how to become a substitute teacher in texas

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Teaching can be a very rewarding career, and there are usually plenty of jobs in a state like Texas that's experiencing a serious population growth. Texas has very specific requirements for becoming a teacher, and it all starts with your education background. You must earn a Bachelor's Degree and complete a teaching preparation program before you can take the necessary certification tests. All teachers require the TExES Exams, but some may also need to complete the THEA. Once you've passed the tests, you can apply for a license and have a background check run so you can get the necessary approval.

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Choose an accredited college or university. In order for your degree to be accepted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), it must come from an a college or university that's been accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).^[1]
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Select an appropriate major for the age that you'd like to teach. Once you've selected a college or university, you'll need to choose a major that prepares you for a career as a teacher. Most prospective teachers opt for some type of Education major, though you may prefer a specific subject if you plan to teach high school. For example, if you plan to teach English at the high school level, you might major in the subject.^[2]
- If you want to teach Kindergarten to third grade, you might major in Early Childhood Education.
- If you want to teach at the elementary level, such as kindergarten through eighth grade, you might major in Elementary Education.
- If you're planning a career as a high school teacher, you might major in Secondary Education, which typically focuses on education for students in grades sixth through twelfth. You can usually select a specific field of concentration in the program, such as American history, calculus, English composition, or chemistry.
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Earn a bachelor's degree. When you're enrolled in an accredited college or university and majoring in an appropriate field, you must complete the program to earn a Bachelor's degree. Most Bachelor's programs run 4 years, but Texas doesn't have any specific requirements regarding undergraduate course hours.^[3]
- If you hold a Health Science Technology or Trades & Industrial Education certification, you're exempt from the Texas Bachelor's degree requirement.
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Complete an Educator Preparation Program. Even with a Bachelor's degree, Texas requires that teachers participate in an approved Educator Preparation Program. You can find a list of TEA approved programs at https://secure.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/approvedprograms.asp.^[4]
- There is often a fee to complete an Educator Preparation Program, which usually varies based on the program. However, some programs are incorporated into Bachelor's degree programs if you major in an Education field.
- An Educator Preparation Program typically covers topics such as curriculum and instruction, classroom management, reading and math strategies, special education, and bilingual education. However, they are often targeted to specific subjects or grade levels, so it's important to choose the right one for your needs.
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Complete a student teaching internship. In addition to traditional instruction, an Educator Preparation Program also has an internship component, so you spend time as a student teacher to gain valuable experience in the field. You'll be able to shadow a working teacher and work with children, which allows you to develop the skills necessary to be an effective teacher.^[5]
- If you're majoring in an Education field in a Bacelor's program, your college or university likely has relationships with local schools that allow for student teaching opportunities. Talk to your adviser about how to set up an internship.
- If you're in an independent Educator Preparation Program, the organization will likely set up a student teaching internship with your. Ask your adviser about how to arrange for one.
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Find out if you out need to take the THEA Exam. The Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA), a basic skills exam in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, is not necessarily a requirement for licensing as a teacher. However, some Educator Preparation Programs require taking the THEA for participation. Talk to your adviser to see if you must complete this exam.^[6]

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Contact the institution where you want to take the exam for permission. A variety of colleges, universities, and other schools throughout Texas host the exam, so you can choose the most convenient option. However, you must go through the institution itself to ensure that you're able to take the THEA at the location.^[7]
- You can find a list of THEA test sites on the THEA website at http://www.thea.nesinc.com/TA_IBTtestsites.asp.
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Create a THEA account. The THEA test is offered as an Internet-based test (IBT), so you must have a THEA account in order to take it. You can create an account at https://thea.starttest.com/, where you'll need to provide your name, address, phone number, social security number, student ID number, date of birth, and email address.^[8]
- You'll also be asked to create a password for your account. You'll need this password and the email address that you registered with when you take the exam.
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Register for the exam and pay the fee. Once you create your account, you can register for the THEA exam. A fee is required to sit for the test. You can pay the fee with a credit card at the time of registration or with an authorization code from your Educator Preparation Program on the day of the exam.^[9]
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Arrange an appointment with the testing institution. When you've registered for the THEA, you must call the institution where you've received permission to take it to schedule your test appointment. The dates and times available typically depend on where you're taking the exam.^[10]
- If you require alternative testing arrangements for the THEA, such as wheelchair-accessible facilities or regular breaks due to hypoglycemia or diabetes, you'll need to contact THEA's Evaluation Systems department and provide the appropriate documentation. You can find the necessary contact information at http://www.thea.nesinc.com/TA_IBTaltarrangements.asp.
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Study for the exam. Once you're registered and scheduled to take the test, it's important to prepare to ensure that you do your best. You can purchase a study guide and practice test from the THEA website to prepare.^[11]
- The test consists of 40 multiple-choice Reading questions, 50 multiple-choice Mathematics questions, 40 multiple-choice Writing questions, and a Writing sample section.
- You must register for the exam within two days of the test date. However, it's best to give yourself a week or two to study, depending on how confident you feel.
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Bring the appropriate ID to the test. On the day of the exam, you'll need 2 pieces of identification. One must be a photo ID with a recent photo, while the other can be a pay stub, insurance card, social security card, or valid credit card.^[12]
- Acceptable photo IDs for the exam include a valid driver's license, a valid passport, a valid student identification, a military identification card, or a current alien registration card.
- For the non-photo ID, you can also bring a description of yourself written on the preparation program stationery and signed by a program official.
- In addition to your ID, you should also bring the confirmation email you received if you paid for your registration with a credit card, your account email address and password, and a few sharpened No. 2 pencils.
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Take the test at your given time. Make sure to show up to your appointment on time with all the necessary ID and paperwork. You have 5 hours to complete the exam, so pace yourself and check over your work if possible.^[13]
- If you need to cancel or reschedule the appointment, contact the test center itself.
- You'll usually receive your exam results within 10 minutes of finishing the exam. The multiple choice score is usually ready right away, but it takes some extra time for the Writing portion to be scored. You can access your scores from your THEA account.
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Choose the appropriate TExES Exam(s). The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) are offered in a variety of subjects, such as Social Studies 4-8 or Chemistry 7-12. The tests that you should take depends on what type of teaching you want to do, so you may want to talk to an advisor at your school or preparation program to help you decide.
- You can find a full list of the TExES Exams on the TExES website.
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Get approval to take the exam. In order to take the exams, you must be approved by the Educator Preparation Program that you're participating in. This may mean talking to an advisor in your Bachelor's Program or at your independent Educator Preparation Program.
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Select a test exam center and date. Once you've been approved to take the exams, you must choose a test center where you can take the exam and a date that works for you. Most exams are given twice a year so you can choose the best fit for your schedule.
- The TExES Exams are administered as both paper-based tests (PBT) and computer-administered tests (CAT). Some test centers only offer one type of exam, so be sure to choose from the right list. You can find lists of both PBT and CAT test centers on the TExES website.
- The TExES provides a PDF file with the current year's testing schedule.
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Create a TEA account and TExES testing account. To register for the exam(s), you must have a TEA. You must also create an ETS TExES testing account to take the exam(s). While you can use different usernames and passwords for the accounts, all of your other personal information, such as name, address, birthdate, and social security number must be identical.
- You can register for a TEA account on the TEA website at https://tea.texas.gov/Home/. Follow the link in the upper righthand corner for "TEAL Login."
- You can register for a ETS TExES account on the TExES website.
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Register for the test. Once you've created your testing accounts, you can register for the exams that you plan to take. There are registration deadlines based on the date that you want to take the tests, so be sure to do it within the appropriate time period.
- You can register for the exams online at any time, or register by phone 8 a.m. to 5 p.m CST Monday through Friday.
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Study for the exam(s). In order to do your best on the exams, it's important to study. TExES provides a variety of free testing materials, such as practice exams. You can also purchase study guides for the exams at bookstores throughout Texas and many online booksellers.
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Print your admission ticket and bring it with ID. In order to gain admittance to the exams, you'll need an admission ticket for each one that you're registered for. You can print your ticket by accessing your ETS TExES account on the TExES website. You'll also need a valid ID with your name, signature, and photo.
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Take the text at your given time. Make sure to arrive at the testing center on time with all the necessary documentation. Pace yourself during the exam, and go over your work if possible.
- Each TExES exam has a different score reporting date, which determines how long it takes to get your scores. You can find the score reporting dates through the TExES Registration Bulletin.
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Submit your state application. Once you've met all your education requirements and received the scores for your certification exams, you can apply for a Texas teaching credential. You can apply by logging into your TEA account and providing all the necessary information, such as education background and test scores.
- You'll also have to pay an application fee to have your application processed.
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Be fingerprinted as part of the background check. As part of your application, you'll need to submit to fingerprinting, so TEA can run a background check. During the application process, you'll be prompted to pay a fingerprint processing fee. You can then submit your fingerprints electronically using the Texas Department of Safety's approved vendor.^[14]
- Once your application is processed, the vendor will contact you to arrange an appointment for fingerprinting.
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Apply for jobs. After you've paid all of the fees and your background check has come back clear, TEA will issue you an official teaching certificate. You'll be able to log into your TEA account and print it out, so you can look for teaching jobs in Texas in your given subject.

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