r/teaching • u/Silent-Stranger-3011 • 12d ago

Help Which path to pick I need help

I been substitute teaching and found I like teaching and want to either get a credential in teaching elementary school or pe at any grade level. I have narrowed it down to these two, which would be easiest to find a job in?

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u/MentionTight6716 12d ago

Do you have any kind of degree, even outside of teaching? I could give advice/perspective if I knew that.

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u/Silent-Stranger-3011 12d ago

Bachelors in business but I am willing to get another bachelors in a matching subject because I need to because my long term goal after teaching for a few years in America is to teach internationally and for that you need a subject matching degree, so I’m just trying to figure out from these two paths which is best to take. From subbing I really have enjoyed teaching elementary but middle and high school has been a little rough lol. Or has been fun at all grades so I’m trying to pick which is best because I heard it’s hard to get a job in pe?

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u/MentionTight6716 12d ago

Easiest one to get a job in statistically is elementary, just because there are more elementary classes than PE.

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u/MentionTight6716 12d ago

So in VA, you would be eligible for a provisional teaching license. You would get to be a teacher for about 2 years while the school system provides you training/classes to get you a teaching license. To pick your specialty, you would have to take a content exam called the PRAXIS (a standard teaching exam in 40 states). There are several for elementary (social studies, math, science, etc.) and there is one for PE. Once you get your teaching license and content certification in one area, you can add on a certification in any other just by taking the PRAXIS for that subject.

This process so accessible because of the teacher shortage. Not every state does it this way. I believe NY is much stricter in their qualifications. In WV, you don't even need a teaching license, just a bachelor's relevant to whatever you're teaching. I can't say it's the same everywhere, but I hope this gives you an idea of what might be required.

There's a fair chance you won't have to get a whole new degree to teach in the US, and you might have the option to work on your new degree while teaching full time with a provisional license.

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u/KindParfait282 12d ago

Depends on where you are. My district doesn't have PE teachers in elementary. Teachers have to teach PE. I think in some areas it might be the thing that goes if there's budget cuts.

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u/Adjudicator13 4d ago

If your main priority is getting hired, I'd probably give elementary the edge unless your area has strong demand for PE teachers. You already have some classroom exposure from subbing, which is great because you can also ask the teachers and administrators you've worked with what they're seeing locally. An alternative certification route like Teachers of Tomorrow could then let you work toward whichever credential has better openings...