How to Become a Teacher: Career Guide, Courses, Entrance Exams, Qualifications, After 12th, Jobs, Salary

To become a teacher the basic eligibility criteria include candidates having pursued a B.Ed. degree in addition to their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the topic of their interest or niche. The average course fees to pursue B.Ed degree ranges between INR 8,000 – 1,60,000. Candidates aspiring to teach in government schools will have to sit for a national-level entrance exam such as the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET), and UGC-NET.  In general, the approximate salary of a government teacher is INR 4.40 LPA but it may increase with experience and expertise. On the other hand, the Average Salary Structure of a private school teacher is INR 3.10 LPA. However, this salary may depend on the state and institution.   

What Does a Teacher do

A teacher's primary responsibility is to impart knowledge to their students. To accomplish this, Teachers perform the following duties, which may change depending on the institution and degree of education. Listed below are a few of the essential duties that fall under the purview of a Teacher. 

• Make and present impactful lessons
• Assess student work and provide parents and students with comments.
• Establish and enforce rules in the classroom
• Prepare their students ready for exams
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and administration
• Attend training sessions and opportunities for continuing education

Teachers may concentrate on one subject, like math or science, or they may teach a range of subjects throughout the course of the school day, depending on the age and grade of their students. For instance, younger kids frequently attend classes with a single teacher who covers all of the core subjects, like math, science, social studies, art, and language. Older kids frequently take many classes during the day taught by different teachers who specialize in various academic fields.

Read More: What Does a Professor do

Types of Teachers

In India, candidates can pursue a teaching career just after completing their graduation or post-graduation followed by a mandatory BEd degree. Discussed below are the various types of teachers for your reference

Pre-Primary School Teacher

Primary School Teacher

Secondary School Teacher

Senior Secondary School Teacher

Special Educator

Check: D.El.Ed course Details

Steps to Become a Teacher in India

The primary goal of the teacher is to ensure that the students comprehend the content and subject and thereby prepare them to perform well by grasping the concepts. Listed below are the essential steps that need to be followed to become a teacher. 

• Step 1 – Set an Aim: Decision Making
  • One must ensure they have a thorough understanding of the skills required to become a competent teacher before deciding whether education is the proper career option. 
  • Most importantly, teachers ought to be kind. Students should be cared for and assisted in becoming successful adults by adults. Without any of the aforementioned qualities, teaching would eventually grow monotonous.
  • Additionally, teachers must be strict enough to enforce the rules and, if required, take charge of the classroom.
  • The teacher should be adaptable and render decisions that are widely regarded. They ought to be flexible enough to make changes when circumstances change or things don't go as planned.
  • To thrive as a teacher, one must first learn to love being around other teachers in order to grow and foster social skills. A lot of patience is required of good teachers. If one has temper issues, a school setting might not be the best location to work.
• Step 2 – Choose which Level to Teach 

  • Candidates may encounter three levels under teaching, from where they must select one. The categories divided for the students are,

    • Primary Level (Classes I to V)

    • Secondary Level (Classes VI to VIII)

    • Higher Secondary level (Classes IX to XII)

  • Candidates may choose to teach in either primary or secondary school; higher secondary teaching is not a direct recruitment option (except for experienced candidates).

  • Candidates must earn a degree in each of the different subjects—Science, English, Math, Social Studies, etc.—if they intend to pursue teaching as a vocation.

  • They should also possess a two-year primary school diploma with a minimum grade point average of 50%. Candidates who want to pursue teaching as a career can choose from a range of courses.

• Step 3 – Entrance Exam Preparation
  • Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is a national-level teacher eligibility exam, that must be cleared by candidates aspiring to become a teacher. Apart from this, there are several state-level teacher entrance tests conducted, that can also be taken in order to become a teacher. 
  • The Teacher Eligibility Test is administered by individual states, although candidates for CTET may gain from passing one exam with nationwide job chances.
    Popular newspapers will notify the candidates about the exam in August, and the announcement will also be made on the official website.
• Step 4 – Apply for Different Schools of your choice
  • Candidates who pass the CTET or any other entrance exam are eligible to apply for teaching positions in the schools of their choice. Before submitting an application to a school, candidates should bear the following information in mind
    • All categories of the CTET scorecard have a seven-year validity period following the announcement of the results.
    • The CTET candidate is eligible to apply to schools run by the federal government (KVS, NVS, Central Tibetan Schools, etc.) as well as those in the Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu,
    • Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Chandigarh Union Territory (UT) administrative regions.
    • Candidates for the CTET may also apply to independent private schools, which may take the test into consideration.
    • The state government, local entities, and aided schools' schools should take this into consideration.

Eligibility to Become a Teacher

In order to become a Teacher in India, one of the most crucial things to do is to earn a proper and relevant degree. As already discussed a B.Ed is the primary degree that students need to pursue apart from completing Graduation and Postgraduation in relevant subjects. Apart from a B.Ed, students can also pursue an M.Ed in order to become a Teacher.

After earning relevant degrees, students have to sit for various National level and State Level Teaching Entrance Exams, in order to be able to teach across various Government Schools such as SET, and TET.

How to Become a Teacher in India

Candidates before choosing a career to become a teacher should understand what skills are necessary and apt for the profession. Aspirants need to prepare for school life and select the subject in which they want to be an expert. Candidates who wish to become a teacher in India need to follow the below-mentioned steps:

• School Level Preparation: To become a teacher in India, aspirants need to prepare themselves at the school level itself. One should be familiar with the subjects and deal with other students in solving the queries. Teaching job needs patience and understanding, which candidates need to focus on from his/her school life itself.

How to Become a Teacher After 12^th 

Some of the most crucial steps that must be followed in order to become a Teacher after completing Class 12^th board exams are listed below for your reference,

• UG Preparation: In India, one can start teaching after the completion of 10+2 exams or while pursuing it. But to become a government teacher, candidates need to clear the entrance exams. CTET, TET, STET, and some other entrances are conducted to pursue B.Ed. To become a government teacher candidates must have pursued B.Ed and start teaching in the government. Schools.
• PG Preparation: Some schools demand a post-graduate holder teacher on their campus. After completion of a B.Ed or Diploma in Education, candidates can go for M.Ed for further studies. To get admission to PG courses candidates need to clear the entrance exams.

Courses to Become a Teacher

To become a teacher in India, students need to graduate with a B.Ed Course after completing their UG degree. B.Ed qualified aspirants to teach at pre-primary and primary levels. To climb further up the grade, students need to complete advanced degrees. 

BA BEd Integrated Course

BA BEd Integrated course is a combination of two degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Education (B.ED). The duration of the course is 4 years. Candidates can select the integrated course as per their personal choices. The eligibility of this course is to have 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 from a recognized board of examination. Where English should include as one of the main subjects.

B.Sc and B.Ed Integrated Course

B.Sc B.ED. The integrated course is a combination of two degrees of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) and Bachelor of Education (B.ED). The duration of the course is 4 years. Candidates can select the integrated course as per their personal choices. The eligibility of this course is to have 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 from a recognized board of examination. Where Science should be the main subject.

D.El.Ed

Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.ED.) is an elementary teacher training diploma course. In this training course, candidates are trained to teach in schools as elementary teachers. The duration of the course is 2 years. The eligibility of this course is to have 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 from a recognized board of examination. The percentage may differ from school to school.

B.P.Ed.

Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.ED) is also known as a BPE course. It is an undergraduate course of 3 years and it mainly focuses on Physical Education. The eligibility of this course is to have 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 from a recognized board of examination. The percentage may differ from school to school.

B.Ed

Bachelor of Education (B.ED) is an undergraduate course. Candidates seeking a career as a teacher can pursue the course. This course can be pursued after 10+2 or after the completion of any graduation degree. To teach at the secondary or higher secondary level B.ED is compulsory. The Eligibility of this course is to have 50% aggregate marks in under graduation and 10+2 from a recognized board of examination. Candidates need to crack the entrance exam to pursue the course.

Some other Advanced Courses to become a teacher are: 

• M.Ed
• M.Sc Education
• MA Education
• M.Phil in Education
• Assistant Professor Course

Entrance Exams

Various entrance exams are conducted by the National and State Govt. for those who are seeking a career as a teacher. Below is some of the entrance exams which candidates need to clear to become a teacher.

• Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is conducted by both the Central and State govt. In India which is divided into two parts Exam 1 and Exam 2.
• Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted by CBSE for schools of the Central Govt. of India. Schools under UT require CTET-clear candidates to teach in their schools. 
• State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) is conducted by the State Govt. of India for those who are seeking a teaching career in their states.
• National Eligibility Test (NET) UGC-NET is conducted by Universities and colleges for those candidates who are seeking a career as Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellowship.

Entrance Exams Date