About the Department

The mission of The OTC Teacher Education and Orientation to College Department is two-fold: train future educators to effectively teach levels PK-12 and prepare college students for the rest of their higher education journeys.

Teaching is an important, rewarding profession requiring careful preparation, patience and a passion for seeing young learners grow. Our experienced faculty love sharing their years of wisdom with OTC education students. By investing in future teachers, we’re investing in our community’s future.

We offer the Associate of Arts in Teacher Education Degree Program with 12 specific areas of emphasis. This degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree and certification to teach grades PK-12. Students with a love of learning and a passion for education should consider this program. We also offer orientation courses for new college students or those returning after a break from their studies. Our goal in these courses is to help students feel at home here at OTC and confident they can handle any academic challenge.

Career Options

Students getting the AA in Teacher Education will have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly in twelve different certification pathways to most Missouri educator preparation programs. Roughly half of a bachelor’s degree in education is completed with this AA and a bachelor’s degree is required for a Missouri teaching certificate. In addition to transfer toward a bachelor’s degree in education, students in this program may opt to become certified substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, library media specialists, or other educational support staff. A very high need exists in all regions and states for professional educators of all types

Employment Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that “Employment in education, training, and library occupations is projected to grow 10 percent from 2020 to 2030.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics  and O*NET Online have some great information on employment outlook, salary, types of jobs in the field, and so much more.