Finding Teaching Jobs and Getting Hired in Oklahoma

While some states have stringent requirements for people wanting to become teachers, Oklahoma recognizes that you don’t have to have a degree in education to be an effective educator.

You can prove your competency to teach in a variety of ways. If you taught in another state, Oklahoma may reciprocate your teaching credentials. You can visit the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s website at http://sde.state.ok.us/Teacher/ProfStand/default.html to see if your particular state credentials would be accepted.

If you’re switching careers to become a teacher, you can show competency by completing an accepted teacher education program. Certification through the American Board of Certification for Teacher Excellence (www.abcte.org/teach/oklahoma) is one route to satisfying your teacher education requirements.

Every teacher, however, must pass the Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators (CEOE), a series of three tests that measure your professional and subject-area knowledge. Once you pass the CEOE, you can begin the real work of finding a job in an Oklahoma school.

Finding Teaching Jobs and Getting Hired in Oklahoma You can find job postings at many educational websites, including:

Oklahoma Department of Education—www.sde.state.ok.us/Services/HR/jobs.html
Oklahoma Education Association—www.okea.org
Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools—www.orosok.org
Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education—www.okacte.org
Teachers-Teachers.com—www.teachers-teachers.com
Teach Oklahoma—www.oklahomateachingjobs.org
Great Teacher—www.greatteacher.net

Take an extra résumé and portfolio into every interview. A portfolio of lesson plans, unit studies, and tests will show employers you’re prepared for the challenges of teaching, especially if you have little classroom experience. Be read to discuss your teaching philosophy, too, as well as how you would approach the subject and accommodate some learners’ special needs.

Finally, don’t be discouraged if you go through several interviews before being hired. Even if you don’t get your first choice of teaching jobs, there is priceless experience to be had in any classroom.