If you want to become an instructional coach, you will first need to become an experienced educator who is capable of instructing students and delivering a specific curriculum. Instruction coaches, who are also known as curriculum specialists, play a vital role in helping teachers develop their skills so that students can get as much as possible from an academic lesson or an academic program. An experienced coach may be assigned to work with specific teachers or with an entire department when the curriculum is being redesigned or restructured. If you would like to work in ever-changing social environments, read on and learn about the steps you need to take to become a mentor to the educators.
Enroll in a Bachelor’s Degree Program
Step one to becomes an instructional coach or mentor to the teachers is to become a teacher yourself. According to Teach, while the actual licensing requirements vary from state to state, most states require that you have a bachelor’s degree before you can teach primary and secondary students. If you want to teach in an elementary setting, you will need to major in education. If, however, you would like to teach secondary school, you will need to major in the subject you plan to teach with a minor in education.
Pass Teacher Certification Exams
You must then pass a standardized test to earn your teaching certificate after you earn your degree. Many states will accept a Praxis Pre-Professional Skills Test and also a Subject Assessment test if you plan to teach in a specific secondary subject area. Some states have their own skills tests that vary from the Praxis Series tests. You will need to pass all of the standardized testing requirements before you can teach in a public setting.
Get Teaching Experience
If you want to become a mentor to teachers and enrich the learning experience, you should get experience to so that you can truly relate to the challenges that an educator faces while they are instructing and even while they are dealing with other staff members. You can also go from being a school administrator to working as a coach. While you get professional experience in the classroom, you should also work towards getting the formal training that you need to use strategies for mentoring.
Earn Your Master’s Degree
You need a master’s degree to qualify for a position as an instructional mentor or coordinator. An advanced education is required because you will learn how to help with curriculum design, how to use technology to make instruction more efficient and how to manage the classroom. You can choose majors in Teacher Leadership, Instruction Coaching, or Instructional Technology depending on what you want to specialize in and what school you plan on attending.
Related Resource: School Voucher System
The average salary of instructional coaches was reported to be $63,070 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you would like to start a new career within the field of education where you are a specialist in curriculum development and mentoring, it is time to take the steps necessary to get qualified. The first step is to become a teacher and the next will be to get your advanced degree so that you can become an instructional coach to the teachers.
