How to Choose a Teaching Program

When choosing a program, make sure your must-haves are covered. Your teaching program should:

• Offer a teaching license in the grade and subject you want to teach.
• Be approved in Minnesota. The TeachMN Program Explorer can help you search approved programs.
• Work for you financially.
• Work with your schedule. Program coursework can be mostly online, in-person or a mix of both!

In Minnesota, colleges decide for themselves what classes they require for graduation. Some programs may require more classes than others.

• We recommend checking out multiple programs to compare what classes they require and how long each program will take. 
• If you’re a career changer, be sure the coursework fits your schedule.

You’ll get more out of a program that makes you feel at home. Think about what type of learning environment you’d like to be in: 

• What are the program’s student demographics? 
• How big are the classes? 
• Do you prefer online or in-person coursework?

Hands-on experience is any classroom practice before you earn your license, like student teaching or an internship. More experience is better, but quality matters!

Ask your program about things like:

• How long your practicum experience will last. 
• How the program selects mentor teachers.
• How you’ll receive feedback on your practice.

Any teaching program should prepare you to teach students with different learning styles, backgrounds and social and emotional needs. Ask about what kind of preparation you’ll get, including: 

• What required courses focus on different populations.
• What hands-on practice you’ll get with students from different backgrounds. 
• What skills you’ll build to work with students from different backgrounds. 

Most teaching programs will set you up with a teacher mentor or coach, to help give you meaningful feedback during your student teaching or other training. Your teaching mentors can have a big impact on your attitude toward teaching! Ask prospective programs about:

• How they choose mentor teachers and coaches.
• How they match you with a mentor.
• How they ensure that mentor teachers model effective practices and give helpful feedback. 
• Whether they offer continued support during your first few years as a teacher.

This answer can be hard to track down! We recommend that you:

• Review the program’s website. 
• Talk with current students or alumni of the program.
• Reach out to teachers in the surrounding area to ask about the program’s reputation.