How To Become a Teacher Online in Indiana

In Indiana, most teachers hold a bachelor's degree in teaching or education. A few schools in Indiana offer these programs online, although you'll have to complete your student teaching in person.

You'll also need to pass a background check and teaching exams to become a teacher. Keep reading to discover more about becoming a teacher online in Indiana.

Steps for Becoming a Teacher Online in Indiana

In general, most teachers in Indiana become teachers by completing a bachelor's degree program that doubles as an education preparation program. While not super common, some Indiana schools offer online versions of these programs.

You must also pass a background check and complete the required exams. Below, we've outlined the basic steps for becoming a teacher in Indiana.

1. Determine Your Area of Focus

Before you earn your degree and start your career path toward becoming a teacher, you need to choose an area of focus. This will determine what you focus on in school, what kind of teaching exams you take, and which license you earn.

Generally, areas of focus are divided by grade level:

• early childhood education
• elementary education
• middle school/junior high education
• high school education

Special education degrees may be focused on a specific age group or may be general K-12 degrees.

You may also choose a content area. This isn't required for early childhood or elementary education, but options include art, music, and physical education.

Subject areas are usually required for middle school and high school. They may include fields like English, math, science, and social studies.

2. Gain an Undergraduate Degree Online

Typically, teachers in Indiana hold a bachelor's degree, an undergraduate degree that takes about four years of full-time study. A small number of these programs are available online.

In an online teaching degree program, all your coursework will be online. However, to earn your license, you'll still need to complete your student teaching on-site.

3. Participate in a Teacher Preparation Program

Most teachers in Indiana also need to complete a teacher preparation program. To simplify this, many bachelor's degree programs are also teacher preparation programs.

These programs ensure that students take all courses necessary to be successful teachers, and also ensure students get enough practice through their student teaching program. Your teacher education program needs to be approved by the state of Indiana, and you can find approved programs through the Indiana Department of Education.

4. Pass a Background Check

Most teacher preparation programs require students to undergo a background check before they begin student teaching. If your program does not require this, you will still need to undergo one to receive your license.

The goal of this background check is to protect students. Indiana teachers need to undergo background checks every five years to maintain their licensure.

5. Complete Required Teaching Hours

As part of your teacher preparation program, you'll need to complete field experience, commonly referred to as student teaching. Some programs last 12 weeks, while others take the full semester.

In the first part of your student teaching, you'll observe an experienced licensed teacher in their classroom. Then, you'll lead the class by creating lesson plans and teaching students under the guidance of a licensed teacher.

6. Pass Indiana Required Teaching Tests

All teachers in Indiana must take teaching tests to prove their competency and earn their initial practitioner license. These tests are offered through Praxis, an organization that administers teaching tests for many states. We've listed the basic tests required for a teaching career in Indiana below.

Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)

The Principles of Learning and Teaching are pedagogy assessments that test your professional knowledge and competencies. There are four different exams available depending on the grade level you plan to teach:

• PreK-12
• early childhood
• elementary school
• secondary school

You'll only take the exam for the age group you want to teach. For example, if you want to be a high school teacher, you'll take the secondary school PLT.

Additional Praxis Tests

In addition to the PLT, you'll need to take additional Praxis tests for your specific licensure area. The tests you'll need to take depend on the grade level and subject area you want to teach.

If you're going into early childhood or elementary education, you'll need to take teaching assessments that cover your skills in teaching reading, language arts, social studies, math, and science.

For those wanting to teach secondary education, you'll generally only need to take the exam for your subject area. For example, if you want to become a high school teacher who teaches chemistry, you'll take the chemistry exam.

7. Obtain Teaching Certification

Once you've completed your teacher preparation program, passed your background check, and passed your Praxis exams, you can earn your Initial Practitioner license. A teaching license is required to teach in public schools.

Note that Indiana teachers are also required to have a valid CPR and AED certification from an IDOE-approved provider and to have completed Suicide Prevention Training. Information about these certifications is available on the Indiana Department of Education website.

Additionally, teachers pursuing roles in teaching Career and Technical Education content areas, such as information technology or family and consumer science, must have documentation of 4,000 hours of related non-teaching industry experience.

Your Initial Practitioner license is good for two years, during which you'll need to complete the Indiana Mentor and Assessment Program. Then you'll be able to obtain a Proficient Practitioner license, which you must renew every five years.

Online Bachelor's Programs for Aspiring Teachers in Indiana

Very few institutions in Indiana offer online bachelor's degrees that lead to an educator license. Below, we've listed some online bachelor's programs that could benefit aspiring teachers in Indiana.

Ball State University � BS in Early Childhood Education

Ball State University is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It offers an online bachelor's degree in early childhood education focusing on newborns through kindergarten.

This degree does not lead to licensure when completed online. However, Ball State does offer a two-year online Transition to Teaching program for those who later decide to earn a license.

Indiana Wesleyan University � BS in Early Childhood Education

Indiana Wesleyan University is a private evangelical Christian university based in Marion, Indiana. It offers a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education that leads to licensure.

Another online licensure program that Indiana Wesleyan offers is a BS in integrative studies with an elementary degree concentration. It covers foundational skills in key areas, like instructional approaches and teaching diverse populations.

Indiana State University � BS in Psychology

Indiana State University is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It offers an online BS in psychology.

While this degree won't lead to a teaching license, it helps you understand human behavior. You can then pursue one of the alternative certification routes if you want to go into teaching.

How Long Does It Take To Become a Teacher in Indiana?

The length of time it takes to become a teacher in Indiana depends on what route you take to licensure and how long it takes you to get your license after earning your bachelor's degree.

For students taking the traditional route to licensure, it takes a little over four years to become a teacher � four years for your bachelor's degree plus the additional time you need to pass your Praxis exams and obtain your license.

What Are the Different Types of Teaching Licenses in Indiana?

We've already discussed the Initial Practitioner license, which is earned by completing a bachelor's degree in teaching and a teacher preparation program. After two years, you can move up to the Proficient Practioner License.

You can also earn an Initial Practitioner license if you completed an accredited teacher preparation program out-of-state. Another way is through an accredited ''transition to teaching'' program, which helps those with bachelor's degrees in other fields complete teacher preparation requirements.

A few alternative licenses are also offered by the Indiana DOE. The Alternative Special Education License is for those who have a bachelor's degree and are in an approved post-baccalaureate alternative preparation program.

The American Board (ABCTE) Alternative Licensure is for those who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and complete a program through the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. These programs are self-paced and available online.