Becoming teacher in Colorado can be a very fulfilling career choice. Of course, not just anyone can up and decide a teacher. Where do you start on your road towards teaching certification? This guide will give you a good idea of the route you need to take to fulfill your dream of molding young minds and shaping the next generation.

A bachelor’s degree will form the foundation of your status as a teacher. To even begin thinking about becoming a teacher, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited and accepted college or university.

Beyond a bachelor’s degree, you must have completed an approved teaching degree program. Again, this must be from an accepted college, university or program. As long as the program is accepted you can seek out a program that is campus-based in Colorado, or you can make use of one of the many online options. Once this program has finished, you should obtain a verification form showing that you have completed the program.

The exact program you will choose will depend on the specific type of area in which you wish to become a teacher. An elementary education program is different than a secondary or K-12 education program. During this program, you will be required to complete at least 24 hours of course credit, which is verified through transcript evaluation. If you are going to be an elementary education teacher, or a generalist for special education, you must also pass the Colorado State Board of Education elementary education exam.

Praxis II content tests are accepted by the state of Colorado. The type of Praxis II content test or tests you must pass varies depending on the sort of teaching you are planning to do. You can choose to take either the paper version or a computerized version of the selected Praxis II test, though in either case you must schedule to take the test at one of the testing facilities..

also take the PLACE test, which is similar in many ways to the Praxis II test. PLACE was designed specifically for those seeking to be teachers in Colorado, whereas the Praxis II test is designed to be a nationwide test. Again, you may be required to pass more than one test.

Once this has been done, it’s time to submit an application for licensure. When doing so, make sure to include any supporting documentation you have, including the completed application for licensure and transcripts. You will also need to include an fees associated with the application.

All applicants for the teaching certificate must be fingerprinted. This fingerprinting must be done by a local law enforcement agency, and it must be submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation along with a check or money order for the background check fee. Once the Colorado Bureau of Investigation receives the fingerprint card and fee, they will run a criminal history check. This check will be run in association with state and Federal agencies, and if any discrepancies are found you can appeal and challenge them.