A GED instructor teaches and prepares students to take the General Educational Development exam (GED). The GED is offered to people over the age of 16 who are unable to earn a high school diploma, for varying reasons. Reasons may include the inability of the student to pass the required classes, a student who has left high school early for personal reasons or to enter the workforce, someone who is in prison, someone who wishes to join the military, or a student who has been homeschooled or has immigrated to the United States, among others.
The GED exam includes five sections, which include writing skills, mathematics, social studies, science, and reading. The information included is comparable to what is taught in the average high school curriculum, and students must receive a passing score on each section in order to receive his or her GED. The test is developed by the American Council of Education, and must be taken in person. The test is generally offered at schools or libraries.
The requirements to become a GED instructor may vary, but most have a bachelor's degree in education, as well as a few years of teaching experience, and a teaching certificate. Some GED instructors are pursuing graduate degrees as well. A GED instructor may work independently with a student, with a small group of students, or with an entire class. They will use various methods of educational instruction to be sure the students grasp the material and obtain the ability to apply their knowledge to the test questions.
A GED instructor may only work part time in addition to another teaching job. GED instruction classes do not usually last all day, and generally take place for a few hours in the morning or evening. In addition, a particular GED instruction class usually only lasts for a set period of time; i.e., one might take a GED class for one month prior to taking the GED exam. A GED instructor will need to be able to adapt to the needs of new students, as well as students of varying ages and abilities, and adjust his or her teaching methods accordingly.
In addition to teaching, a GED instructor will likely choose to administer practice exams to his or her students, to help them prepare for test day. Furthermore, if a student needs individual, remedial help in a particular subject, the GED instructor will need to provide that as well. Because many GED instructors work for nonprofit organizations, income amounts are usually fairly low, but it can be a very rewarding line of work.