaching license, you can go ahead. </p><h3 id="section---LicenseValidityPeriodAndRenewal"> License Validity Period and Renewal</h3><p>Virginia teaching licenses are either issued with a five or a ten-year renewal period. The number of professional developments points required for the renewal is 180 in order to renew for another five years, or 360 to renew for a ten-year license. These points can be earned through various activities, including attending a professional conference, publishing an article or a book, working on an educational project, developing curriculum, and so on.</p>