Online, for-profit alternative certification programs are a nontraditional route to teaching that is becoming more common. "Such programs, which can offer certification in three months to two years, are booming despite little more than anecdotal evidence of their success". One of the benefits of such programs are that they draw candidates who have valuable life experience. However, successful real world performance in any field does not guarantee successful teaching in the classroom. Teaching requires a set of skills specific to the classroom that real world experience does not provide.
