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Becoming a teacher in the great state of Nebraska will prove to be one of the most rewarding things you do in your life. Following the steps in this guide will show you exactly how to get there.
Here are some of the steps you will need to take in order to become an educator in Nebraska.
You will first need to choose what type of teacher you want to become. What do you want to teach? If you prefer to teach multiple subjects, then becoming an elementary school teacher is the right path for you. Do you have a background in a specific subject and a passion for teaching it? If so, you should consider teaching middle school or high school where you'll earn a content area endorsement in addition to your teaching certificate.
In all cases, your teaching certification and any additional endorsement you might earn will be issued through the Nebraska Department of Education.
In Nebraska, the basic education requirements for becoming a certified teacher are obtaining a bachelor's degree and completing a teacher education program. In order to get proper endorsement, the teacher education program should focus on the area you would like to teach. This means that teachers must be professionally trained through an approved educator preparation program to teach in one specialty subject or a certain range of grade levels. Each endorsement requires specific coursework. In addition to the coursework, teaching candidates in Nebraska are required to take a course on human relations.
In order to get an endorsement in Elementary Education, you will need to complete specified coursework. Some of the classes you will take may include: elementary curriculum, instructional strategies, child development, cross-cultural communication skills, classroom management, and education history. In addition, you will take methods courses in English language arts, mathematics, history/social studies, and science. Lastly, you will have the option to take elective courses such as fine arts, humanities, and health and wellness.
To get an endorsement to teach the Middle Grades (4th - 9th) in Nebraska, you will need to complete semester hours/units dedicated to middle level education courses. In addition, you will need to take courses dedicated to two or more Content Areas of Specialization. Each Content Area of Specialization will require a certain amount of units.
If you would like an endorsement in Music (K-12th), you will need to complete courses in composition, conducting, theory, music history and literature, performance, and techniques.
In order to get an endorsement in Secondary Language Arts (7th-12th), you will need to complete courses in the following: writing, reading, speech, journalism, and mass communications.
To become endorsed as a Secondary History teacher (7th-12th), you must complete a specified amount of semester units. You will take several history courses and some in one or more of the following areas: geography, psychology, economics, or political science.
An endorsement in Secondary Mathematics (7th-12th) will require that you take related mathematics courses.
To get an endorsement to teach Secondary Natural Science (7th-12th) you will complete several laboratory based courses in the natural sciences including biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics.
There are alternative routes to teacher certification in Nebraska designed for individuals who have not completed a traditional educator training program.
If you hold valid teaching certification from another state, you may be able to transfer your certificate to Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Education may request additional state requirements.
If you have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution but have not yet completed all of the traditional education program requirements, a school may request a Provisional Commitment Teaching Certificate. This is a provisional certificate as it is only valid for one year and only applies to the school that requested the issuance. However, if you show progress toward full certification, this provisional certificate can be renewed.
