How To Get Your Online Elementary Teacher Certification

Getting your online elementary teacher certification can feel like an overwhelming process. After all, you likely have a lot on your plate already, whether it’s a job, family life or other obligations.

The good news is, there is a path to certification for you no matter where you are in life, and that path works around your schedule.

Alternative teacher certification programs are a great way to get your elementary teacher certification if you have:

• A bachelor’s degree
• An associate’s degree and some career experience in a particular field
• No degree but some career experience in a particular field

Choosing a path that provides courses online or partially online, in particular, offers many benefits, from flexible scheduling to better course availability. 

In the state of Texas, alternative teacher certification programs that offer online courses as part of their curriculum are especially popular, with 49% of all new teachers choosing this path to certification. Another 34% are prepared through undergraduate secondary or elementary education programs, whether classes are held on college campuses or through a university’s online program.

If you are not already enrolled in a college program to earn your bachelor’s degree in education, you’re likely considering the same path as nearly half of all new teachers choose - an alternative teacher certification program. 

Here are the steps you need to take to ensure you are qualified for this type of program, that you fulfill the training requirements and that you ultimately earn your elementary teacher certification through an online program.

Determine If You Qualify

If your new career goal is to teach and you have already earned your bachelor’s degree, an alternative teacher certification program can get you on the path to achieving your dreams. This is true as well for those who have earned an associate’s degree, have career experience or a combination of both.

Bachelor’s Degree

If you have a bachelor’s degree, to qualify for an alternative teacher certification program, your degree must be from an accredited institution of higher learning. According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), you must also:

• Have earned a minimum 2.5 GPA, confirmed in one of two ways:
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA on an official transcript 
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA in the last 60 semester hours of courses attempted
• Completed 12 semester credit hours in the certification subject (15 hours in math or science in 7th grade or above)

If you’re currently completing your last semester toward a bachelor’s degree, you can still qualify for enrollment in an alternative teacher certification program. However, you must provide a copy of your final semester schedule of classes letter from an academic adviser or registrar indicating you are eligible for graduation.

If you’re graduating from a university outside the United States or U.S. Territories, you must also provide foreign transcripts that have been equivocated by a recognized transcript evaluation service and proof of oral English language proficiency by passing the oral proficiency portion of the TOEFL.

No Bachelor’s Degree

If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, you can still qualify for an alternative teacher certification program as well. 

If you have an associate’s degree from an accredited institution, you must have:

• Two years of full-time wage-earning experience within the past 10 years in the field to be taught
• A current license to teach Health Science Technology, Criminal Justice and Cosmetology

If you don’t have a degree, you must have five years of full-time wage-earning experience within the past 10 years in the field to be taught.

Choose The Right Program

Now that you know whether you qualify for an online teacher certification program, it’s time to choose what program best meets your needs. 

Many programs are strictly online. Other programs include a hybrid of both online courses and in-person training, offering the best of both worlds.

One of the greatest benefits of online teacher certification programs is that they provide a great deal of flexibility. This allows you to complete your course requirements around your schedule. Other benefits include:

• The ability to take advantage of a more comfortable learning environment
• Better availability of courses offered throughout the state, rather than in one location
• Lack of commuting

Alternative teacher certification programs that offer a hybrid of online and in-person training provide the benefits above, as well as additional perks that can have a significant impact on a student’s experience. For example, in-person training allows you to develop professional relationships and connections with faculty that you may otherwise miss when only connecting online. 

Other benefits that give these types of programs an edge include:

• The opportunity for hands-on learning you simply can’t get online
• Face-to-face interaction with peers that promote networking
• Continuous support when applying learned techniques in the field

The best alternative teacher certification programs will also offer test preparation help for the TExES as a standard part of the training program.

Fulfill Your Training Requirements

Once you have chosen and enrolled in an alternative teacher certification program and passed all relevant content tests, the next step is to fulfill your training requirements toward certification.

A portion of your training will consist of courses (online, in-person or a combination of both depending on the program you choose) as well as field experience. 

In Texas, you must complete:

• A minimum of 300 hours of training to receive a standard teaching certificate
• Of these 300 hours, 30 must be dedicated to observation of a certified teacher in a classroom environment

Your preparation program will also work with you to develop a plan that completes these requirements, as well as assist you with securing a teaching assignment at the grade level and in the specialty area, such as special education, of your target certificate.

Pass Your Exams

Once you are enrolled in an Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and complete the necessary coursework, you will need to take your TExES exams. 

It is best to work with your program to ensure you are taking the right content exams and so you know how to prepare for them. Which content tests you take will depend on which subject areas and grades you wish to teach.

You will also need to pass the PPR, or Texas Examinations of Educator Standards Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities. This is one of the most important final exams you will take to qualify you to teach in the state of Texas. 

The PPR, “is designed to assess whether a test taker has the requisite knowledge and skills that an entry-level educator in this field in Texas public schools must possess,” according to the Texas Education Agency. To obtain your standard certification, you must pass the PPR.

The process of signing up and taking certification exams can be confusing, which is why it is important to discuss this step with any prospective programs you are considering.

Complete The Final Steps Toward Certification

It’s a good idea to work with your preparation program on these next steps as well to ensure you are doing everything “by the book.” This will save you a lot of work - and headaches - in the long run. 

There are two final steps you’ll need to take once the above requirements are met: apply for your certification and pass any required background checks. 

To apply, set up a Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) account, which will give you access to your profile located in the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS). Make sure your first and last names match your Texas driver’s license or state ID card.

You will also need to complete a fingerprinting process as part of a national criminal background check. You must submit your fingerprints electronically using an approved vendor by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

If you plan to apply to a particular district, it may be a good idea to check with that district to see if there are any additional background checks that must be completed.

Final Thoughts

With any path toward certification, there are requirements put into place to ensure all new teachers are properly qualified, trained and vetted before they are allowed to enroll in a program, step foot into a classroom or complete the certification process. 

Working with your alternative teacher certification program to complete each of the above steps will ensure that you not only meet all requirements associated with obtaining your teaching certificate, but do so in the most efficient way so you can complete your journey to becoming an elementary school teacher.