Texas Teacher Certification Questions Answered
If you want to become a teacher in Texas then there are a number of things that you’re going to want to prepare for, understand and research.
In this post I’ve put together a list of the top resources for people who wish to go through the Texas teacher certification process to become a teacher in State of Texas. Simply click on the questions below and you’ll be taken to their answers. If you have any further questions about the certification process then contact me using the contact form on this site and I’ll get back to you shortly.
Common Certification Questions
What qualifications do I need to become a teacher?
What is the Process for Becoming a Teacher?
What is a State Approved Teacher Education Program
How long does it take to become a teacher?
What Exams do I have to Take?
What qualifications from other states are accepted?
What are the Average Salary and Holiday Allowances?
What Qualifications do I need to Become a Teacher?
Generally speaking, you must have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited higher learning institution to become a teacher in the state of Texas. However, in certain specialty fields such as technology and career courses, it is possible to become a teacher without having a degree.
To be eligible to teach these specialty courses in most other states requires a minimum undergraduate “credit” requirement (ie. you have to have done a certain number of hours of undergraduate study rather than completing the entire course), however in Texas this minimum requirement doesn’t exist and therefore you can become a teacher in these subjects without going through higher learning.
What is the Process for Becoming a Teacher in Texas?
There are three parts to becoming a teacher in Texas:
- Bachelor’s Degree – you need to have a bachelor’s degree in any subject from an accredited higher learning institution (unless you are teaching specialty subjects as mentioned above)
- State Approved Teacher Education Program – you need to have gone through a state approved teacher education program.
- Exams – you need to have passed the examinations that are specific to the state of Texas (namely the TExES) that is specific to the subject that you want to teach.
What is an Approved Teacher Education Program?
Texas teacher education programs typically consist of both theory and practical learning. On the theory side of the course, students learn about teaching methods, pedagogy and how to research and develop lesson plans and methods of teaching. On the practical side of the course, students may take part in observations, placements in schools and internships.
Whilst there are currently no schools in Texas that offer a major in Education, most undergraduate courses offer an approved teaching program that students can pursue as part of other majors. Students who complete this optional module will receive a state approved teacher certificate which means they are already eligible and no further action is required.
Students who have already graduated in a subject other than education and chose not to take the approved teaching program during their degree will have to go through an alternative teacher certification process. These courses can be taken through colleges and universities as a standalone course, or through an approved commercial teacher certification program (there are many companies that offer this service). Click the link to learn more about Alternative teacher certification Texas.
How long does it take to become a teacher?
Assuming that you have already completed your bachelor’s degree then it will take around a year to complete the approved education program and pass your TExES. If you have already completed the approved education program then you can book your TExES exam immediately and be qualified and looking for your first teaching job within a matter of weeks.
What you need to remember is that it can take a bit of time to actually get a job as a teacher once you are qualified…I don’t want to talk about this in too much detail in this post but if you’d like to learn more about the best way you can go about getting a teaching job in the State of Texas then click here.
What exams do I have to take?
To receive your full Texas teacher certification you have to pass two exams. The first exam is called the THEA (Texas Higher Education Authority) exam and is the basic, generic skills test that all teachers must pass.
You must also pass a the Subject Area Competence exam that is specific to the subject that you want to teach in. This exam is called the TExES. You may also have heard the term ExCET – the TExES, initially administered in the fall of 2002 has replaced the ExCET in various stages over the last few years. The TExES is the exam that tests your knowledge of your subject area to make sure you are at a level proficient to teach.
What qualifications from other States are accepted?
Certifications from other states are accepted from the following states, although there are instances whereby you will still have to go through the Texas examination process (as listed above) to receive your full teacher certification because not all certifications have been examined by the Texas Education Authority with regards to their rigor and similarity.
| Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California |
| Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida |
| Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
| Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan |
| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
| Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico |
| New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oklahoma |
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina |
| South Dakota | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont |
| Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin |
| Wyoming |
What are the Average Salary and Holiday Allowances?
Texas providees monetary incentives for teachers in special needs of areas where teachers are in short supply.
- Average weeks of Vacation: 15
- Average Teacher Salary: $45,265
- Years to Tenure: 3
- Teacher Salary v State Average: 121% of state average
Useful Resources
Below are some useful resources that you might find helpful if you’re looking to complete your Texas Teacher Certification: