Guide to Continuing Education for Teachers

Professional credentials, including teaching licenses, typically require periodic renewal through continuing education. Individuals can pursue continuing education by completing advanced degrees or individual courses, along with professional development workshops and training opportunities.

As student needs and teaching challenges evolve, teachers need to stay up to date on best teaching practices. Education researchers and practitioners continually improve teaching and learning through new ideas, applications, and strategies, making continuing education courses highly valuable for teachers.

To renew a five-year state teaching license, teachers often need to take 2-4 graduate-level courses from accredited universities. Many schools offer online continuing education classes for teachers, which typically offer more flexibility than on-campus courses. This guide offers an overview of continuing education for teachers.

Continuing education can refer to many different kinds of postsecondary learning opportunities, including college degree programs, professional conferences, online courses, and certifications. Other types of continuing education include on-the-job training, noncredit extension courses at colleges, mentorship and coaching programs, and volunteer experiences.

People pursue continuing education to learn new skills, advance in their careers, and keep professional credentials up to date. Benefits can include increased earning power, consideration for potential promotions, pursuing new roles, and personal growth.

Some fields, including education, expect you to complete continuing education or professional development as an industry standard. State boards of education typically require teachers to regularly complete continuing education units within a certain time frame to maintain their licenses. Teachers can also complete optional continuing education credits.

Continuing education for teachers can take various forms, including online or in-person classes, seminars, workshops, and professional events.

Continuing education for teachers takes many forms. These include for-credit graduate courses and noncredit professional development seminars, trainings, and workshops. Earning new credentials may lead to salary raises and/or promotions. Due to the convenience and flexibility of distance learning, many teachers prefer online education courses. Learn more about continuing education options for teachers below.

One type of continuing education for teachers is in-person workshops and seminars. Workshops and seminars usually take just a few days at most to complete, which can make them appealing for students who want to complete their continuing education quickly. Sometimes schools host on-site seminars or workshops, which can be especially convenient for busy educators.

Below, we describe some typical workshops and seminars for teachers interested in continuing education.

Noncredit online courses can be a good continuing education option for busy teachers who want to pursue additional professional development but do not need to earn credit for licensure. Many continuing education courses for teachers can be taken either as for-credit or noncredit classes, with the latter usually costing less.

Enrolling in online for-credit continuing education courses can be a convenient way for teachers to meet professional development requirements and work toward an advanced degree. These classes usually cost more than noncredit courses for teachers. Below, we highlight some online for-credit courses typically offered for teachers interested in continuing education.

Continuing education for teachers can include online master’s programs, which allow students to specialize their curriculum, learn new skills, and advance their careers. The following list highlights some of the best online master’s programs for teachers.

Many organizations support teachers by sharing information, education, networking opportunities, and professional development opportunities. The five resources below cover just a few of the many helpful continuing education resources available for educators.

Continuing education requirements for teachers refer to the number of hours or credits of professional learning that educators must complete regularly throughout their careers. Teachers can generally choose what type of professional learning to pursue, but it must meet certain state requirements for licensure renewal.

Continuing education demonstrates that educators can keep their knowledge and skills up to date while learning about new developments in educational theory and tools. Although typically a requirement for maintaining an active license, continuing education also helps them grow personally, become better teachers, and advance in their careers.

Teachers must complete a certain number of continuing education credits within a specific amount of time to maintain or renew their teaching licenses. The number of required continuing education credits varies depending on the state.

CEU stands for continuing education units. CEUs are a nationally recognized way of measuring and accounting for noncredit continuing education. One CEU typically counts as 10 contact hours of continuing education at a class, workshop, or seminar.

Professional development is a broad term that refers to anything related to someone learning new skills that can help them in their field. Continuing education is one type of professional development. It refers to professionals who already hold college degrees and continue to pursue additional college-level education.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by Affordable Colleges Online. Page last reviewed May 28, 2024.