High School Teacher

What Is a High School Teacher?

Adolescents have many challenges to navigate. During a time of significant personal growth, they must also work toward completing their secondary education and preparing for postsecondary education, vocational training or direct entry into the workforce. High school teachers are responsible for guiding teenagers and instructing them in a particular subject area. While teaching about their subject area, high school teachers also strive to teach students how to think critically, reason analytically and communicate with proficiency.

If you are passionate about education and interested in working with adolescents, you may be wondering how to become a high school teacher. Before deciding on any particular career path in education, it’s important to understand the education, experience and licensure requirements for your intended career.

A teacher’s primary responsibility is instructing students and giving them the tools necessary to think critically. In high school, teachers generally specialize in one or sometimes two subject areas, such as mathematics, biology, history or language arts. Some teachers may take on additional responsibilities, such as coaching a sports team or supervising an after school club, program or other activity.

High school teachers generally teach students in grades 9-12. It’s common for teachers in secondary education to teach classes of varying grades, although some classes may be sorted by ability level and may have students of different grade levels. Some teachers focus on a core subject area, such as English or math, while others teach enrichment or elective courses, such as physical education, art or music.

Although specific duties can vary from day to day, teachers generally handle the following:

Preparation

They develop lesson plans, plan learning activities and prepare the classroom as needed.

Instruction

Teachers deliver lesson plans, instructing students as a class and individually.

Assignments

Teachers develop, hand out and instruct students on the completion of class assignments.

Assessments

They grade student assignments and assess their academic progress.

Classroom Management

They enforce classroom rules and ensure students’ behavior is acceptable.

Meetings

Teachers communicate with parents about student progress and attend faculty meetings.

All states require aspiring high school teachers to obtain a state‑issued teaching license or certification in order to teach in public schools. While private schools are not legally required to hire only licensed teachers, they do typically prefer to hire teachers with at least a baccalaureate‑level education in their subject area. Some private schools may prefer to hire licensed teachers. Since the specific requirements can vary from state to state, it’s important to research the requirements for the state in which you plan to work.

High School Diploma

As a future educator, you’ll want to focus on getting good grades in your classes, especially in the subject area you’d like to teach. Additionally, take some time to talk to your teachers about your future plans. You may be able to ask them for guidance and ask any questions you may have about the career. Since teachers need strong communication skills, you may also wish to take classes and extracurricular activities that allow opportunities to practice your communication skills.

College Degree

Plan on earning at least a bachelor’s degree in teaching with a focus on your chosen subject area. In addition, public school teachers must have a state‑issued certification or license. Some states also require teachers to earn a master’s degree after obtaining licensure and a teaching job.

Internships

Education degree programs that lead to initial teacher licensure typically have student teaching components, similar to internships or practicum/field experience hours in that they earn practical, hands‑on experience. As a student teacher, you’ll be placed in a classroom under the supervision of an experienced licensed teacher. You’ll observe how the teacher works with their…