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Quick question for anyone that can has any info. I have a BA in English and am a corporate training supervisor with Macy's located in St. Louis. I have been wanting to teach high school English forever around the St. Louis area, but everytime I think I start to get anywhere I get the run around. The state/county boards ssay to contact the individual local school districts, to which the local districts say to contact the state/county boards. All I want to do is teach English at the high school or maybe even the middle school level. Does anyone have any info on actually doing this? I know that I can teach- I train and write new training material everyday- so getting my certification while teaching would not be a problem. If I could just get into teaching- help please
I suggest contacting a local university and asking about their education programs. Somehow you need to go about getting a teaching license, sometimes called 'lateral entry.'
Strange that the local school districts wouldn't just tell you this.
Some licensing programs offer an advanced degree which can mean higher pay. For me, that made sense but my state doesn't see Master in Ed degrees as worth much monetarily.
Try searching words like "teach in Illinois" and "Illinois teaching license" and see what you come up with.
If you're getting the runaround, it means in part that your services are not needed. There are way more would-be English teachers than places for them. If you were a math or physics teacher, I bet the people who are currently giving you the runaround would be doing their level best to find the answers you're looking for.
Thanks guys- I've been told the same thing with the whole math vs english. And actually I have a minor in Biology so technically I could teach this. English is what I can relate to the most, and to be honest the students the I have tutored have all said the same thing- they need someone to explain the material, especially english with grammar and reaaading, much more than math since they all have math labs and the focus is so much more on the sciences. So I know they need english teachers just as much if not more than math as the students are getting frustrated with this same answer.
I guess I'll try the college route again. It just seems like a really long road, but then again I guess there really are no shortcuts. Thanks =)
So I know they need english teachers just as much if not more than math
I think the point was that certified math teachers are much more difficult to find than certified English teachers. Keep in mind, certified doesn't equal good, but it does equal employed.
If I were you, I would ask the local university about earning my teaching license, and I would start taking those classes. But I would also go ahead and put in an application with the school or county. With NCLB, you can start teaching on an alternate license, but if there is a certified teacher available (good teacher or not), they will get hired before you. If they need an English teacher 2 months into the year (it happens), they will be looking for someone who isn't already teaching, and that's where your opportunity will lie. It would also be a good idea, if you can manage it, to start substituting. I know it's cliche, but it will get your foot in the door. It will also help you decide what grades you are most interested in and what schools you would be willing to work in.
I don't know what the licensing requirements are in IL/MO but in MN you won't get hired unless you have a license. In MN if you want to teach middle school or high school you have to have a degree in your subject area (English, Biology, Math, etc.) and you have a minor in Secondary Education. You have to complete your degree along with your student teaching, pass a test and apply for your license. Once you have your license in hand you can then get a job if anyone is hiring. English teachers are very common and the competition for jobs is pretty tough. Around here if you don't have a license you aren't even going to get an interview.
Once you get your license the best way to get your foot in the door is to substitute teach. You will earn a reputation and often new teachers are hired from the sub pool.
I'll admit I'm not very knowledgeable on NCLB, but I though part of being "highly qualified" was holding a Bachelors degree in what you are teaching?
It is. Thus, if there is an individual in the applicant pool with their license, a non-licensed person cannot be hired before them. However, if a licensed person CANNOT be found, someone has to teach the class, and NCLB then allows schools to begin looking at individuals who hold a B.S. or B.A. in the given subject but are working on their education classes. It is called an Alternate License and takes a folder full of paperwork to get and use. It is up to individual states and school systems as to what they want to accept. Obviously, school systems with larger applicant pools may never be at a loss for licensed teachers, so they will never use an Alternate License. Smaller school systems with smaller applicant pools are often put in a possition of hiring who is available. It is the school system's responsibility to show that a licensed person could not be found, and thus they had to resort to hiring a non-licensed person.
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