Teaching is one of the most important professions in our world today. Teachers educate, challenge, and inspire the next generation of students and leaders.

And at the same time, many teachers do receive the appreciation – or the salaries – that they truly deserve.

So, what can you, as a current or aspiring teacher, do to ensure you are marketable as a teaching candidate? What can make you more prepared as a protector for you and your students? Which teaching certifications can help you stand out most in your career?

We’ve previously covered six, core types of teaching certificates that educators may consider. Today, we’ll cover seven additional teaching certifications that can add value to one’s career. Further, we’ll discuss why these certifications are useful to teachers of all schools and grade levels.

1. Child Development Associate (CDA)

A Child Development Associate (CDA) is able to meet the specific needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth utilizing a child development framework.

The CDA Credential is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE), and it is a crucial stepping stone on the path of career advancement in ECE. It is based on a core set of competency standards that guide early childhood professionals toward becoming qualified educators of young children.

Certification details include:

• More than two years of education or training after high school
• More than two years of work experience
• CDA Exam and CDA Verification Visit
• Renewal is required every three years

2. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) can be an extremely beneficial teaching certification as it teaches you everything you need to start teaching English to foreign language speakers. By completing this course, teachers can obtain a thorough understanding of how English is taught to speakers of other languages and be confident in planning their own English language lessons. This certification also opens the opportunity for educators to work internationally, making it much easier to secure a teaching position overseas.

Candidates wishing to obtain the TEFL must take an exam and have more than two years of education or training after high school.

3. First Aid, CPR, and AED Instructor

Knowing how to deliver first aid or CPR quickly and effectively in an emergency is one of the most important skills a person can develop. As a teacher, you’re having to complete CPR certifications regularly, so why not become your school’s instructor as well?

The Standard First Aid, CPR, and AED course meets the OSHA requirements and is a vital tool for training employees on the latest skills, techniques, and expertise in life-saving procedures. These courses also include the practice and feedback of using related skills in realistic situations inside the actual teaching environment.

Participants learn to:

• Identify a medical emergency
• Handle breathing and cardiac emergencies
• Act appropriately and effectively and sustain life until professional help arrives
• Prevent disease transmission
• Identify and care for bleeding, sudden illness, and injuries

Certification details include:

• More than two years of education or training after high school
• No oral or written exam
• No prior work experience needed
• No renewal required

4. OSHA Safety Certification

A common teacher safety certification, the 40-hour OSHA Safety Certification program covers:

• The Construction 1926 and General Industry 1910 Standards
• How to effectively interpret the Federal Register
• Health issues related to a work environment
• Identifying physical hazards related to the violation of OSHA standards
• Employer implementation of their own proactive safety and health procedures

Candidates need more than two years of education or training after high school and more than two years of work experience. But luckily, there is no written or oral exam and no renewal required for this certification.

5. Basic Life Support (BLS)

The Basic Life Support (BLS) Classroom Course is designed to provide a wide variety of healthcare professionals the ability to recognize several life-threatening emergencies, provide high-quality chest compressions, deliver appropriate ventilations, provide early use of an AED, and relieve choking in a safe, timely, and effective manner.

The American Heart Association’s BLS course is designed for professionals and personnel, such as teachers, who need to know how to perform CPR and other basic cardiovascular life support skills in a wide variety of in-facility settings.

Additional certification details include:

• Required renewal every two years
• No prior education or training after high school
• No work experience required
• No oral or written exam

6. Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE)

An additional teaching certification teachers should consider is the Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) certification.

The MCE confirms that educators have the global educator technology literacy competencies needed to provide a rich and customized learning experience for students. MCE certification is ideal for educators-in-training, faculty of teaching training colleges, and in-service educators.

Microsoft also offers a comprehensive e-learning curriculum—21CLD—in order to help educators prepare for this exam.

This certification’s only requirement is that it must be renewed yearly.

7. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Educational Certificate: K-12

Teachers who obtain the educational certificate K-12 from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf demonstrate the ability to expressively interpret classroom content and discourse as well as the ability to receptively interpret student or teen sign language.

This additional teaching certification is not limited to one sign language or system and is given to interpreters who work with students who predominantly use American Sign Language (ASL), Manually-Coded English (MCE), and Pidgin Sign English (PSE).

Certification details include:

• More than two years of education or training after high school
• A written and oral exam

While of course, this is not an exhaustive list of all the additional teaching certifications educators can obtain, it is evident how important, helpful, and beneficial certifications can be both for you and your students.

By obtaining one or a few of these teaching certifications, you will make sure that school districts, colleges, and universities want to hire you and you will be confident in your skills as an educator and protector.

If you are a current or aspiring educator in Connecticut, continue exploring possible teacher certifications and program options here! You may also learn about University of Bridgeport’s Education Master’s programs online. Teachers are instrumental in shaping the future and the future generation, so start today!