Becoming A Teacher Without Student Teaching Experience

Teaching…our country is an education crisis. There are several issues causing the crisis, such as learning gaps, staff and student mental health, declining achievement outcomes for students, as well as a teacher shortage. The shortage of highly qualified teachers leading classrooms is the most alarming issue. Due to poor wages and working conditions, less people are getting degrees in education. This leaves schools scrambling to hire new staff or replace teachers who are leaving for other careers in droves. Without a certified teacher in a classroom, students have to combine classes leaving a single classroom overcrowded. This declines the quality of learning students have access to due to the overcrowding and overwhelm put on the remaining teacher. It’s a real domino effect leaving widespread damage in its wake.

As a result, many states are allowing non-certified individuals to teach. To become eligible under these crisis conditions, individuals would have to hold a bachelor’s degree of any type and professional experience. Oftentimes, transferrable skills exist between careers so having experience in the working world is advantageous. The one stipulation if a non-certified individual chooses to teach is that they must enroll in an certification program within the stated timeframe set by the district or school.

Since emergency certification is growing in popularity, its important to outline essential classroom skills for teachers who didn’t complete a traditional student teaching experience. As part of the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog, this post will explore 6 tips to help individuals gaining an emergency teaching certificate without traditional training such as student teaching.

Routines and Procedures Matter 

Strong routines and procedures form the backbone of effective instruction. They create an environment where students know what to expect, how to behave, and how to move from one task to the next without constant teacher direction. When routines are tight, teachers spend less time managing and more time teaching. In fact, many highly effective classrooms look “calm” not because students are naturally compliant, but because routines make expectations automatic.

Don’t Miss the Behind-the-Scenes Modeling 

Student teaching gives educators a front-row seat to the flow of a classroom—the tiny, often invisible systems that make everything run. New teachers who skip this experience may not realize how much intentional planning sits underneath a smooth day. They don’t see the hundreds of micro-decisions: where materials live, how students move, how transitions are cued, or how procedures are retaught. As a result, they may assume a routine should “just work” without understanding the level of practice and modeling required.

The Power of Predictable Systems 

Predictability creates safety and confidence for students. When entry routines, exit routines, supply systems, and transitions run the same way every day, cognitive load drops—and academic engagement rises.

• Entry routines help students shift into learning mode immediately.

• Exit routines reinforce reflection, organization, and closure.

• Supply routines eliminate time-wasters and arguments.

• Transition routines keep momentum high and reduce the noisy drift between tasks.

Predictable Systems aren’t about Rigidity —they’re about freeing the brain to do the harder work of thinking, problem-solving, and collaborating.

Routines Reduce Behavior Issues 

A huge percentage of behavior challenges come from uncertainty, downtime, or unclear expectations. Well-taught routines eliminate those variables. Research commonly cited in classroom-management literature notes that strong routines can reduce off-task behavior by up to 80% (exact stat varies by source, but the pattern is consistent across studies). When students know exactly what to do and how to do it, they don’t have to “guess”—and guessing is where misbehavior happens.

Teaching a Routine is as Important as Teaching Content

Teaching a routine is teaching content—it’s instructional design. Routines are skills students must learn, practice, and master just like reading strategies or math processes. A routine that is taught explicitly, modeled clearly, and practiced repeatedly becomes part of the learning system for the entire year. Investing time upfront pays off exponentially because every later lesson runs more smoothly, efficiently, and effectively.

A Simple Script for Teaching and Practicing Procedures

You can teach any procedure using a simple three-step script:

1. Explain
“Here’s what we do when it’s time to transition to the carpet. You will push in your chair, walk quietly, sit criss-cross in your assigned spot, and track the speaker.”

2. Model
“Watch as I show you exactly how it looks.” (Teacher models.)
“Now watch again as a student volunteer models.” (Student models.)

3. Practice & Feedback
“Your turn. Let’s practice together. Ready… go.”
Give quick, specific feedback:
“I noticed several of you pushed in your chairs quietly. Let’s try it again and focus on getting to the carpet within 10 seconds.”
Re-practice until the routine meets expectations.

This cycle mirrors any high-quality instructional method: clear explanation, modeling, guided practice, and feedback.

Resource Recommendations

After reading this blog post, non-certified teachers can become successful in the classroom while simultaneously earning their certification.

• Digital Downloads:
  • Instructional Best Practices
  • PD On Demand: Micro Learning Opportunities 
• Books:
  • EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College
  • Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog. These blog posts may also be helpful to you as well.

GO BE GREAT!