If you goal is to teach in a location where it is warm all year round, you might want to look at finding teaching jobs in Florida. The first thing you need to know is the qualifications you need in order to be hired as a teacher in this state. You do need to have a Bachelor's degree with a major concentration in a subject taught in the school curriculum. You do need to do your research to find areas where there are areas of critical shortage of teachers. This will ensure you of getting a job faster than if you choose a subject area where there is an overabundance of teachers. There is a shortage of qualified teachers in the areas of Special Education, Mathematics, Reading and Science.
You should be aware of the specific regulations for teaching the various grade levels and content areas in Florida schools. When you look at finding teaching jobs in this state, you will see, for example, that the requirements for teaching certificates are different for those wishing to teach elementary grades than for those wishing to teach in high school. There are two routes you can take for getting a teaching certificate for Florida. The first is to have a Bachelor’s degree or higher with a major in elementary education. The second route allows you to hold a Bachelor’s degree and at least ten courses in elementary education. There is a requirement, however, of what those courses should be. You do need to have courses in reading instruction and methodology courses in each of the areas that you will have to teach in the elementary grade.
Finding jobs in Florida schools is not difficult. There are many jobs posted on the State board website as well as on the websites of the individual school districts. The main time of the year to go searching for job postings is in the spring, as this is the time of the year when schools look for their teachers for the following school year. In times when there are a lot of teacher retirements, you will find many jobs posted. Florida school districts actively recruit new teachers and hold job fairs at universities and colleges both within the state and in other states.
If you already have the qualifications for being a teacher, a teaching certificate from another state and teaching experience, you will not have any trouble finding teaching jobs in Florida. Once you apply for a position and you are successful in your application, you must then apply for your Florida teaching certificate. Florida has a reciprocal agreementy with other states regarding teacher certification. Once you submit your teaching certificate and qualifications, the licensing authority will determine if you need to take any of the Florida certification exams. If so, you will receive a notification telling you which exams you need to take.
There is more to just finding teaching jobs in Florida than just obtaining a position and then figuring that is all there is to it. Your first teaching certificate is a temporary one, valid for only three years. During that time, you will be expected to take steps necessary to obtain the professional certificate. This requires you to engage in further study and professional development experiences so you can strengthen your knowledge about teaching and your teaching skills. This certificate is non-renewable so you do have to make sure you adhere to the regulations if you want to continue teaching in this state.
