by Frances Stanford

Created on: March 11, 2010

So you want to be a teacher, but the weather is important to you as well. You want a climate that is warm and sunny, which makes Florida the perfect choice as the place to launch your career. You need to be aware of the requirements for teacher in this state. First of all, you have to have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited univeristy with your major concentration in what is called a teachable subject. That is a subject that is taught in the schools of the state.

Like all other parts of the country, there are areas in Florida with a  critical shortage of teachers. By searching out these school districts and applying for the positions for which you are qualified will ensure you of getting a job faster than if you choose a subject area where there is an overabundance of teachers. At the present time there is a shortage of qualified teachers in the areas of Special Education, Mathematics, Reading and Science.

There are also specific regulations in place  for teaching the various grade levels and content areas in Florida schools. For example, those who wish to teach in elementary schools have a different set of requirements to meet when it comes to obtaining a teaching certificate than do those wishing to teach in a high school setting. 

Florida also offers 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.

It is not hard to find teaching jobs in Florida. The state department of education posts position on its website and each of the school districts post their openings as well.  The spring of the year is the best time 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 agreement 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.

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