NC TEACH Alternative Licensure for Middle Grades Language Arts 6-9

North Carolina Teachers of Excellence for All Children (NC TEACH) is designed to recruit, train, support, and retain mid-career professionals as they become licensed teachers in North Carolina. The Middle Grades Language Arts certification area offers residency licensed teachers a foundation in content and method for teaching 6-9 grade levels.

Alternative licensure is widely used by teachers who change careers after completing an undergraduate degree in a different field. NC TEACH enables them to begin teaching immediately, drawing on their expertise in a core subject for up to three years while they work toward a permanent teaching license. UNC Greensboro’s program further supports a successful teaching career with mentoring, field-work practice, and coursework with learning and developmental theory.

The middle grades language arts licensure Student Experience

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction expects teachers with residency licenses to attain their standard teaching license within three years from when they start teaching. UNCG readies them for that next step, spending time on instructional planning, assessment, and culturally responsive learning. Participants will work closely with their advisor, Dr. Faith Freeman, to follow an appropriate timeline toward licensure.

Students in the NC TEACH alternative licensure program complete at least 18 credit hours of coursework related to middle grade literacy and teaching practice. They complete a clinical experience before taking the required licensure exam (Pearson/Praxis).

As NC TEACH participants are normally teachers already assigned to a classroom, they take the majority of classes online and outside regular school working hours. While working with mentors and School of Eduction faculty, they learn how to integrate theory and practice.

After Graduating with your middle grades language licensure

NC TEACH’s Middle Grade licensure program allows graduates to qualify for North Carolina’s initial standard professional I license. With this, they may teach in any middle school classroom in a public school. Candidates can also earn a master’s degree with limited additional coursework.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the initial teaching license. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. Review the Licensure Reciprocity Information.

Funding and Scholarships While Getting Licensure

Each year, the School of Education awards over $1 million in scholarships and graduate assistantships to students.

The Haggai Academy is a scholarship program that provides scholarships of up to $8,000 per year, as well as a wide range of additional enrichment opportunities, for non-traditional students (24 years of age or older) pursuing an initial teacher license.