The educational requirements for becoming a GED instructor in the United States may vary depending on where you live. In some states, these teachers are required to have the same qualifications as high school teachers. For the most part, this means that candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in education and be currently licensed to teach. To be qualified to teach in other states, individuals may only need to pass a GED certification test.
Regardless of whether or not you have the necessary education, there are other factors to consider when determining whether or not you will be able to find work. Many job postings for GED instructors state that applicants must have prior teaching experience. It may or may not matter if you have teaching experience at the high school level, though it would be a plus. Employers are happy if candidates have any teaching experience at all, regardless of grade level, in many of these teaching jobs.
It may be advantageous to have prior experience working with adult students in order to become a GED instructor. Because the majority of GED class members are likely to be adults over the age of 25, those with work experience in any capacity that involves instructing adults may have an advantage. You could take some continuing education classes designed to help you learn about teaching adults to become a GED instructor and make yourself more marketable as an instructor.
Even when the age differences aren’t great, some teachers find adult education classes to be very different from teaching teenagers. It is frequently recommended that aspiring teachers volunteer their time at a local community college to gain experience before instructing adults in the classroom. Many instructors are overworked and would welcome the assistance of a capable volunteer, so finding such an opportunity at these institutions is usually not difficult.
The best way to find out if there are any unpaid opportunities is to contact your local community college’s personnel office. These people can also provide you with GED teachers’ contact information. Teachers may be willing and able to hire volunteers who have the skills to help them with their workload, even if there isn’t an official job posting with the college.