Pathway to Teaching for Career Changers

Visit the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) website. Depending upon whether you are currently teaching or considering joining the teaching profession, the MSDE Certification Branch website provides the most current requirements needed to join the profession.

Currently the following courses are required by MSDE:

For certification in Secondary Education

• EDTR 107 — Introduction to Special Education
• EDTR 215 — Educational Psychology
• PSYC 219 — Adolescent Psychology
• EDTR 250 — Assessment for Secondary Teachers
• EDTR 251 — Methods of Teaching: Secondary
• EDTR 252 — Reading in the Content Area I
• EDTR 253 — Reading in the Content Area II

For certification in Special Education-Secondary Education

• EDTR 103 — Principles of Human Growth and Development
• EDTR 107 — Introduction to Special Education
• EDTR 214 — Parent, Teacher, Community Relations
• PSYC 219 — Adolescent Psychology
• EDTR 250 — Assessment for Secondary Teachers
• EDTR 251 — Methods of Teaching for Secondary Teachers
• EDTR 252 — Reading in the Content Area I
• EDTR 253 — Reading in the Content Area II
• EDTR 261 — Evaluation of the Exceptional Child
• EDTR 262 — Educational Planning for the Exceptional Child
• EDTR 265 — Pre-Vocational and Vocational Methods

Please note: The Early Childhood Education and the Elementary Education pathway courses are no longer offered.

For the reading courses, yes.

EDTR 252 must be taken before EDTR 253 for secondary education candidates. For EDTR 103, 107, 215 and PSYC 219, PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology is a prerequisite for all candidates. For the other courses, only college-wide prerequisites apply, but if you are already working in a school setting, especially if you are a provisional teacher with no pedagogy courses, it is recommended that you take the methods and assessment courses first.

No. We have internship courses for transfer students, but these are not student teaching.

We can, however, refer you to a four-year institution for student teaching information.

No. All of this is meant to prepare you to begin working as a provisional teacher.

CCBC cannot guarantee that a Board of Education will need people in any areas, so there is no guarantee of a job associated with this program. However, the current teacher shortage increases school systems’ need to hire people on a Provisional Certificate. All final hiring decisions remain with the local board of education.

No. You may choose to take some or all of the required courses before you ever apply for a teaching position.

You may find that you are better prepared if you take a great number or all of your courses before you start to teach.

There is no easy way to become a teacher.

Teaching is a career choice that requires careful consideration and honest self-examination to determine if you have the disposition and patience to work with young people. You will have to make a special effort to learn as you work, what traditional teacher education students had the opportunity to learn during their undergraduate college education.

If you have a Bachelor's degree, you might want to pursue a traditional program toward a Master's degree. Several programs are available in this area.

Your education faculty advisor will be happy to talk to you about this option. In the current Maryland system, you will be expected to earn a Master’s degree as part of your continuing education after you have the Standard Professional Certificate I.

For more information, contact one of the following:

Linda Gronberg-Quinn
Director, Teacher Education
CCBC Dundalk
Phone: 443.840.3139 and 443.840.4153
Email: lgronberg@ccbcmd.edu

Paul Taylor
Coordinator, Teacher Education
CCBC Catonsville
Phone: 443.840.4236
Email: ptaylor3@ccbcmd.edu