The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Help with becoming a teacher
zkt
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Let me start out by giving my background and current situation. I got my AS degree in Network Communications during my last 2 years in HS and went on to complete my BS in a field that really didn't interest me. I graduated a year ago with my BS and haven't found a job so I've decided to go back to school to become a high school computer teacher, hopefully in the field of IT/WAN/LANs. I have a few universities in mind but don't know the top schools for getting an education degree. So far Ive contacted one university and they told me its extremely unlikely that they accept undergrads who already have a 4 year degree, and if they do none of my credits would transfer and i would be ineligible for financial aid. I certainly hope this is not the case for every university. I do not want to go into grad school as I want to make this a fresh start.
zkt on
0
Posts
You probably want to be looking at colleges within the geographic location in which you want to teach, if it's a teaching credential you're after.
Depending on your state's requirements, be prepared to take a lot of classes at the community college to have enough of the required credits to even get a certificate. Generally most people who didn't get a degree focused on getting a teaching certificate need quite a few credits to meet the requirements.
You should also be able to find a masters of education program. Getting a bachelors in teaching would be a waste of time.
Well, I can't speak to the programs in Illinois, but when I was looking into getting a teaching certificate in Virginia there was no requirement for any prerequisites for the Masters of Education, besides having an bachelors. A Masters of Education is kind of a joke, academically speaking--I really can't imagine a school requiring you to have a teaching degree before entering their masters program.
The additional courses are required by the state, because you need a certain number of credits in specific classes in order to take the test for the teaching certificate. For instance, even though my bachelors degree involved chemistry, I wasn't a chemistry major, and if I wanted to get certified to teach 6-12 chemistry I would have had to take some chemistry and math classes at a community college so that I had enough credits to qualify for the certification. The state doesn't care how or where you get the credits as long as they come from an accredited college and were within a certain amount of time.
http://www.teachforamerica.org/learnmore.html
As far a Teaching goes I won't tell you not to do it, but be certain that it is something you want to do. The burnout rate after five years is incredibly high. If you are going to spend a lot of money on going back to school to teach make sure it is for you. If you have time go to to your local public school and ask to be allowed to observe classrooms. Just tell them you are interested in becoming a teacher and they should help you out.
The positive news is that Illinois is one of the best states in the country to teach in so far as compensation goes. Good luck, and I hope it works out for you.
For teaching in Illinois you will need to complete coursework in a degree in ed or your specialty and then pass the Basic Skills Exam and your Content Area exam at least. Some fields have further exams for certification.
Also, you will not have an opportunity to try to teach a class until close to the end of your program and by the it is too late to decide that you don't like the reality of teaching.
If you don't LOVE teaching you are likely to find that dealing with kids who don't care, parents that think its your job to raise their kids but will yell at you for trying and fellow faculty that don't appreciate a bright fresh new person making them look bad. You will burn out quick.
You should be able to sign up to substitute teach, i think the requirements are pretty low. This will get you in to watch class talk to some fellow teachers and see what the schedule is like.
No offense, but we have enough shitty teachers, we don't need any more. As others have said, in order to be a good teacher you need to really love the idea of teaching and it sounds more like its just another job for you. Lots of people get teaching degrees and then end up as corporate trainers because a year or two into the teaching gig they realize the truth.
If you have no clue what you want to be when you grow up taking out more in loans for another career you aren't sure about is not the solution. Go hit up the career center at your old school and see what resources they have for helping to find out what kind of work you might actually enjoy and be good at. Then go find a non-profit to volunteer at which deals with that kind of work to see if it is actually something you are willing to invest more schooling in. Oh, and if you go back to school for another degree, this time get some work experience while you are in school. Internships, volunteerism, crappy entry level work, whatever. There is no excuse whatsoever to graduate from a 4 year degree program having never worked a day at that job.
Thundyrkatz is right about not actually teaching till the end of your program, but you will get school based practicum experience about 2-3 years into a 4 year program.
Another route into a school may be to apply for an IT job. District's employ people to keep their servers running too after all.
Do some research and good luck to you.