If you enjoy helping others learn practical skills, you might like a career as a vocational teacher. Being a vocational teacher gives you the opportunity to serve as a career mentor to others and assist them in finding their ideal job. Knowing more about the various responsibilities of and steps for becoming a vocational teacher may help you decide if your unique abilities, preferences and experiences make this career a good fit for you.
Key takeaways:
- Vocational teachers help students prepare for their prospective careers by providing them with specialized training and instruction to develop role-related skills and technical knowledge.
- They can specialize in a variety of fields, including hospitality, computer technology, massage therapy and finance.
- To pursue a career as a vocational teacher, individuals can begin by earning a high school diploma followed by a bachelor’s degree in the area in which they want to teach, gaining relevant experience in their field and applying for teaching licensure.
What is a vocational teacher?
A vocational teacher is an educator who helps students develop practical career-related skills. Vocational teachers specialize in a particular field and strive to teach their students the abilities and knowledge needed to succeed in that career. This type of instructor may teach students at a middle school, high school, community college, technical school or university. Vocational teachers can specialize in an array of subjects, including:
Auto repair, Welding, Computer technology, Hospitality, Cosmetology, meaning hair or makeup, Electrician skills, Healthcare technology, Engineering and Manufacturing, Communications technology, Agriculture, Culinary arts, Electronics repair, Tourism, Massage therapy, Woodworking, Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), Transportation and logistics, Carpentry, Audio/visual technology, Information technology (Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence).
What does a vocational teacher do?
Many of a Vocational Teacher’s (VT) responsibilities vary depending on their chosen specialization. Following is some of the more common job responsibilities that vocational teachers VT may perform:
- Lecturing or leading classroom conversations on topics related to their chosen vocation
- Developing course curriculum, including learning objectives for their students and the primary assignments for the class
- Grading essays, tests, projects or other assignments
- Meeting with students individually to discuss their progress in the course or concerns
- Staying up to date on the latest developments, news and trends within their chosen vocation
- Demonstrating practical skills to students in a laboratory or shop environment
- Teaching students how to safely handle potentially hazardous tools or materials
- Managing the classroom, such as by establishing and maintaining rules for how students conduct themselves
How to become a vocational teacher
Following are five steps on how to become a vocational teacher:
- Earn a high school diploma,
Get a high school diploma or an equivalent. Although the exact requirements for becoming a vocational teacher can vary, most education programs or licensure applications require candidates to possess a high school diploma. Earning your high school diploma can teach you foundational skills that may help you succeed as a career education instructor.
- Determine your ideal teaching environment
Decide what vocation and education level you want to teach. The precise steps for becoming a VT instructor depend both on the type of school you want to work at, such as an elementary school or community college, and the career field you want to teach.
- Get a bachelor’s degree
Depending on the location you want to teach, you may need a bachelor’s degree first. Although some VT instructors, such as those who specialize in cosmetology, might not need a bachelor’s degree, many other vocational teachers do. Whether you need a bachelor’s degree can also vary based on the grade level you want to teach.
- Gain professional experience
Gain professional experience in the vocation that you aspire to teach. How much professional experience you need to gain in your field before you can become an educator can vary based on the grade you want to teach and the specialization you want to pursue. Professionals who want to teach at a middle or high school may need less experience in their chosen vocation. These instructors typically need to spend a year or more as student-teachers before getting their state license as an educator. Employers at a technical school, community college or university maybe prioritize hiring instructors who have worked at least several years in their chosen vocation, regardless of their teaching experience.
Skills of vocational teachers
Vocational teachers typically possess two primary sets of abilities. These educators are skilled both at teaching and at their chosen vocation. Although a vocational teacher’s exact skills can vary based on their career education field, they can often benefit from developing the following abilities:
Knowledge of their field
Vocational teachers are highly knowledgeable about their chosen specialization. They thoroughly understand how to perform the practical skills involved in their trade, whether that involves working with electronics, managing hazardous waste or optimizing the growth conditions for plants. A CTE educator also stays up to date on the latest developments or trends within their field to ensure that they’re providing their students with the most current information.
Communication
One of a vocational teacher’s primary responsibilities is explaining complex information in a more simplified way to their students. Good communication skills can help CTE instructors understand how to explain the rudimentary steps of a process they’re already experts at so that students can hone their own abilities. Vocational educators also know how to clearly convey their meaning through a range of communication channels, such as in-person or through written documents like emails or assignment instructions
Ability to remain calm under pressure
Sometimes unexpected issues may arise while a vocational teacher is on the job. A CTE instructor knows how to stay calm during these types of challenges. The ability to handle pressure well can help these educators analyze unexpected situations and proactively develop a plan to solve or mitigate them.
What’s the work environment like for vocational teachers?
A vocational teacher’s work environment can vary depending on their specialization and the exact subjects they teach. For example, a CTE instructor who teaches phlebotomy or other healthcare sciences may spend much of their time assisting students in a laboratory or clinical environment. A vocational educator who specializes in hospitality or sales may conduct most of their teaching responsibilities in a more traditional classroom environment. Although CTE teachers perform most of their duties at their worksite, they may be able to conduct some of their job tasks, like grading papers or devising course curricula, in a remote setting. Vocational educators who teach at a technical school or university may be more likely to have more duties they can perform remotely.
Is it hard to be a vocational teacher?
Being a vocational educator can be challenging, as these professionals are skilled both at teaching and within their chosen career field. Despite this potential challenge, many CTE teachers find their jobs incredibly rewarding. Vocational instructors often enjoy helping their students learn a practical trade and watching them succeed in their chosen career path. Many CTE educators also appreciate the ability to teach others what they know while pursuing another career, whether as a hairstylist or electronics repairer, for which they feel passionate.
How long does it take to become a vocational teacher?
The time it takes to become a vocational instructor depends on several factors. One of the primary factors that can affect this is the level of the students you want to teach. Since employers at a technical college or university may prefer vocational teachers with more experience in their chosen career fields, it may take you about five to eight years to become a CTE educator. A professional who wants to work at a middle or high school may be able to become a vocational teacher in that work environment within three to five years. Another factor that influences the time it can take two become a CTE instructor is your chosen vocation. For example, a specialization related or technology or science may require more education or training that lasts around two to five years. Vocations that require less training, meanwhile, like cosmetology or administration, may allow candidates to pursue their careers as vocational teachers more quickly.
