How to Get an Online Associate’s Degree in Teaching
Love the idea of teaching and enlightening others, but not necessarily in the common subjects like math, reading, and science? Luckily, a teaching degree is very versatile and useful if you want to teach in other subjects that are more interesting to you. For example, you could use your associate’s degree to teach in other subjects like theatre, art, technology, music, or physical education.
After getting your associate’s degree in teaching, you will have the opportunity to look for a job pretty easily because the field is expected to grow over the years. You will most likely work in a classroom setting as a teacher’s aide, where you help teachers with anything they might need help with. This may include grading papers, making lesson plans, maintaining classroom discipline, and working with students who need one-on-one attention, for example.
If you would like better job prospects, you can continue on to earn your bachelor’s degree in a related field. Like many careers out there, the higher the education, the better chance you can get a job with a more promising salary.
The associate’s degree typically takes two years of full-time study to complete. However, if you choose to earn your credential online, you may be able to complete it earlier. Depending on how many classes you can take per quarter/semester, you may be able to finish a lot quicker.
If you are busy but looking to go to school while still attending to your personal obligations, pursuing an associate’s degree in teaching online could be a great option. Distance learning can work really well for those who are motivated and independent learners. It is important to make sure that the college you choose is accredited so that the credits you earn can be easily transferred to a four-year college should you decide to continue your education. By virtually attending classes online, you will have access to all course materials and participate in class discussions just like you would normally in a traditional classroom setting. The main difference is that you would be able to log into the classroom portal from anywhere and anytime to complete required coursework and exams. Students can easily communicate with other students and their professors via chat platforms and email.
Common Associate’s in Teaching Curriculum
At the associate’s level, students in teaching can expect to learn a wide variety of things. Some classes you will take include:
- Art
- History
- Biology
- English
- Geography
- Psychology
In addition to these classes, you will build important skills for the workforce. Some of these skills include how to manage a classroom, maintain discipline, plan lessons, and handle diverse classrooms. You will also learn how to teach and deal with students with disabilities.
In addition to teaching related courses, you may also be required to take some electives and general education classes before graduating. These classes will help you develop a well-rounded foundation of knowledge that will be useful in understanding real-life situations and succeeding in your job in the future. Many of these general education course requirements can be waived if you took AP classes and passed their respective exams in high school. If this sounds like it might be you, we recommend checking with your college counselor to see which classes you might not have to retake.
Associate’s in Teaching Careers
After getting your associate’s degree in teaching, you can get right into finding a job as a teacher’s aide, or continue on with your bachelor’s degree in the field. Most people today do go on to get their bachelor’s degree in education because salaries for teacher’s aides are fairly low.
With your associate’s degree, you will qualify to become a teacher’s aide in a classroom setting. Tasks vary depending on teacher’s needs, but popular tasks include:
- Lesson planning
- Classroom management and tidying
- Helping students on a need basis if teacher cannot give everyone individual attention
- Grading exams and papers
- Scanning and printing documents
As you can probably get an idea, the tasks are pretty self-explanatory and rudimentary. If you do not like the idea of working as an assistant for the rest of your life, then continuing your education is the way to go.
The associate’s degree is a great stepping stone into better opportunities, but is not something that will make you a ton of money on its own in the long run. By getting your associate’s first, you will get a solid background in education and classroom management. As long as your community college is accredited, your units should transfer easily to whatever four-year college you decide on attending — if this is the route you choose.
With a bachelor’s degree, you can become a teacher in your desired subject and not have to be limited by just working as a teacher’s aide.
If you love being around kids and have a passion for teaching people new things, teaching can be a very rewarding career for you. A big perk in the education field is that you will get those lengthy summers and all of the major holidays off when students are off!
"...in the big picture, people with associate degrees make more than people with high school diplomas. "
"Many students enroll in a 2-year college with the intention of transferring to a 4-year college and obtaining a bachelor’s degree."
"...the more degreed-education you have, the less likely you are to be unemployed."