“You’d make a great teacher.”

For a paraprofessional, substitute, or other school staff member, hearing those words from a principal can make certification feel like a possibility worth pursuing. The encouragement carries weight because it comes from someone who has seen the individual work with students and understands the demands of teaching.

But the decision to pursue certification introduces questions that encouragement alone cannot answer. Which preparation pathway fits? Who can explain the requirements? How will the candidate prepare for licensure assessments while continuing to work?

Principals can help candidates navigate those questions without taking responsibility for the entire certification process. Their contribution is to recognize potential, connect people with reliable guidance, and help address the practical conditions that affect whether preparation moves forward.

Recognizing Potential With Specificity

Principals see evidence of teaching potential in the daily work of their schools. A paraprofessional notices that a student needs a different explanation. A substitute establishes routines and adjusts when students struggle. A staff member seeks feedback from a classroom teacher and applies it the next day.

Those observations provide a stronger starting point than a general compliment. “I noticed how you changed your explanation when that student was confused. Have you considered pursuing teacher certification?” gives the individual both a reason for the encouragement and an invitation to explore it.

The response matters. Someone may be interested but concerned about cost, uncertain about eligibility, or unsure how coursework would fit around work and family. Listening to those concerns helps a principal identify a useful next connection rather than assuming that interest is enough to get the process started.

Making the Referral Useful

A suggestion to contact human resources or research preparation programs leaves the aspiring teacher with another task to figure out. A direct introduction to a district certification contact, grow-your-own coordinator, or partner educator preparation program (EPP) makes the next step clearer.

The introduction should have a purpose: helping the individual understand which pathways they may qualify for, what those pathways require, and what support is available. With the aspiring teacher’s permission, a principal might introduce them by email and explain that they would like guidance on pursuing certification while remaining employed in the school.

The district or EPP contact can help aspiring teachers better understand: 

• Eligibility requirements: Which certification pathways they qualify for.
• Program expectations: Required coursework, clinical experiences, and assessments.
• Costs and deadlines: Financial commitments and important timelines.
• Available assistance: Potential support for tuition, exam fees, or preparation resources.

A brief follow-up from the principal can establish whether the connection worked: “Were you able to speak with the program adviser, and do you know your next step?” If the individual is still uncertain, the immediate need is further advising. Asking them to begin studying before their pathway and required assessments are clear may create unnecessary work.

Planning for the Exam, Not Just the Test Date

Once the required assessment has been confirmed, preparation needs its own plan. Registering for an exam establishes a date. It does not establish how a candidate will become ready for it.

Candidates need to understand what the assessment measures, where their knowledge is already strong, and which areas require additional study. Passage Preparation™ courses use diagnostic assessments to identify a candidate’s starting point across exam content domains. Course content and practice assessments then provide structured opportunities to build knowledge and examine developing readiness. 

That information makes a study plan more useful. A candidate who needs substantial work in one domain should be able to direct time toward that content rather than repeatedly reviewing material they already understand.

For principals, a practical question is whether the plan fits the candidate’s actual week. “When are you planning to study, and what might interrupt that time?” can reveal a mismatch between an ambitious schedule and the demands of work, coursework, and family.

Where policies and staffing allow, principals can help candidates establish realistic preparation plans by:

• Providing access to study time: Encouraging candidates to use existing professional learning blocks for preparation.
• Coordinating scheduling needs: Helping arrange coverage for approved exam-related absences.
• Encouraging realistic timelines: Connecting candidates with advisers to adjust preparation schedules when needed.

The important point is to identify those constraints early enough to respond, rather than discovering shortly before the exam that the candidate has had little opportunity to prepare.

Responding to What a Check-In Reveals

A check-in is most helpful when it leads to an appropriate next step. “How is studying going?” may invite a general answer. “What are your practice assessments showing you still need to work on?” gives the candidate an opportunity to describe a specific preparation need.

Consider a candidate who says, “I’m studying, but my practice scores aren’t improving.” More study time may help, but the conversation should first clarify what the candidate is doing with that time. Are they returning to the course content for the domains where they struggle? Are they working through why an answer is correct? Have they discussed the persistent difficulty with their program adviser?

The principal does not need to diagnose the content gap. They can help the candidate reach someone who can. For candidates who need additional interaction and guidance, Passage Preparation’s Prep+ sessions complement asynchronous coursework with live, expert-led opportunities to analyze practice items, discuss answer rationales, and ask questions.

A different response is needed when the candidate says, “I haven’t been able to study.” That points toward time, workload, or access rather than necessarily indicating a need for more instruction. Asking what has made preparation difficult can help determine whether the next step is a schedule adjustment, assistance accessing resources, or a conversation with the adviser about timing.

In either case, the principal can close with a concrete question: “What will you do next, and when should we check in again?” Following up on the agreed action gives the support continuity.

A Practical Role in Candidate Progression

Principals occupy an important position between the formal certification process and the daily experience of candidates working in schools. They can see when a promising staff member needs an introduction, when preparation is competing with an unmanageable schedule, or when a candidate needs more specialized support.

The value of that role lies in making the next step possible. A useful referral, a realistic preparation plan, and a timely follow-up give candidates support they can act on as they work toward certification.

For more information about how Passage Preparation supports schools, districts, and educator preparation programs in preparing candidates for their licensure assessments, reach out to Nathan Estel, at nathan.estel@passagepreparation.com.