How to Combat The South Carolina Teacher Shortage
South Carolina is a great state with many opportunities for people who love teaching to become educators. However, according to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), South Carolina has been experiencing a growing teacher shortage for the past few years. With more and more schools re-opening for in-person classes, districts are struggling to fill their classrooms with teachers. This is where you can make a difference. When you choose to become a teacher, you have the potential to change the world for the better by shaping the young minds of tomorrow. And you can start your teaching journey as early as today! At South Carolina Teachers, we strive to provide our candidates with a top-quality education so that they may serve their students and districts to their fullest potential. In this post, we’ll outline just how easy it is to get started and how you can help end the South Carolina teacher shortage.
Getting Started
At South Carolina Teachers, we want nothing more than to do our part in combating the teacher shortage. That’s why we’ve created the quickest route to becoming a certified teacher. To apply to our program, all you’ll need a 4-year bachelor’s degree and a qualifying GPA. That’s it! All content areas require a 2.5 GPA or higher. Once you’ve sent in your application, you’ll need to speak with a program advisor to review program details and send us your official transcripts to evaluate your college coursework. From there, we will assign the appropriate subject exam based on our program 21 credit hour guidelines. To view a full list of critical need content areas in South Carolina, click here.
Once we’ve received these documents, you’ll be able to enroll in our program! A Program Advisors will get in touch with you and help you create your personalized education plan. Your journey to certification is unique and we want to help you throughout every step!
State Testing
After you’ve enrolled in our program, it’s time to prepare for your exams. To register for your exams, you’ll need to create an account with the ETS Praxis website. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be able to see available testing dates and register for the time of your choosing. And remember, you can take your Praxis exams from home!
You’ll need to take two exams: The Praxis II Subject Assessment(s) and the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT). The type of Subject Assessment(s) you take is dependent on which subject area(s) you are approved for based on your transcript review.
The Principles of Learning and Teaching exam is required to be passed during the first calendar year of teaching on your certificate. You can take this exam before you begin teaching, but most candidates wait until they’ve gained experience in the classroom since this test is focused on the application of pedagogy in the classroom. South Carolina Teachers does not have any testing deadlines for your Praxis II subject exams, so allow yourself as much time as you need to prepare. We recommend looking into The Learning Liaisons for test prep, as they have been helping people ace their exams consistently for a great price! They’ve given all of our South Carolina Teachers candidates an exclusive 15% discount, so take advantage of the reduced price on this amazing test prep! To view more information on state testing and study materials, check out our State Tests Resources page.
Complete Training
South Carolina Teachers knows it can be daunting to start training for a new career path. That’s why our fully online training program is split into two phases. We want you to be able to complete your training at a pace that fits you and your schedule. Our research-based curriculum is designed to help you be the best teacher you can be!
Phase I: Classroom Readiness Training is completed before you get in the classroom. It consists of different teacher training courses, such as Educator Professionalism and Components of Effective Instruction. All this training is done online and can be done at your own pace. The sooner you complete it, the sooner you get in the classroom!
Phase II: Excellence in Teaching and Learning is completed during your Internship Year. While you’re teaching, you’ll be completing courses such as Developing English Language Proficiency and Digital Tools for Today’s Classroom. This coursework is dependent on the requirements that the state has for your area of certification. To learn more about how training works, please click here.
Start Teaching: Your Internship Year
When you start your Internship Year of teaching, you’ll be paired up with a Field Supervisor to support you in the classroom. Field Supervisors are experienced teachers and administrators who will offer advice and strategies to help you succeed during your first year of teaching. You receive a Field supervisor once you are hired as a full-time teacher of record. They’ll get in contact with you and set up meetings with you, visit your classroom periodically to review your teaching and answer any questions you have along the way. They are there to provide you with consistent, positive support throughout your teaching journey.
During your first year, your Campus Administrator is there to help you acclimate to the on-campus culture. They will evaluate your performance and discuss your progress with you regularly. At the end of your internship year, your Field Supervisor and your Campus Administrator will submit a recommendation for your Professional License. South Carolina Teachers will handle this part for you, so no action is required on your part.
In addition to completing your training during your internship year, you’ll need to submit six skill-based projects to South Carolina Teachers. This is to show us that you fully understand and comprehend the learning objectives of a specific group of courses and that you exhibit the skills teachers need to be proficient in their field. To learn more about your internship year, click here to visit our Internship Year resource page.
#GetHired
Once you’ve completed 3 years of teaching on an Alternative Route certification, you are officially ready to apply for your South Carolina Professional License! You’ll be able to apply for full-time positions anywhere in South Carolina. You have a multitude of options at your fingertips, so go and take them! South Carolina Teachers is committed to your success, which is why we’ve compiled resources to help you #GetHired. We also post job fairs occurring all over the state of South Carolina, so be sure to check our Teacher Job Fair Page regularly.
Apply Today, Change Tomorrow
The South Carolina teacher shortage is a real and serious issue that is affecting the lives of students everywhere. We want to help you do your part in combating the shortage and providing the young minds of tomorrow the quality education they deserve. Are you ready to take the next steps towards becoming a teacher of tomorrow? Apply today!
