What Degree Do You Need To Be A Middle School Teacher?

Middle school teachers need to be capable, passionate, knowledgeable, and highly qualified. So do you need a degree to become a middle school teacher?

Middle School teachers in public schools must have a bachelor’s degree from a reputable college. While an education degree is ideal, students in other disciplines can become teachers if they support their studies with minors in education and teacher preparation programs.

The following explores the steps required to become a middle school teacher, the challenges of becoming a middle school teacher, and the alternative routes you can take in order to teach middle school children.

Table of Contents

What Degree Do You Need To Teach At A Middle School Public School?

In the United States of America, all public school teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree from a reputable university. While it varies from state to state, some states require middle school teachers to have majored in middle-grade education.

Further to a major in education, some middle schools require their teachers to have majored in the field they intend to study, like mathematics or science.

For this reason, it is common to see degrees and courses at colleges clearly defining their majors (e.g., Science Education (Middle Grades) – Bachelor of Science)

What Are The Entrance Requirements For A Bachelor’s Degree?

Regardless of if you choose to focus on education or another field of study, the minimum entry requirement for a bachelor’s degree is a 2.0 GPA. However, while a 2.0 GPA is a sufficient minimal requirement for consideration, it does not guarantee entry into a bachelor’s program.

Further to the above, colleges are entitled to set their own minimum requirements for entry to a bachelor’s program, along with additional requirements. Additional requirements or considerations for entry into a program include, but are not limited to:

A history of alternative higher education,

A history of relevant work experience,
A minimal grade on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Personal statements and recommendation letters,

Exceptional sporting or cultural prowess, and
Proof of English proficiency.

What If I Do Not Meet The Entry Requirements For A Bachelor’s Program?

As seen above, academic prowess and success in both your GPA and SATs are essential in securing one’s position in a bachelor’s program. However, if one finds themselves with a low GPA, there are strategies and alternative paths you can employ to still secure a position in a bachelor’s program:

Provide a legitimate explanation for your low GPA,
Provide colleges with reputable recommendation letters,
Score highly on standardized tests,

Withhold applications until you have improved your GPA,
Apply for alternative admission programs,
Apply for community college.

Provide A Legitimate Explanation For Your Low GPA

While school performance and GPA are good measures of one’s academic ability, colleges are aware that external factors can negatively affect a student’s results despite their best efforts. Particularly in light of recent events like the Covid 19 pandemic and its effects on schooling, mental health, physical well-being, etc.

However, while disruptions like illness or lockdowns are “objective” and “measurable” reasons for a low GPA, colleges are less likely to accept people that score poorly on their GPA on “subjective” grounds, like a lack of maturity or disinterest in one’s studies.

Regardless of the reasons for a low GPA, students should outline the reasons clearly and succinctly in college admission essays (with the use of supporting documents or references where necessary.)

Provide Colleges With Reputable Recommendation Letters

Including recommendation letters from reputable sources like teachers, counselors, or employers can go a long way in proving one’s worth outside of just their GPA (such as an employer praising a student for their work ethic or a teacher highlighting a student’s improvement, despite their low GPA)

When applying to colleges with the assistance of recommendation letters, students must consult with their references to discuss what aspects of their performance or character they want to be highlighted and why these achievements are admirable despite the existence of a low GPA.

Finally, recommendation letters should be from impartial and objective sources, meaning students should avoid using recommendation letters from friends or family where possible.

Score Highly On Standardized Tests

While scoring highly on standardized tests like the ACT or SAT won’t automatically guarantee college entrance in the event of a low GPA, they may prove a student’s aptitude in learning and applying themselves when necessary.

Therefore, scoring highly in standardized tests, with the assistance of a legitimate explanation for your low GPA and recommendation letters, will give further legitimacy to the content of your explanation and recommendation letters.

It is also possible to retake standardized tests; however, whether you write these tests for the first or second time, you should file their explanation and reference letters in advance of writing these tests.

Withhold Applications Until You Have Improved Your GPA

Although students are encouraged to apply to colleges early, this leads to an extremely competitive environment which may be unsuited for students with a low GPA. Therefore, students with lower GPAs should opt to apply at a later date to reduce the competition and to give themselves additional time to improve their GPA.

Students are encouraged to use the time afforded to them to focus their attention on subjects they are having difficulty with, improve their study techniques, build healthy study habits, and engage with their teachers or private tutors to give themselves every opportunity to improve.

While this may result in certain colleges closing their applications or filling their positions before a student can apply via a late application, this is a small price to pay if it means the difference between not getting into the college of their choice versus being rejected entirely.

Apply For Alternative Admission Programs

Many colleges offer alternative admission programs to students that have low GPAs, subject to further considerations like explanations for their low GPAs and recommendation letters.

Although alternative admission programs may extend the stay of a student at university and the number of courses they take, it is an ideal way for a student to bridge the academic gap between high school and college by receiving academic support from college professionals.

Further to the above, students in alternative admission programs are supported in the subjects they performed poorly in during high school or are taught the courses necessary to enter their degree of choice.

Consequently, many students that take alternative admission programs are given a leg up over the competition once they begin their bachelor’s degree!

Apply For Community College

Another alternative path to college admission is for students to apply to community colleges. Community college allows students to attend summer courses after graduating high school, which expose them to courses to upskill themselves in a variety of subjects.

If a student showed marked improvement and good results at community college, they might have the option of transferring to a four-year bachelor’s degree at a university. Alternatively, a student can remain at community college and upskill themselves in both academic and practical studies.

What Courses Do You Take During An Education Degree?

While the content of education majors varies depending on the college attended, all education majors focus on teaching students the history, theory, and practice of teaching. Examples of courses include but are not limited to:

Classroom management,
Lesson planning,

Teaching children with disabilities,
Public school law,
Child psychology,

Understanding education standards,
Student assessment and evaluation,
Curriculum creation and modification,

Basic mathematic concepts,
English learning and literacy integration,
Instructional strategies.

For a better understanding of what an educational degree entails, the following video from Niche Social underlines the challenges, rewards, and prospects stemming from a major in education:

Can I Take Specialized Education Courses In College?

Along with general education courses, most colleges offer specialized education courses. These courses equip college majors with the skills and knowledge to work in niche fields within middle school structures.

Examples of specialized courses include, but are not limited to:

Physical education,
Special education,
English as a second language.

While specializations are seldom required to teach at middle school, some schools may require their teachers to have undergone certain specialized electives in order to fulfill a teaching post.

Therefore, education majors are encouraged to know the requirements of middle schools in their state or any middle schools they want to apply to when deciding on specialized courses and electives (along with a genuine desire to learn about a specialized field).

Must I Study for A Masters In Education To Teach Middle School?

While public schools do not mandate that teachers have a Master’s degree, individual schools and private institutions may require their teachers to have one.

However, outside of employment opportunities, there are a host of reasons middle school teachers may consider studying for a Master’s in education, including but not limited to the following:

Improve their academic and practical understanding of teaching,
Remain on the cutting edge of new movements and studies in the field of education,

Improve and develop an educational specialty or interest,
Develop administrative skills,
Transition into alternative or broader fields of education, such as non-profit organizations,

Improve one’s chances of securing a pay rise or additional benefits,
Provide a competitive edge when applying for teaching posts.

What Are The Best Colleges To Study Education?

While there are many excellent colleges to study education, the following fifteen colleges have been recognized as having the best education programs:

Vanderbilt University,
Michigan State University,
The University of Washington,

Ohio State University,
The University of Texas,
The University of Georgia,

The University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Pennsylvania State University,
The University of Illinois,

Columbia University,
Harvard University,
Arizona State University,

Florida State University,
Stanford University,
Indiana University Bloomington.

While many of these universities have low acceptance rates, students should not be discouraged from applying to them, nor should they be disheartened if they are accepted to another education program, as the demand for teachers remains in your favor!

What Other Qualifications Do Middle School Teachers Need?

Once a person has been awarded their bachelor’s degree, they are required to complete a teacher preparation program, and they must be licensed as a teacher before they can be considered for teaching posts.

A teacher’s preparation program provides future teachers with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience to successfully teach and coordinate a middle school class. It is important to note that these programs, while required for holders of general bachelor’s degrees, are not a requirement for people who have majored in education.

Secondly, future teachers must receive their teaching certificates. While these certificates are typically awarded through a test that assesses a person’s teaching knowledge and skills, different states have different requirements.

Further to the above, multiple colleges allow their students to study for their bachelor’s degree in education while simultaneously being awarded their teaching certificate upon completion of the necessary tests.

Can You Teach Middle School Without A Degree In Education?

As alluded to in the discussions above, it is possible to become a middle school without a degree in education.

While the typical route involves the inclusion of a minor in education studies during one’s bachelor’s degree or the completion of a teacher’s preparation program upon receiving their degree, there are alternative routes to teach middle school:

Studying toward a TEFL certificate, which allows teachers to teach English as a foreign language abroad, or
Qualifying as a paraprofessional is a person who provides teaching assistance in class under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

Another alternative is teaching at a private school, as they are not subject to state legislation. However, it is extremely unlikely that a private school will hire a teacher without a degree or relevant qualifications (in fact, many private schools require additional requirements over and above those legislated for state schools).

Conclusion

While there are multiple options available to people that want to become middle school teachers, the traditional method of achieving a bachelor’s degree in education remains the easiest and most efficient way of qualifying as a teacher.

If you are curious about the requirements needed to become an elementary school teacher and how these compare to the requirements mentioned in this article, then check out this post.

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