Speech Teacher

<h2 id="section---IsTeachingSpeechForMe">Is Teaching Speech for Me?</h2> <h3 id="section---CareerOptions">Career Options</h3> <p>Two different types of speech teachers exist. The first are more commonly called speech-language pathologists or speech therapists; these special education teachers works with children just starting school or older kids to help them correctly pronounce words, start talking and lose lisps. They may also work with adults who've suffered a traumatic event, such as a stroke. The second is a teacher who prepares students to give public speeches, usually at the high school or university level, a skill that many will use for the rest of their lives. </p> <h3 id="section---EmploymentInformation">Employment Information</h3> <p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for speech therapists should increase by 19% between 2012 and 2022, partially because as the baby-boomers age and the number of special education students increase, they will need help overcoming speech, language and fluency issues (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). The BLS projects that the demand for high school teachers will increase by 6%, and that the demand for special education teachers overall will increase by 6%. </p> <p>As of May 2013, the median annual salary for elementary school special education teachers was $53,910. During the same time, middle school special education teachers made $56,300, high school special education teachers made $56,920 and speech-language pathologists made $70,810. </p> <h2 id="section---HowCanIBecomeASpeechTeacher">How Can I Become a Speech Teacher?</h2> <h3 id="section---Requirements">Requirements</h3> <p>The minimum requirement for a speech teacher of any kind is a bachelor's degree, according to the BLS. To teach at a public high school, you must have a teaching license, but not all private schools require one. If you want to teach methods for public speaking and communication, consider pursuing a bachelor's degree in speech or communication and teaching. Special education teachers, including those teaching speech and communication, must complete specific courses in special education training. All special education teachers must have a teaching license. </p> <p>Licensure requirements for speech therapists include completion of a master's program, the national speech-language pathology exam, 300-375 hours of clinical experience while under supervision and an additional nine months of clinical experience following graduation. </p> <h3 id="section---UndergraduateEducation">Undergraduate Education</h3> <p>Undergraduate degree programs in speech or communication with an emphasis or a minor in speech-language pathology may introduce you to speech disorders, how fluency develops amongst children and methods for correcting incorrect speech. Speech therapists and special education speech teachers deal with voice disorders, pitch problems and fluency problems as opposed to training students to give speeches in front of others. Courses include studies in phonetics, communication disorders, methods for managing a special education classroom, language acquisition and curriculum development. </p> <p>Through a bachelor's degree program in communication or speech with teaching certification, your courses may cover topics in writing, public speaking and broadcasting. The programs tend to address issues in mass communication and the history of the media. They also include speech classes, such as oral communications, theories of reading aloud, phonetics, articulation, diction, persuasion and debate. The teaching aspect of the program covers educational psychology, classroom management, methods for assessing learning and using technology in the classroom in addition to a student teaching experience. </p> <h3 id="section---GraduateEducation">Graduate Education</h3> <p>The BLS reports that some states require that special education teachers have a master's degree in special education. Speech-language pathologists usually need to have a master's degree and licensure, and some states may have certification requirements. </p> <p>In a master's degree program in speech-language pathology or communication disorders, your courses could address issues in stuttering, language disorders, articulation development and strategies in intervention while providing the chance to complete clinical experiences. Education programs include opportunities to complete student teaching experiences and gain classroom experience. </p> <h4 id="section---DoctoralOptions">Doctoral Options</h4> <p>You can engage in additional training at the doctoral degree level. This can lead to additional opportunities as a speech therapist. It can also lead to opportunities teaching at the university level.</p>