How to become a teacher in Spain?
Being a teacher means exercising one of the most noble and valuable professions in society. A teacher has the task of educating, training and guiding his or her students in the learning process, both in technical skills and knowledge as well as in values and social skills. In this post, we will explain how to be a teacher in Spain in two educational stages: Primary and Secondary.
Primary Education Stage
To be a primary school teacher in Spain, in addition to meeting the qualification and documentation requirements, it is essential to have a vocation for teaching and patience. A vocation is essential in the profession, since without a passion for education it is difficult to connect with students. In addition, you work with children, who can be nervous and difficult to handle, so it is important to be patient and know how to deal with them.
To become a primary school teacher in Spain, the following steps are required:
1. Obtain the academic qualification: the Degree in Primary Education must be completed, which lasts 4 years and has 240 ECTS credits.
2. Pass the primary school teacher exams: Once you have the qualification, you must pass a competitive exam to get a position as a primary school teacher.
3. Obtain the negative certificate from the Central Registry of Sexual Offenders:To work as a teacher in Spain, it is necessary to have this certificate that proves that you do not have a criminal record for sexual crimes.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the co-official language: In those autonomous communities where there is a co-official language, it must be demonstrated that one has an adequate level of knowledge of it.
Secondary Education Stage
Secondary school teachers work with young people between the ages of 12 and 18. Unlike kindergarten and primary school teachers, teachers do not necessarily have specific degrees to carry out their work, and can access the position from various university degrees.
To be a Secondary Education teacher in Spain, it is necessary obtain a university degree or a degree in the corresponding specialty, such as Language and Literature, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, Geography and History, etc.
Once the corresponding university degree has been obtained, it is necessary to complete the Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching, which lasts one academic year. This master's degree is official y enabling It focuses on pedagogical and didactic training for the performance of the teaching function in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate.
On master, students acquire skills for classroom management, teaching strategies and the integration of information and communication technologies in teaching.
Certificate of Pedagogical Aptitude (CAP)
Once the Master in Teacher Training is completed, the next step is to obtain the Certificate of Pedagogical Aptitude (CAP). This certificate is a legal requirement For those who wish to work as teachers in Spain, the CAP is an additional 200-hour training course that focuses on teaching practice and classroom management.
The CAP can be obtained through a specific training program, or through accreditation of prior teaching experience. To obtain the CAP through prior teaching experience, it is necessary to have taught for at least two years in a public or private school.
Once these requirements have been completed, the next step is looking for a job as a high school teacher in a public or private school in Spain. The selection process for secondary school teachers is often very competitive, so it is important to keep in mind that continuing education and professional development are essential for a successful career in teaching.
Being a secondary school teacher in private or subsidized schools
In addition to all of the above, each center carries out its own selection processes, so to work as a teacher in a private or subsidized school, it is necessary to comply with the requirements established by each center.
Being a high school teacher in public schools
To access the Secondary School teaching body, you must pass a demanding selection process, which consists of two phases: opposition y competition.
The opposition phase is divided into two elimination rounds, whose content varies according to the autonomous community that calls for the positions, but are generally structured as follows: the first test consists of develop a topic in writing and carry out a practical part, while the second test involves present a teaching program and a teaching unit of the corresponding specialty.
Once the competitive examination phase has been completed, the next stage is taken, in which aspects of the candidate such as their experience, academic training and other proven merits are assessed.
The final grade for the competitive examination process is calculated by weighting the marks from both phases, with the competitive examination phase having the greatest weight (60%) compared to the competitive examination phase (40%). The final grade for the competitive examination phase is calculated from the arithmetic mean of the two tests.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a teacher has the task of educating, training and guiding his or her students in the learning process, both in technical skills and knowledge as well as in values and social skills. To be a primary school teacher in Spain, one must complete the Degree in Primary Education and pass the competitive examinations, while to be a secondary school teacher, it is necessary to obtain a university degree in the corresponding specialty, complete the Master's Degree in Teacher Training and obtain the Certificate of Pedagogical Aptitude.
