Master Teacher Requirements in Oklahoma

There is some back-and-forth about what works best for the education of a master teacher. A master teacher is a certified childcare educator. A master teacher works in early childhood centers, providing instructions, guidance, care, and supervision. In many other states, this may be considered a preschool teacher. You will be tasked with providing emotional, social, and physical development activities, while preparing students for their education journey ahead. In Oklahoma, there are many different certificates that can lead to being a master teacher, and we'll look at them now.

One of the popular methods is to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. This is a nationally recognized credential. In order to earn a CDA, you must have your high school diploma (or GED) and be 18 years or older. On top of this, you must have 9 college credits in child development and/or early education. You could obtain 120 clock hours that meet the eight CDA content areas. On top of the education, you must have 480 hours of experience working with children in a childcare setting. These can be with any children from infant to five years old. It will take six months to complete the process of applying. Along with a $25 Standards book, you'll need to pay the $425 fee to the Council for Professional Recognition with your application and portfolio. You will also take the CDA exam offered through Pearson VUE.

The other nationally recognized credential for master teachers is the Certified Child Care Professional Credential (CCP). Currently, Oklahoma is one of eight states that approve of this credential. In order to obtain this through the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA), you must meet the 12 requirements for credentialing.

1. Be 18 years old
2. Have your high school diploma
3. 720 hours working in a childcare setting
4. 180 clock hours of education in the nine CPP Standard areas
5. Pass the National Early Childhood Education exam
6. Have a portfolio
7. Assessment of your performance
8. Two parent evaluations
9. Two recommendation letters
10. Two writing samples
11. Professional development plans
12. Review by the NECPA council

A Certificate of Mastery can be obtained by attending one of Oklahoma's community colleges or other educational institutions. These programs include courses that will prepare you to work with developing children. You'll learn about child growth, social skills, language development, and services for special needs children. Along with this, you'll learn how to work with parents and the community to better the learning environments for students. You'll learn all about child care, safety, and nutrition. Finally, you'll learn about being a master teacher through assessment and evaluation, program planning, and professionalism. These certificate programs will be 18 credit hours, with three in English composition and the other 15 dedicated to education and child growth. This can be used to prepare you for your CDA credential, but this certificate is only recognized in Oklahoma state.

While there are no specific exams that are required to be taken, there are some questions that you may still need answered. Hopefully, the following link will be able to guide you with any remaining questions.

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