Q: Most schools will require you to have a bachelor's degree in your desired field of teaching in order to teach. Explore different schools you are interested in and check out their course catalogs and what they can offer you in regards to credentials for teachings. Some schools have programs that will place you in a student teaching position after you finish your courses.  Your degree will vary on the age group you are teaching. Usually high school teachers obtain degrees in their subject like English, history, government, math, etc. and then go on to complete an educational program. A middle school or elementary teacher will often major in education with a focus on the area they want to teach in. Once you find a school with a good education or teaching program, sit down with a counselor to further discuss the courses and the benefits this program can bring you. Some schools will incorporate the teaching certification in their undergraduate classes, while others will require you to attend a teaching program post graduation. If your undergraduate degree didn't build this into your coursework, you'll need to attend a teaching program so that you can learn the fundamentals of education and teaching. These programs are offered at many universities, some online, and take anywhere from 12 to 24 months. Some states require you to take the first Praxis exam before entering into these programs. You will then take the second Praxis exam once you have completed your program. Praxis I is a basic test to determine if a teacher education program is a good fit for you. It will test you on your reading, math, and writing abilities. Praxis II is geared specifically towards your field of study and is what helps you gain your certification. In order to become a teacher, you will need certification in your specific area. If you are teaching a high school subject, you'll need to be certified in that subject. If you are teaching elementary or middle school you'll likely need a certification in your age group and focus such as middle school math and science. Many states administer the Praxis II exam after you go through a teacher education program.  The specific requirements for licensure vary state by state. Make sure you research the requirements for the specific state you plan to teach in before you seek certification. Also, keep in mind that some certifications only work in some states. If you are certified in one state, you may not be able to teach in another. However, some states allow you to use your certification from another state to teach in that state. It could be helpful to review all of these requirements even before you obtain your bachelor's. Check the dates available for the standardized tests required for certification early. The availability of these tests vary widely from state to state. Procrastination could mean waiting a year or more after graduation to secure a teaching job if one or more standardized tests is required to teach in the location of your choice. Most state certification commissions allow the completion of standardized test requirements at any point in a teaching candidate's academic career. Almost all states require you to spend time in the classroom as a student teacher before entering as a full time, paid teacher. If you know that you want to teach in a specific school district or city, try to obtain an internship in that school district or one similar so you'll have a better idea what teaching might be like. Your teaching program or undergraduate program will often help you locate a school to student teach in. Keep in mind that these internships are usually unpaid and you will be spending the same amount of time in a classroom as a teacher, meaning a full school day, five days a week. You will often student teach for one class and work with that teacher to prepare lesson plans and learn from the teacher. This certification goes beyond your licensure and gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have exceptional knowledge in your specific subject field. Gaining this certification has its benefits in that you have greater opportunities for advancement, and many schools will pay you a higher salary and give you compensation for continuing your education. Certification is offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Gaining this certification can also make the ease to higher positions like counselors, administrators, and specialists easier. Graduate school isn't usually necessary to become a teacher in a public school (although some schools may require it). However, it provides many benefits. A master's degree may help you stand out amongst other job applicants. It also allows you better mobility, meaning you can go on to become an administrator or reach a higher level at your school. Schools will often pay higher salaries to teachers with master's as well.  Before you pursue a master's degree, think about your career ambitions. If you are content with your salary and teaching position you may decide a graduate program isn't worth the work. However, if you have a desire to move up in your school district, whether that is to become a counselor, work as an administrator or principal, or work in curriculum development, you may want to look into a master's degree. Some school districts will compensate their employees for pursuing further education. Talk with your school district and see what benefits they can offer you. A master's degree also allows teachers to work at community colleges or teach college level courses at their school in many states. Teaching dual credit courses can also increase your salary.
A: Earn a Bachelor's degree. Attend a teacher education program. Gain certification. Student teach. Look into National Board Certification. Consider graduate school.

Q: Devote a certain number of minutes each day to homework assignments, to studying, to chores, and to extracurriculars. Writing down how you’ll spend your time at the start of each week will help you adjust to unanticipated circumstances without impacting all of your other responsibilities.  When planning your weekly activities, start with your homework, studying and household chores. Plan extracurricular and recreational activities around your core responsibilities. When you are approaching test time, increase your study time enough to do well on your tests. Restrict the time spent in front of the television or browsing on your smartphone to no more than two hours per night to leave room for your homework, studying, and extracurricular activities. Television and social media can be very entertaining – and very distracting, so keep it to a minimum. It may be helpful to designate specific times to watch television or surf the web in your planner. Visualizing this limited block of time may help keep you focused. This way, you have more time to hang out with friends and participate in extracurricular activities on the weekend. You’ll also enjoy yourself way more if you don’t have assignments hanging over your head. Your high school years shouldn’t just be about your schoolwork. If you’re stressing about schoolwork, you’re not enjoying yourself. So get your work out of the way early, then go have fun! Unless Dad says so, there’s no hard and fast rule that your math homework has to be done between 4:00pm and 4:30pm. Ask your friends when they have free time and schedule your free time to coincide with theirs. Make sure you leave enough time to study though! Your friends are probably going through a similar scheduling process. Lock in some time for you all to hang out so you don’t miss out! Join 1 to 3 extracurricular activities that will help you achieve your short-term and long-term goals and that you find most enjoyable. Don’t join every single club or team that catches your interest, or you’ll have little time to do other things.  Keep your goals in mind when choosing between possible extracurricular activities. High school can be very stressful at times, but keeping your goals in mind can help keep you motivated. Doing so can also help you see what you should be spending your time on – and what things you should stop doing. Add a block of time in your planner to veg out in front of the TV, take a long bath, or engage in other calming activities. While extracurriculars can be enjoyable, they also usually involve hard work. Everyone needs some downtime to relax and recharge. Neglecting that time may lead to boredom, frustration, and anxiety – all of which may make it harder to focus on your work. Try drawing, coloring, or journaling to relax. Meditation is another time-tested technique that can help relieve you of stress.
A:
Get a daily planner and use it to schedule your time each week. Limit your screen time. Finish as much schoolwork as you can during the weekdays. Coordinate your schedule with your friends’ schedules. Avoid joining too many extracurricular activities. Schedule time to unwind.