How to Become a Teacher in Ohio

• Becoming a teacher in Ohio requires a bachelor's degree.
• Ohio offers alternative routes to teaching licensure.
• Teaching positions in Ohio are projected to increase faster than the national average.

Although the field of education is continually evolving, the importance of good teachers never goes out of style. Now, possibly more than ever, schools need passionate teachers looking to help change students' lives.

Did you know schools are having a more difficult time filling teaching positions? According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 40% of public schools hiring for open teaching positions in special education in 2020-21 reported having difficulties filling the opening. In the 2011-2012 school year, only 17% of public schools reported difficulties.

Earning an online bachelor's degree in education is the first step to set you on a path to becoming a teacher in Ohio.

How Do You Become a Teacher in Ohio?

Each state has its own process for becoming a teacher. Below are the typical state requirements for earning your teaching degree in Ohio.

1. Earn Your Bachelor's Degree

In order to become a teacher, you must prove you have the content knowledge necessary to teach. Ohio requires a bachelor's degree for a traditional licensure path.

Completing a program helps you build a rock-solid foundation in the subject(s) you will teach and helps you study important research in education and trends in educational pedagogy.

Depending on what you want to teach, you may have different degree programs to choose from. For instance, you can earn a bachelor's in secondary education, elementary education, or special education.

If you earn a degree in secondary education, you will most likely have to pick a subject area like math, English, or history.

2. Gain Student Teaching Experience

Bachelor's degree programs in education are going to contain a student teaching experience as part of your graduation requirements. Some colleges may require a semester of student teaching, while others may have you complete two semesters.

You might complete your student teaching at one school with one cooperating teacher, or you may split your student teaching up among different experiences.

Student teaching gives you the hands-on, real life experience of teaching with the supervision of a qualified teacher. You create lessons and assessments, grade, and practice classroom management.

3. Take Required Certification Tests

Towards the end of your student teaching or after you graduate, you will need to take Ohio's required certification tests. The tests you take will depend on what you are planning to teach.

Ohio requires aspiring teachers to take the Ohio Assessment for Educators exam in the applicable area of teaching. Example assessments include biology, early childhood education, and middle grades mathematics.

These assessments test your content knowledge and readiness to teach students in a particular area.

4. Apply for Certification

Once you have completed all of your licensure requirements, you will apply for certification. Your first teaching license will be an initial teaching license. Ohio residents can apply for this two-year license.

After the two-year period is up, you can apply for a five-year advanced teaching license.

Earning certification shows you have completed all the requirements in Ohio to become a certified teacher and that you are a recognized educator in the state.

What's the Career Outlook for Teachers in Ohio?

The career outlook for teachers in Ohio is promising. According to O*Net, Ohio is projected to experience a 7% increase in secondary teaching positions between 2020-2030. This translates to an estimated 3,660 new teaching jobs each year in just secondary schools.

Ohio's outlook for secondary teachers looks much better than the national outlook. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national projected outlook for secondary teachers from 2022-2032 is only 1%.

The BLS also ranks Ohio as the fourth-highest state for employing secondary school teachers in the nation.

How Much Will You Make as a Teacher in Ohio?

How much you will earn as a teacher in Ohio depends on many factors, including the type of teaching position you take, the amount of experience you have, and the degree you hold.

Below are popular teaching positions in Ohio and their annual mean salaries.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teacher Certification in Ohio

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed February 23, 2024.