How to Become a Teacher with a Business Degree

If you hold a bachelor’s degree in business, you may be surprised to learn that you can use it to become a licensed teacher While education degrees are the common route, there are alternative pathways for professionals with degrees in other fields to transition into teaching.

With a business background, you’re well suited to teach high school business, marketing, accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and other career-oriented electives. These subjects are growing in popularity as schools emphasis real-world skill building. Your business acumen can provide tremendous value in educating and inspiring students in these areas.

Follow this guide to understand the step-by-step process for launching a business teaching career without returning for a second degree.

Assess Your Suitability for Teaching

Before diving in, reflect honestly on whether you have the right temperament, emotional intelligence, and patience for teaching. As rewarding as it is, it’s an extremely demanding career working with children. Be ready for high-pressure accountability, long hours, and bureaucratic environments.

Important qualities for teachers include

• Strong communication and public speaking abilities
• High emotional intelligence and patience
• Passion for student development
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Time management and multitasking capabilities
• Strong ethics and professionalism

If you feel confident you have these attributes, teaching could be a highly fulfilling career choice. The classroom needs more professionals like you to prepare students for career success.

Research Your State’s Requirements

Every state has slightly different rules for earning teacher certification through alternative routes. You’ll need to understand your state’s specific pathway requirements first.

Many states offer accelerated “emergency certification” programs tailored to candidates with degrees unrelated to teaching. These fast-track people with content expertise into classrooms needing teachers.

Some common alternative route steps are:

• Complete an application detailing your education, experience, and background
• Pass background checks
• Take tests verifying knowledge of your subject area
• Complete a condensed teacher training program
• Participate in a mentored teaching residency
• Pass teaching exams for certification

Research options through your state’s department of education website or contact them to learn your best pathway. You may need to meet additional requirements like minimum GPAs, exam scores, and experience levels depending on the program.

Choose an Alternative Certification Program

Once you understand your state’s rules, research accredited alternative teacher certification programs. Look for affordable, flexible, and reputable programs enabling quick entry into teaching.

Many states have multiple approved providers – public, private, nonprofit, and university-based. Weigh factors like cost, format, duration, field experience, career support, and program completion rates.

For example, Texas has many alternative certification options including iTeachTexas, Texas Teachers, and Teach Forward Texas. Applicants can teach full-time while completing certification. Programs cost $3,500-$6,000 depending on length and features.

Ask programs if they have partnerships with local schools or can guarantee teaching jobs. Some alternative certs are completely online while others require in-person practical teaching.

Learn Teaching Fundamentals

Reputable alternative certification programs will immerse you in teaching methodology and classroom fundamentals during training.

Coursework typically covers:

• Adolescent development and psychology
• Curriculum design
• Instructional strategies and technology integration
• Classroom management techniques
• Lesson planning and assessment
• Working with special needs students
• Education law, ethics, and policies

Programs also ready you for mandatory exams in general teaching knowledge and your subject specialty. Many require you pass exams before you can teach.

Treat training as a crash course in the foundations of teaching. Soak up the hands-on experience. Ask tons of questions to prep for the reality of leading your own classroom.

Gain Classroom Experience

Alternative certification programs require participants to complete a mentored teaching practicum or residency. This on-the-job experience is invaluable preparation.

You’ll be partnered with an experienced teacher at a local school for hands-on teaching experience. Expect to spend at least 200 hours teaching classes under their guidance and supervision.

Use this residency to learn directly from an expert instructor. Seek regular feedback on your teaching skills, classroom management, and relationships with students. Be receptive to constructive criticism.

The residency period ensures you’re ready to manage your own classroom full of students. Make the most of this rare opportunity to hone your skills with a safety net.

Pass Required Exams for Certification

To receive your full teacher certification, you’ll need to pass a series of exams mandated by your state. Required tests vary but often include:

• Basic skills exams assessing reading, writing, grammar, and math
• Content knowledge exams in your subject area
• Teaching skills and pedagogy exams
• State-specific certification exams

Many programs provide exam preparation, study guides, and practice tests to help you succeed. Be ready to devote significant time to studying for these challenging exams. Some states require minimum scores.

Passing scores on all required tests are a key milestone indicating you’ve mastered the knowledge to become a certified teacher.

Apply for Teaching Positions

With your alternative teaching certification in hand, you’re ready to start applying for open teaching positions at public, private, and charter schools.

• Create an eye-catching resume summarizing your work experience, education, and new teaching credentials.
• Highlight your business background and ability to bring real-world perspective into the classroom.
• Apply for high school teaching roles in business, marketing, finance, economics, accounting, entrepreneurship or career exploration.
• Prepare to impress principals with your poise, passion, and business knowledge during interviews.
• Consider career fairs, teacher job boards, and working as a substitute teacher to get your foot in the door.

Leverage your experience managing teams, developing educational materials, coaching colleagues, and solving problems to stand out. Schools need more instructors like you with leadership abilities and career wisdom.

Continue Growing as an Educator

Congratulations, you now have a rewarding career as a business teacher! But the learning never stops in this field. Commit to continuously improving your teaching abilities throughout your career.

• Reflect on each lesson, activity, and day. Identify what worked and what didn’t. Adjust accordingly.
• Collaborate with colleagues frequently to exchange feedback, ideas, and best practices.
• Read teaching blogs, journals, and magazines to stay on top of the latest issues and innovations in your field.
• Join professional teaching associations for access to conferences, workshops, resources, and more.
• Consider obtaining a master’s degree in education, which can expand opportunities and salary potential.
• Get certified to teach additional subjects that complement your experience like marketing, economics, or technology.

Pursuing professional growth will make you an outstanding business educator that creates meaningful impact on students’ lives. They will benefit tremendously from your leadership.

The classroom needs more professionals like you sharing their career knowledge and passion. With hard work and the right preparation, your business degree can launch a fulfilling teaching career guiding the next generation.