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Successful Teaching

Successful Teaching

In order to meet the successful teaching requirement defined by Administrative Rule 390.1103 and required under law for the Professional Teaching Certificate, a teacher must have classroom experience with one or more employers in a teaching capacity within the validity of a teaching certificate that is calculated in the following ways:

  • A year of employment is a minimum of 150 instructional days and may be within an academic year.
  • More than 1 year of employment cannot be earned during an academic year.
  • A year of employment may be accumulated over a period of years.
  • An instructional day is 6 or more clock hours during which a teacher provides instruction to or has contact with students.
  • Two partial instructional days of not less than 3 hours each may be combined to equal 1 day.
  • Validity is defined as being within the subject, content or discipline area and grade level indicated on a certificate that has not lapsed or expired.

Successful work experience must be documented on the Work Experience Form available within the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS).

Educators who do not qualify for, or choose not to progress to, the Professional Teaching Certificate may renew a Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate without being required to complete the Work Experience Form.

Less Than Full-Time/Intermittent Teaching Experience

Less than full-time teaching experience may be used to satisfy the successful teaching requirement, but the accumulation of days must be calculated as outlined above.

In order to use less than full-time teaching experience to progress to the Professional Teaching Certificate, a teacher must have received effectiveness ratings or have successful instructional experience in accordance with MCL 380.1531j.

Experience in Another State, Country, or Federally Recognized Indian Tribe

For the purpose of initial certification in Michigan as an out-of-state prepared candidate, experience must be within the validity of a standard-level certificate, with no deficiencies, that is renewable.