Fast track teaching degrees are degrees that are supported by a traditional four-year teacher's college, but take a much smaller amount of time to complete. These degree programs take your work experience and prior classroom experience into consideration, and award you credits based on that. Many schools have a fast track that you can apply for if you have worked in a particular field for a long time, or if you have prior experience teaching in a classroom. These fast track programs allow you to complete your education degree in a matter of months, rather than years. Typically, you can skip your general education courses, as well as many of the courses that deal with curriculum and teaching methods.
Each state has several alternative teacher degree programs. Some states allow you to take exams to show you already have knowledge in a particular area. Others allow you to work in a school as a teacher's aide for several years as you work on your degree. Still other states grant you a teaching job, allowing you to earn your alternative teaching degree through the actual teaching that you do.
Teach For America (see "Resources") is a program that gets teachers into the classroom. They hire teachers based on real-world experience. Therefore, if you have been a librarian for many years, you are certified to teach students literature. Other teachers are hired based on their work experience, as well as life experience. As you teach in a school through Teach for America, you earn college credits towards an actual teaching degree, which will allow you to teach in other schools, as well. The longer you teach, the more credits you can earn. It is possible to earn an entire degree while teaching through Teach for America.
Americorps (see "Resources") hires teachers to work in alternative situations, and awards them alternative teaching degrees in order to do so. Alternative learning centers, charter or magnet schools, and home schools are all places where Americorps teachers will work. After they have completed Americorps teaching certification programs, they are awarded an alternative teaching degree.