How To Become a Teacher in Texas 2025
The process of becoming a teacher is challenging, but rewarding. Here's how aspiring teachers can enter the classroom sooner in almost any subject area.
Learning how to become a teacher takes patience and effort, but it's not impossible for motivated individuals. It mostly involves obtaining a good teacher education, earning certifications, learning how to mentor children, and finding the right school district for employment. We'd like to share some useful strategies for how to become a teacher in Texas so you can jumpstart a rewarding career.
Steps To Become a Teacher in Texas
It's important to first learn the minimum requirements to become a teacher in your state. Below is a six-step guide which will prepare you for a full-time career teaching in either public or private schools in Texas.
<h3 id="section---Step1DecideWhatSubjectAndGradeLevelYouWantToTeach">Step 1: Decide What Subject and Grade Level You Want To Teach</h3><p>The first step to enjoying a long and rewarding career is to decide which grade levels you'd like to teach. This also includes building expertise in specific subjects, such as special education, physical education, mathematics, English as a second language, social studies, and more. Here are some suggestions regarding the <a href="https://learn.org/articles/fastest_program_to_become_a_teacher.html">fastest way to become a teacher</a> at various grade levels.
</p><h4 id="section---BecomingAnElementarySchoolTeacher">Becoming an Elementary School Teacher</h4><p>If you'd like to <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Kindergarten_Teacher_How_to_Become_a_Kindergarten_Teacher_in_5_Steps.html">become a kindergarten teacher</a> or teach up to about fifth grade, then you should focus on getting teaching credentials and learning everything about early childhood education. Younger learners have special needs that high school teachers do not have to consider. Since becoming an elementary school teacher requires a college degree, you may consider completing your four-year degree in education or relevant non-education fields, such as childhood psychology.
</p><h4 id="section---BecomingAMiddleSchoolTeacher">Becoming a Middle School Teacher</h4><p>The middle school teacher educational requirements in Texas begin with completing a bachelor's degree and an approved educator preparation program after graduating college. Once you've done that, you must pass teaching certification exams, fill out a state application for licensure, undergo fingerprinting and background checks, and plan to take continuing education courses throughout your career.
</p><h4 id="section---BecomingAHighSchoolTeacher">Becoming a High School Teacher</h4><p>Texas has similar high school teacher educational requirements as it does for middle school teachers. However, at this level, educators assume much more in-depth teaching responsibilities in diverse subject matter. You'll have the chance to demonstrate subject competency by passing high-school teaching exams for a Texas teacher certification.
</p><h3 id="section---Step2ChooseYourMajor">Step 2: Choose Your Major</h3><p>There are several education degree programs dedicated to teacher education at Texas universities. Although you do not have to major in education to teach, it's still common for prospective teachers to focus on areas like elementary education, special education, technical education, and other fields that offer early student teaching experience for undergraduate students.
</p><p>Some teachers focus on bilingual education in Texas, given the state's large population of Spanish speakers. Whichever major you choose, it should help you hone the basic skills every new teacher needs to handle classroom management, mentor students, and other common challenges.
</p><h3 id="section---Step3EarnYourBachelorSDegree">Step 3: Earn Your Bachelor's Degree</h3><p>All teachers must hold at least a bachelor's degree to qualify for teaching positions in Texas and almost anywhere throughout the country. Fortunately, there are several affordable and reputable universities offering education degrees, including Texas Tech, the University of Houston, and Texas A&M.
</p><p>You should seek to begin student teaching at the end of your degree program, but there is also a lot of important focused coursework after fulfilling general education requirements. Some of the most common teacher education courses include curriculum development, childhood psychology, pedagogy, mathematics education, and other academic content areas.
</p><h3 id="section---Step4ConsiderAMasterSDegree">Step 4: Consider a Master's Degree</h3><p>An optional master's degree, although not required for teaching, can lead to much higher salaries for teachers in Texas. Most counties in the Lone Star State offer additional stipends for master's degree holders.
</p><p>It's important to know that not all master's degrees will make your resume more attractive to hiring schools. You stand a much greater chance of getting a job (with a high stipend at a competitive school district) by having a master's degree in either education, science, or math. The more your degree satisfies the needs of a particular school, especially one with a teacher shortage, the better your chances for higher pay.
</p><h3 id="section---Step5PassTexasTeachingExamsAndGainLicensure">Step 5: Pass Texas Teaching Exams and Gain Licensure</h3><p>We mentioned the certification program requirements briefly in step one, but it's worth examining them closer. The TExES teacher certification involves passing at least one certification test required of all prospective teachers. The state offers different versions depending on your teaching concentration (including one for an alternative teaching track).
</p><p>Exams have a scaled scoring range between 100 to 300, with a passing score of 240. Like other standardized tests, the teaching exam does not penalize wrong answers, so it's okay to guess on difficult questions. Once you finish an exam, it will give you a pass/fail indication along with how you performed in specific content areas.
</p><h3 id="section---Step6ApplyForTeachingJobs">Step 6: Apply for Teaching Jobs</h3><p>There are different ways to find and apply for teaching jobs in Texas. According to <a href="https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/education-service-centers/texas-educator-job-sites">Texas.gov</a>, the state has 20 Texas Educator Job Sites corresponding to the various school districts.
</p><p>You should take some time to review this information to get a better understanding of where you'd like to teach. For example, you can visit District 4 to find job openings in the Greater Houston area from among a couple dozen schools, such as Xavier Academy, Houston Heights-Lawrence, and others. Some of that district's constituent systems are actually their own independent school districts, and are often in need of new teachers, principals, and superintendents.
</p><h2 id="section---HowToChooseTheRightTeachingDegreeProgram">How To Choose the Right Teaching Degree Program</h2><p>Start by searching for your ideal teaching degree program from one of several Texas universities. Many of them participate in lucrative grant opportunities, like the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant, worth up to $4,000 of federal funding per year. There is also a Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), which could allow you to earn between $3,000 to $32,000 in pay increases upon employment.
</p><p>You should also identify those universities that offer specific professional development in the areas you want to teach. Texas A&M, for example, offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Special Education, whereas the University of Texas grants a master's degree in the same field. By enrolling in one of these degree programs, you could substantially increase your odds of getting hired in your school district of choice.
</p><h2 id="section---FAQsAboutBecomingATeacherInTexas">FAQs About Becoming a Teacher in Texas</h2><p>These are some commonly asked questions by new teachers in Texas. This section will share more about qualifications, the time required for teaching certification, and the prospects of becoming a substitute teacher.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatQualificationsDoYouNeedToBecomeATeacherInTexas">What Qualifications Do You Need To Become a Teacher in Texas?</h3><p>The Texas Department of Education and county school boards set the primary qualifications for entry-level teaching employment. There is some variation on specific requirements, but you should expect to obtain at least a bachelor's degree and teaching certification. It also helps to build a portfolio of student teaching to demonstrate you have sufficient classroom experience.
</p><h3 id="section---DoRequirementsDifferAtPrivateSchoolsAndPublicSchools">Do Requirements Differ at Private Schools and Public Schools?</h3><p>There are some differences between working in public schools, private schools, and charter schools. They mostly differ on expected experience levels, whereas they often have similar basic entry-level requirements. In some parts of Texas, private schools offer salaries that are significantly higher than those of public schools, which makes the job market more competitive and makes it more challenging to secure employment as a new teacher straight out of college.
</p><h3 id="section---HowLongDoesItTakeToBecomeATeacherInTexas">How Long Does It Take To Become a Teacher in Texas?</h3><p>If you follow a traditional route to fulfilling the certification requirements, then it will take about five years to become a teacher. This involves the four years it takes to complete a degree, followed by one year of student teaching in an educator preparation program. You can also consider enrolling in an accelerated degree program to reduce the time it takes to finish college if your university offers it.
</p><h3 id="section---CanIGetATeachingJobWithoutATeachingDegree">Can I Get a Teaching Job Without a Teaching Degree?</h3><p>You may gain employment as a teacher by completing an Alternative Certification Program (ACP), which entails specific coursework, teaching internships, and other training. This is less common, but you may also identify a few private and charter schools that will accept teachers without degree credentials. Some teachers obtain these positions contingent upon them earning a degree within a certain timeframe, however.
</p><h3 id="section---HowDoIBecomeASubstituteTeacherInTexas">How Do I Become a Substitute Teacher in Texas?</h3><p>The requirements for substitute teacher positions vary depending on the school district. Some areas still require a four-year degree for employment, whereas others offer substitute teacher training programs. In general, you're more likely to find degree-less substitute teacher positions in counties experiencing a shortage of qualified teachers.
</p><h3 id="section---HowDoIApplyToATeachingProgram">How Do I Apply To a Teaching Program?</h3><p>The application process goes through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. There, you would submit the application, pay the necessary fees, complete the teaching program, and submit passing scores for the certification exams. If you are an ACP applicant, then you must maintain at least a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) throughout your undergraduate program.
</p><h2 id="section---StartYourTeachingCareerToday">Start Your Teaching Career Today</h2><p>You can begin your path to becoming a certified teacher in Texas or anywhere else in the U.S. by using the library of information from Learn.org. We'll help you get into the classroom sooner by showing you where to find bachelor's degree programs, teacher preparation programs, teaching licenses, and more.</p>