Aside from an automotive education, what kind of loops does one have to jump through to become a vocational teacher? I know it varies state by state, but anyone know where I can go to learn more?
I've been told I have a knack of explaining things, and always wanted to teach, but four years of college wasn't appealing to me.
You're correct; it varies from state to state. What state are you in?
I can tell you that here in NJ virtually all new vocational teachers have a bachelors degree. It's still technically possible to get a teaching cert without a four year degree, but I'd say it's pretty rare these days. There are a number of older folks teaching voc-ed who are still working without a degree because they came in on the older standard which allowed folks to get credit for work experience (with little or no college). These days, the preferred candidate would have work experience and a bachelors degree. I taught auto shop in a voc-ed program years ago and I ran a community college auto tech program later on. It was pretty easy to find auto technicians with a associate or even bachelors degree (at least here).
I have a friend who has no college but lots of years as a dealer mechanic (with a ton of training certs from Toyota,etc). He just got a part-time gig as a "lecturer" teaching auto tech in a community college, but that's in upstate NY. Not a lot of money but he enjoys it. Maybe try something like that?
NE Ohio = Bachelors in education + ASE master tech cert to teach auto shop at least where I'm from. All this stuff varies by district. Your best shot would be South Carolina Where I'm told if you have a pulse you can be hired as a teacher. There are loop holes in every district It's really who you know and what rules thy will over look.
I have no teaching experience but my wife is an elementary teacher. My observations from the side lines are that the education industry is a self fulfilling prophecy. The leaders greatly value the ability to deliver a sound education and this can only be achieved by having what they see as a sound education which is a formalized education.
Here, an opening elementary teacher will pretty much need a masters degree or be well on the way to one.
You will not get far with statements like "...college was not appealing to me." I know you intended to only use that phrase here but I recommend dropping the phrase completely if you seriously head down that path. Everyone you encounter will have tremendous amounts of "education."
As noted, it is also very much "who you know." My wife is always amazed by how much politics there are in elementary school. Well dear...these are public positions and therefore real and true politics. Even in a big district or big town the schools are still based on neighborhoods. In small towns like mine the schools are made up of little 6 mile by 6 mile districts. Who do you know in that little community and how much do they think of you?
you can teach somewhere like where I went (UTI) just by being one of the best in the industry and having experience. no teaching experience required, they give you classes to help you with techniques for that. When you make the move to become a teacher there, they just have you teach a room full of coworkers something. anything. Doesn't even have to be automotive related.
We've discussed this before, and I've thought about it a lot lately, unfortunately, vocational teachers are becoming less and less in demand.
Shop classes are being cut, vo-techs are being cut, and people just don't want to pay to learn even simple home repair stuff.
I can tell you this, my nursing instructors have to have a minimum of the next degree higher of what you teach. Since I am in an ADN program, the minimum is a BS, but once you have your BS and start teaching, you HAVE to get a Master's in 5yrs to CONTINUE teaching.
But I know a guy with only his ASE certs getting a teaching gig at the HS county tech school. But he came back to working at the dealership in short order, when he had to do the mounds of stupid paperwork unrelated to teaching, reject students, and general dissatisfaction with the whole teaching system.
As stated, varies from state to state. I know in Tennessee all you have to be is certified in what you are teaching and an Associates Degree will allow you to be a substitute teacher. When I retired from the army in 1996 I applied for the troops-to-teacher program and was certified as an autoshop teacher with my aircraft A&P license. 
Never followed through on that. But did teach aircraft maintenance and A&P license certification requirements at a small private trade school for a while. The school owner insisted on and paid for a aviation "Advance Ground Instructor" FAA certification.
When I moved to north Alabama someone I worked with squealed on me to Embry-Riddle that was just opening a satellite campus here and they called me in to talk about starting an A&P program. They and the state of Alabama required at least a bachelors degree which I was working on and close to getting at that time. They tracked me for a while then stopped. I never went back as working full time and going to college part time I never had any free time. I can only imagine how much time working full time and teaching would take. Besides, when I got my degree I got a job that requires travel and that definately doesn't go with teaching.
Did greatly enjoy teaching though. Best job I ever had although the pay sucked.
I think it varries state to state so much because of the demand... a lower demand state would have higher standards... a high demand state needs warm bodies...
in FL teaching requires a bachelor's degree in whatever you feel like and then a certificate to teach (unless you get your BA in education in which case you already took the required classes for the certificate or something along those lines)... you have a few years to complete the certificate program once you are hired to teach (as I recall you had to pass a proficiency test within a year or so after being hired to teach)
