Throughout the country, a growing number of college students, recent college graduates, and mid-career adults are thinking about becoming teachers. Teaching in middle and high schools combines a lifelong pursuit of learning, a long-held dream of joining a field that they respect, a chance to work with young people, and an opportunity to make a difference in society. The Essential Career Guide to Becoming a Middle and High School Teacher offers a step-by-step guide to preparation, certification, and employment as a teacher. It provides guidance about issues and choices facing prospective educators, including making the decision to teach, assessing the differences between middle schools and high schools, identifying an excellent teacher education program, understanding alternative pathways to certification, taking state-mandated teacher tests, succeeding as a student teacher, and finding a first job in the profession. A complete state-by-state listing of programs, including current U.S. News & World Report Top Fifty rankings and certification requirements rounds out this valuable guide.