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I will look into what Rick suggested. On another note, what if I chose to go the route of Education Admin/Leadership? Anyone know anyone who does or did that sort of work?
Also, is Alief less desirable due to it being "dangerous", or just that students overall aren't as motivated to learn as the more middle and upper class schools?
I got my BA in Economics from Colorado State University. Ok, that's good news about the DUI/DWI. Again, I'm not proud of it, but I'm glad it wouldn't disqualify me automatically from teaching.
I will look into what Rick suggested. On another note, what if I chose to go the route of Education Admin/Leadership? Anyone know anyone who does or did that sort of work?
Also, is Alief less desirable due to it being "dangerous", or just that students overall aren't as motivated to learn as the more middle and upper class schools?
I got my BA in Economics from Colorado State University. Ok, that's good news about the DUI/DWI. Again, I'm not proud of it, but I'm glad it wouldn't disqualify me automatically from teaching.
Thanks again! :-)
I don't know if it's possible to do ACP while getting your MEd in Ed Ad at the same time. I think you may have to wait till you're a fully certified teacher, i.e., completely finished with the ACP program, then start your MEd in admin to get your principal's certification.
It used to be that you could be put on an emergency teaching permit if you had a bachelor's and were teaching a subject that was in high need of teachers. Then, you had three years to complete your education courses that led up to certification. These courses could be taken at the master's level which can lead to an MEd in Ed Ad. I don't know if this option still exists. Someone in HR at an ISD will know.
I have never heard of Alief ISD being "dangerous". I just think it's as you stated, overall the students aren't as motivated to learn as those from upper middle class families.
When do you plan to move to Houston and begin teaching?
What do you expect to teach? You'll get the most bang for your buck by going for either the EC - 6 ESL Generalist certification or the 4 - 8 ESL Generalist certification.
I have a friend who teaches 1st grade in Alief. The biggest problem she has is the large numbers of kids that don't speak any English, and don't have anyone to speak English with at home. She can't communicate with the students or the parents, which is really frustrating, but she is a great teacher and loves her kids so she makes it work. You have to be really dedicated to go into that kind of situation.
ETA: just re-read your original post and maybe that actually might suit you.
What level are you planning on teaching? I ask because if you are considering lower ed then definitely look into ESL certification. Alief has a high immigrant population and like many districts it is pushing for all lower ed teachers to get it. Amazing food options BTW, especially in that part of town.
Also, in most districts a masters generally puts about 1000 to 1500 top of your salary. Interestingly ESL in Alief last year was 4500 for the stipend. More than likely the same this year too. All districts have their salary schedules online though so take a look.
Lastly, disclose only what they ask you about on the application. If they bring it up in an interview, I highly doubt it though, just explain briefly what happened and emphasize how long ago it was and how it eventually helped you to become a better person.
I will further research about being a teacher and admin prof and stuff that is needed. I think too that it might look better on a resume if I spent a bit of time in the "classroom trenches" before looking to get certified as a principal or academic leader. I would be open to teaching 4-8 ESL General; From what it seems, that might be an easier starting point for someone like me.
Ok then, Alief seems like a decent option. I used to teach HS in rural Thailand, where students would often need to group together to string together sentences in English and they also weren't that motivated to learn, but we still had a good time and I tried my darnedest to make class fun and get them in the learning spirit. If most kids and parents speak Spanish in Alief, that could also be a good way to improve my intermediate-level Spanish. I think the kids and parents would respect that I'm trying to be open-minded and speak to them in Spanish. I would most likely move to Houston beginning of next year. I think in that case I would need to substitute to get my foot in the door and build up good rapport with everyone at the school.
In regards to the DWI/DUI, I won't mention it unless they do, and if so, I will make sure to put a spin on it as to how it changed me for the better. :-)
I'm following up to this thread, which I posted back in July. At this point, the wife and I are planning on leaving Austin in January and I'm considering A&M for their dual licensing/MA Education program. The advisor/recruiter told me that some of the classes I'd take at A&M would be at the undergrad level, since my BA degree in Economics doesn't completely mesh with the required coursework which is required as undergrads to be teachers. To begin, I'd start out teaching a generalist 4-8 curriculum level, then would look to get certified for an in-demand subject, like Science. I understand the new school year has already started and the wife and I are in a lease in Austin until JAN, so I can't begin teaching in Houston until at least Spring semester (probably as a sub, I'd imagine). As I understand it, schools in Austin are fairly saturated with teachers, so I may not have as many opportunities to substitute here, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try until then.
Thus, I'm hoping to get advice from any teachers in Houston; Would attending a program at a university which is a twofer (state licensing and MA in Education) be a smart move? As is, I'm starting from scratch, and the only educational background I have is from teaching abroad, which may be acknowledged, but not recognized by the State and the potential school. I want to make sure I'm investing my time and money in something which will pay off literally and figuratively for me down the road.
As I gleaned from past posts, Alief seems to be an area which needs teachers and as long as it's not dangerous, I don't mind teaching in areas where English isn't the native language (not preferable though). I taught in rural Thailand for a year and a half, where many of the students usually had to join together to string together a sentence of English (But, hey, I got to practice my Thai!); So if I need to start out in an area where the main language is Spanish, I'm okay with it.
As I understand what A&M told me, I would need to take some coursework in the Fall and Spring semesters (most if not all at the undergrad level), then after a month long teacher boot camp in June 2017, I'd be released in July 2017 to search for jobs for the school year beginning in AUG 2017. After I found a job teaching I could take courses towards my MA degree, until the coursework was finished and I got my degree.
Thanks again and long story short, should I aim for getting licensed AND my Masters degree together? Or, put grad school off for a year and try teaching while getting licensed? Also, must I first be licensed before I even step in the classroom?
Also, at this point, I'm not pursuing an Educational Admin position or degree, since AFAIK one must teach for a number of years before being eligible to be a principal or other administrative leader.
Im studying for and bachelor of arts degree with a combined teaching certification at UHCL. I don't really want to teach but there's a really good deal and program at my school for it.
I left my corporate job and I got certified through the alternative certification program at what was then Harris Community College and now is Lone Star College in Science 4-8 in 2005. I have a geology degree so I qualified for Science because I had the required core classes.
The program (this was in 2005) was a twice a week evening class for about 3 hrs Jan through May covering general pedagogy and skills like classroom management, lesson plan writing, etc. I also had to observe a classroom for a certain number of hours. After I completed my course work I was able to take the two required certification tests, the Science 4-8 Content exam and the General Pedagogy test.
Once I passed the exams I was considered to have a probationary teaching certification. To receive a full certification I was required to teach for a year at a local school while being observed by the college system along with the school administration. If they felt at the end of the year that I had mastered the needed skills and meet the expectations of the position then I would be recommended for full certification.
I taught at Aldine ISD, which is a district right north of town off 45, it is a low income district but the district has impressive results considering the lack of resources they have to work with. Initially it can be harder to find a district that is willing to guide a newbie teacher through the certification process hence why people end up at lower income districts like Aldine or Alief. I do know that Aldine at the time was bringing in teachers from Germany because it is hard to compete for teachers with so many high performing, high resources districts in the area. Though once you are a fully certified teacher no one cares how you got certified just what your total years experience is and past job performance.
At the time I did the program passing your Content and General Pedagogy tests were very important as most districts would not let you go into a classroom if you hadn't passed, which can be stressful as the testing is usually in May and by then you should have some schools interested in you.
One thing I like about Aldine is that they hold a huge district wide job fair where you are able to interview with any school that needs your teaching position. I ended up having offers from various schools around the district.
As far as cost my program was probably around 2-3K, but Aldine ISD covered a good portion of it, I think my actual out of pocket cost was around a few hundred dollars. Personally I don't see a reason to go spend a bunch of money on a masters program when you don't even know if you like teaching. Plus you are required to have a least three years of classroom teaching before you can even apply for an admin job, masters in Education or not. Most people I know earned their Ed Masters from local programs, while teaching, that are designed for current teachers wanting to go to administration.
The additional masters pay is probably around $1000/yr and ESL will probably has about the same, you can see the pay scales on the districts' web sites usually. I do believe to be considered an actual ESL teacher you have to pass an ESL certification test, but I could be mistaken.
One thing to keep in mind, the first day of school of my probationary teaching year was my first time in front of a classroom, there was no student teaching, etc. I loved that, no better way to learn than to jump right in. The first few months were hard as you are having to learn to manage a classroom, the work load of the job and master new skills like lesson planning, parent communication etc. So for some that might be too unstructured.
Honestly the best thing to do is call the local alternative programs and get all of the facts before jumping into an expensive Masters program. You might have to complete some core classes, especially if your your original BA/BS is in a different subject than the one you want to eventually certify in. Though my understanding is that if you want to teach science but your BA/BS is in business, get alternative certified with a Business Content (or whatever is equivalent) and once you have earned full certification you can sit for any Content Test. Do note the state doesn't have study guides for these Content test as the idea is you should already know the content. You can check out the TEA website for a bunch of info.
Subing is a great way to find out if you even like the job, what the current climate for education professionals is, and wither the alternative certification programs have changed or even if they are still being utilized.
Thanks, FTWRunner, that was a very informative and helpful reply!
While I have some prior experience teaching abroad, I realize it isn't on the same level as a teacher here in the States. I was exposed to classroom management, gauging learning and such, but there wasn't much for me in terms of lesson planning, dealing with parents, or the administration. So, I understand that while I experienced the teaching field, it would be on a different level here in the States. Fortunately I haven't applied yet for grad school, I've just been exploring it. I'm thinking I'll ask about the certification programs they offer, and stress that I don't want to jump into a MA in Education until I know my heart is in it.
I think when they mentioned core classes (at the undergrad level), that was what I need to take before I can be certified in the generalist 4-8 area.
As far as you know, is it straightforward becoming a substitute teacher? Or would I still need to be certified by the state of Texas?
Thanks again! :-)
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