In this series, I hope to guide you in acquiring the vocabulary that you need to know to be considered a competent education professional. In this article, we will discuss education vocabulary centered on the teacher certification process.

Click here to view all of the articles in this series.

Accreditation is a procedure in which certification of aptitude, authority, or trustworthiness is presented.

Alternate Route Program describes a state-defined route by which an individual who has previously completed a bachelor’s degree in another subject, can obtain a certification to teach.

Certification describes the process through which a teacher’s competency, professional preparation, and similar factors are assessed. These factors assist in determining if the candidate has the potential to become an effective educator. If an individual successfully completes the process, he or she is granted licensure.

Coursework includes all the theoretical and practical courses to be completed by a student enrolled in a teacher education program.

Field Observations, sometimes called field experiences, are part of a teacher-education program in which the teaching student is allowed to participate in and observe a K-12 classroom, with the classroom’s teacher and/ or the student’s instructor.

Licensure refers to the granting of a teaching license, which gives permission from a state to instruct and supervise school-age students.

Praxis is the name of a series of tests taken by individuals who wish to obtain a teaching certificate. It is part of the certification process and is endorsed by many states and professional licensing organizations.

Student Teaching includes weeks of teaching in a classroom, under the supervision of the classroom teacher and a supervisor.

Are there any terms that we missed? Are you nervous? Don’t worry, getting certified as a teacher is as easy as obtaining pmp certification in New York. A little business humor lol. My friend Joshua gets it.