Online teaching degrees support students of all ages

Online teaching degrees support students of all ages

As elementary and secondary schools around the country seek qualified teachers, new programs and online courses seek to support mid-career professions who are looking to shift careers for a job in the education field. Many of these programs are designed to accommodate individuals who are reassessing their career goals by reducing conflict with the family obligations prospective teachers may have.

One teacher, who began her career after turning 40-years-old, finds that her need to teach is innate and undeniable. Sylvia Cadena, a teacher at Villacorta Elementary School in California, will be honored this week as her school district's Teacher of the Year, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports.

After carrying on a career as a stay-at-home mother, Cadena entered the classroom and began to implement innovative teaching techniques, such as creating a reading lab for students needing special attention in the subject area.

The educator soon was named the Learning Director at her school, granting her an administration position which seeks to help teachers improve their craft. Cadena told the news source, "I just really love teaching. I don't know how to turn it off."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 479,000 new teacher positions will be created by 2016, as a large class of older teachers is expected to retire during that period.