Teaching 101: What you need to know to become a teacher

Teachers are not hired, they are called. Indeed, teaching is a calling. The North-West University Unit for Open Distance Learning (UODL) and the Faculty of Education offers prospective teachers the opportunity to make their calling a reality by studying from the comfort of their own home.

The NWU-UODL offers the following education qualifications:

• Diploma in Grade R Teaching

The Diploma in Grade R Teaching will grant a vast number of under-qualified and unqualified Grade R practitioners the opportunity of gaining access to higher education qualifications.  In simpler terms; if you are working at a school as a Grade R teacher without qualification, the Grade R diploma is for you. The Grade R diploma will develop the necessary competencies to understand how learners learn, how to teach, and how to assess what they learn.

The Diploma in Grade R is on NQF level 6 and allows for articulation into a BEd degree in Foundation Phase in order to gain status as a fully qualified teacher.  Please be aware of the language requirements for B.Ed Foundation Phase. The minimum duration for this programme is 3 years with a maximum of 6 years. The minimum admission requirement for this qualification is a National Senior Certificate with diploma endorsement or equivalent. It is important to note that you must already be working at a school as a Grade R teacher to be able to apply for admission. 

• BEd Degrees

The BEd degree is on NQF level 7 and is made up of three phases; Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase and Senior and FET phase. 

Foundation Phase

The BEd in Foundation phase is for teachers who wish to specialize in teaching from Grade R to Grade 3.  The BEd in Foundation Phase qualification only caters to students that have the following as their Home Language: Afrikaans, English, Sepedi, Sesotho, IsiZulu, and Setswana. A 6-week annual compulsory WIL (Work Integrated Learning) component has to be completed in order for students to be conferred with the degree.

BEd: Intermediate Phase

The BEd in Intermediate Phase is for teachers that are interested in teaching Grades 4 – 6. This qualification allows teachers to specialise in Life skills and Social Sciences. Students have to complete a compulsory 6 week WIL (Work Integrated Learning) annually to successfully complete the degree.

BEd: Senior and FET Phase

In this phase the focus is on the mastering of teaching and learning strategies, assessment practices and professional conduct for teaching from Grade 7 to Grade 12. The BEd Senior and FET qualification allows Prospective teachers to choose a speciality subject from a list of school subjects available.

To be admitted into any of the BEd degree programmes available, you will need to be in possession of a National Senior Certificate with admission to a B degree and a minimum APS of 24.  Added to that, you will need 50% for your home language which can be Afrikaans, English, IsiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho or Setswana.  A level 4 (50 -59 %) is required for English.

Prospective BEd students are required to have reliable personal access to internet on a regular basis for the successful completion of the degree. The qualification has a further compulsory 6 week annual WIL (Work Integrated Learning) component which students must undergo. The BEd qualification can be completed in a minimum duration of four years.

• PGCE

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is on the NQF level 7. This qualification is a professional capping qualification for candidates who have completed a relevant B-degree or a relevant qualification with at least 360-credits and wish to enter the teaching profession. Prospective students need to have at least two recognised school subjects on second and third year level subject to faculty specific requirements and exceptions for certain subject groups.

The minimum duration of study is one year (two examination opportunities) and the maximum duration of study is three years (six examination opportunities). This qualification has a compulsory WIL (Work Integrated Learning) component which students must undergo in April and July. Successful completion of the PGCE qualification allows graduates to articulate vertically into a BEd Honours degree or a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDip).  The NWU-UODL strives to assist prospective teachers to enrich a new generation with a teaching qualification from a globally recognized institution.

Learn more: http://distance.nwu.ac.za/