Expand in page Navigation

Get Matched With History Teacher Programs

What is a History Teacher?

History teachers guide students through the evolution of the world, covering a broad range of topics or focusing on specific time periods (like Civil War History), regions (such as European History), or movements (like the Civil Rights Movement or the Industrial Revolution). They help students understand past events and apply those lessons to modern times.

If you're passionate about history and enjoy sharing that knowledge, becoming a history teacher could be a great career choice. Many remember history classes as dry memorization of dates and events, but a passionate teacher can make the subject engaging and exciting, helping students see history in a whole new light. You could be the one to make history cool for your students.

Compare Popular Online Teaching Programs

Search Programs

Steps to Becoming a History Teacher

Whether you teach young students the basics of American History or college students about government coups, there's a place for you in classrooms across the U.S. If you're passionate about ensuring that "those who forget the past are destined to repeat it," becoming a history teacher is a path worth pursuing.

To become a history teacher, you must first obtain an education in teaching techniques and lesson planning. Understanding your students' learning levels is key to crafting lessons that match their abilities. While anyone can recite dates and events, effective history teachers make the subject come alive and connect historical events to modern-day issues, ensuring students leave with valuable knowledge.

Becoming a history teacher generally follows a clear path, though state requirements and school district rules may vary at the certification stage. Here's an overview of the typical journey to becoming a history teacher.

  • Step 1: Major in Education with a Specialization in History

  • Step 2: Choose What Grade to Teach

  • Step 3: Complete Your Degree and Student Teaching

  • Step 4: Pass Your Exams

  • Step 5: Gain Certification

steps_to_take_history_teacher

Step 1: Major in Education with Specialization

You’ll have to declare education as your major in college. Many schools require you to apply for admission into the education program, and this happens during your second year of college at the latest. When you apply for admission into the education department, you’ll be asked what subject you want to teach. At this time, you’ll declare that you want to teach History. Depending on your state, you’ll either minor in History or double major in Education and History.

Find Your Online Teaching Program

Step 2: Choose What Grade to Teach

One of the first things you need to consider is what age group you want to teach. Many college programs require you to choose between elementary, middle school, and secondary education. Elementary is for children between the ages of 5 and 12, middle school is 12 to 14, and secondary is high school, which is generally kids aged 14 and older. For any younger ages, there aren’t specific history classrooms in which to teach, since most programs for young children use self-contained classrooms.

Step 3: Complete Your Degree and Student Teaching

Once you’re admitted into a history degree program, you’ll be given a specific curriculum for your major. It is comprised of general education courses and classes in history. You’ll need to pass all of your classes with at least a C in order to complete the program.

Education majors are required to complete several weeks of student teaching toward the end of earning their degree. You will be assigned to a school depending on your preferred teaching group. So, if you want to teach middle school history, you’ll be assigned to a middle school, if you want to teach high school history, you’ll go to a high school. Once assigned to a school, you will shadow a veteran history teacher in that school and eventually will be tasked with teaching the class. The history teachers, as well as a department head from your college, will evaluate your skills and offer advice and ways to improve your teaching skills.

Step 4: Pass Your Exams

Once you’ve completed your bachelor's degree, you have to take the licensing exam for the state in which you plan to teach. If you plan to teach in the state where you went to college, your program is set up to help you seamlessly prepare for the exam. If you plan to teach in another state, you’ll want to check their specific exam requirement and prepare for that exam.

The PRAXIS I and II exams are required in most states for teacher candidates to move forward and get their teaching licenses and certifications. Praxis I is a general knowledge exam that covers the basics that all teachers should know before entering a classroom. PRAXIS II is a specific subject exam, based on your declared specialization. For example, because you want to become a history teacher, your Praxis II would delve heavily into history to test your knowledge on historical happenings and methods of teaching these highlights to students. Even if your state doesn’t use PRAXIS exams, they will use some type of testing procedure before you are able to gain certification to teach.

Step 5: Gain Certification

Each state and school district has requirements for incoming history teachers. You will want to find out what the specific requirements are and act accordingly. Some states require additional testing beyond the certification exam. Other states require specific classes or training for their history teachers. Find out what those requirements are and work to fulfill them.

Beyond other testing requirements, each state requires fingerprinting and background checks for all history teachers. This allows them to ensure the safety of all the students under your care. Once all these requirements are met, you will be able to get a job leading your own classroom.

What Does a History Teacher Do?

Elementary and middle school history teachers have many responsibilities beyond delivering lessons. They may be tasked with tracking the school's history, updating publications, and assisting in activities like the lunchroom or after-school programs. With experience, they could also coach debate teams or sports. Additionally, they handle typical teacher duties such as lesson planning, grading tests and homework, meeting with parents, and supporting struggling students. Experienced teachers may also mentor newer teachers and guide student teachers.

Find Online Education Schools

Skills to Acquire

History teachers should cultivate the following skills to be effective in the classroom:

  • Knowledge of history
    History teachers should have more than a passing knowledge about the subject in which they are teaching. Understanding all facets of an issue and knowing how to pass this information on to their students is required.
  • Ability to follow historical trends and changes in understanding
    History changes over time. What was once thought to be a cause for a war or movement could eventually be proved untrue, and a new reason or explanation is presented. History teachers must pay attention to these trends and adjust their lessons accordingly so students receive accurate information.
  • A capacity for practical application
    It’s one thing to tell students what happened in 1863, it’s another thing entirely to explain why it happened and how those events shape our current life. Being able to take history and apply it to the present helps students learn and it’s a skill a history teacher should hone.
  • The desire to help students
    Whether it’s finding new ways to convey information to the entire class or helping one student find an effective way of remembering dates, a history teacher must be able to assess a learning situation and find ways to adjust their lesson to help students learn.
  • Organizational skills
    History has a lot of moving parts so, in order to keep track of everything that needs to be taught, history teachers should have their lessons and materials organized.
  • Communication skills
    The ability to convey information in both verbal and written formats is tantamount.

Alternative Paths

If you want to become a history teacher but lack a formal education degree, there are ways to fulfill your desire to teach without earning an entirely new bachelor’s education degree. The methods vary by state, but in essence, you’ll be required to take some education classes, complete student teaching, and pass the PRAXIS I and II exams, as well as any state required exams for teacher certification. Once all that is completed, you’ll need to follow the guidelines to apply for teaching positions that are laid out by specific school districts or colleges, depending on which career track you decide to pursue.

Career & Salary

Where Might You Work?

might_you_work_history_teacher

Public, private, and alternative schools all require students to learn history, as do post-secondary institutions. You could also find employment in museums or working as a historical expert. For example, news shows and new magazines often tap history teachers as sources for articles and news stories. You could also write these stories and books yourself as an additional income source.

Potential Career Paths

If you’re an aspiring history teacher, you could find employment in one of these areas, depending on your degree and desires:

Elementary Teacher
history teachers at this level help young students learn about important figures in history. Units can be built around these people and students can start to get a foundation on how these figures helped shape America or the world.

Middle School Teacher
history in middle school builds upon what was taught in elementary school but adds context and more information. During middle school, students learn about geography and take a class that details the history of their state. Students start to get an idea of how happenings in another part of the world are connected and start to see how the past has helped shaped the present.

High School Teacher
history in high school builds further. High school teachers focus on adding economics to the mix. Learning about the US economy and how it directly impacts countries around the world and vice versa help students gain knowledge about the importance of world events and the health of economies. Students also study worldwide historical events more thoroughly, again to help students understand how something that happened oceans away have affected them and can continue to affect them.

Career Outlook

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the need for high school teachers, the most common history teaching role, is expected to decrease between 2023 and 2033, though only by 1%. However, there are already around 1.7 million jobs for high school teachers across the US, many of which will need to be filled due to attrition of the current work force. Although not all of those positions are for history teachers, it shows that the need for new educators is there.

Salary-wise, your income will depend on where you live. History teachers in the northwest make more than history teachers in the southeast. For example, a teacher in Oregon could earn around $82,000, whereas a teacher in West Virginia would usually earn far less. If you want to teach on a collegiate level, there is more demand there. According to the BLS, there will be an increase in postsecondary teachers across every field of 8% between 2023 and 2033.

Search Programs Offering Teaching Majors

Advancing From Here

History teachers are needed at all academic levels, including post-secondary institutions. To teach at a college or university, a bachelor’s degree is required, with a graduate degree preferred. Teaching and research experience in your field of interest can also help launch a collegiate teaching career.

Depending on the course and academic level, history classes could offer general overviews or in-depth studies of specific historical events. For example, elementary students might study figures like George Washington and Martin Luther King, while high school students may explore broader topics such as American wars or global history.

Becoming a history teacher is a noble endeavor. Understanding the history of the world helps create well-rounded individuals who can see the bigger picture in global events. Those passionate about helping students connect the past to the present and future should consider sharing this knowledge in the classroom.

Find History Teacher Jobs Near You

Frequently Asked Questions

What do teachers do?

History teachers teach students about significant events that have happened in the past. Most history teachers try to connect past events with current and future events. History teachers may cover specific time eras or they may cover history as a whole.

What skills should a teacher have?

A history teacher must have integrity, be dependable, have excellent communication, and have good speaking, writing and reading. They must be an active listener, have analytical thinking skills, strict attention to detail.

How long does it take to become a teacher?

To become a history teacher, you must first get a bachelor's degree. After you have your degree. you will be required to complete several weeks of student teaching. Next, you will need to take your states licensing exam and apply for your teaching license.

What is the job outlook for teachers?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, history teaching careers will grow by 8% from 2020 to 2030.

Where can these teachers work?

History teachers can teach at all levels of education. They could work in public and private schools.

sources:

Browse All Careers

Education Career Paths

Search All Programs