Thoughts on alternative licences

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Thoughts on alternative licences

by Chris

Jul 15, 2012

Recently I have noticed an upswing of alternative licensed teachers in classrooms. To me this goes against the times as instead of a teacher shortage we are experiencing a teaching job shortage for those that decided on the traditional route.. What are your thoughts and opinions of alternative routes?

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love my alt. cert colleagues On 7/15/12, Chris wrote: > Recently I have noticed an upswing of alternative licensed > teachers in classrooms. To me this goes against the times > as instead of a teacher shortage we are experiencing a > teaching job shortage for those that decided on the > traditional route.. What are your thoughts and opinions of > alternative ...See More

Dec 17, 2013

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Don't much like 'em, don't trust 'em On 7/15/12, Chris wrote: > Recently I have noticed an upswing of alternative licensed > teachers in classrooms. To me this goes against the times > as instead of a teacher shortage we are experiencing a > teaching job shortage for those that decided on the > traditional route.. What are your thoughts and opinions of > alternative ...See MoreOn 7/15/12, Chris wrote: > Recently I have noticed an upswing of alternative licensed > teachers in classrooms. To me this goes against the times > as instead of a teacher shortage we are experiencing a > teaching job shortage for those that decided on the > traditional route.. What are your thoughts and opinions of > alternative routes?

The biggest example around here has been Teach for America (although our district has had such bad experiences with the TFA kids that they're really only hiring them now in fields like science and special ed, where real applicants are in short supply.)

They have terrible classroom control, because they're always trying to "negotiate" the rules with the class and be the students' new, hip best friends, which the kids interpret as, "heh heh heh...we got a sucker here!"

They tend to panic, get really impatient, have sudden temper fits or crying spells out of the blue, or quit mid-semester when they realize that no, despite the line of bull the TFA people have been feeding them, they are NOT the sainted saviors that our students have been waiting for all their lives. In fact, our students have been around long enough to be pretty tired of them. ("Why she always talk so fake?" "Why's he always saying 'You can Do It!' like I don't know I can do it?" "I don't even want to go to that class...why can't we just do our work without the hand-clapping and chanting? Who damn wants to rap about geometry? That's just corny.") Teenagers can smell Condescending from a mile away, and they despise it.

It's no secret to anyone anymore, either, that the TFA interns rarely stick around for more than a couple of years. Most of them don't even want to be teachers! And a revolving-door faculty of dabbling newbies can never be a solid faculty.

To be fair, though, it's not all the fault of the TFA recruits. Most of them are extremely young, just out of college themselves, and TFA sells their program as a two-year, Peace Corps kind of "commitment." It's no wonder some of their crew show up ready to do priceless missionary work in the Dark And Scary Ghetto. TFA encourages them to think of "the experience" as a temporary, do-gooder sacrifice on their way to Bigger and Better Things.

Check out this list, and you'll get a pretty clear idea as to why they sign on in the first place (especially in a shaky job market), and why they almost never hang around once their contracted Charity Gig comes to an end:

Mar 12, 2013

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In defense of Alt licenses.... I am an alternatively licensed teacher... I am not 20 something.. I am a career change.. made after I was diagnosed with MS.... While perhaps not all alt programs are great for prepping potential teachers for classrooms... I came into this field to teacher..

I originally started out in the sciences, and am currently teaching special ed......See MoreI am an alternatively licensed teacher... I am not 20 something.. I am a career change.. made after I was diagnosed with MS.... While perhaps not all alt programs are great for prepping potential teachers for classrooms... I came into this field to teacher..

I originally started out in the sciences, and am currently teaching special ed...

Don't short change ALt licenses teachers, some of us do want to be in the classroom for the long run....

Kris

On 3/12/13, Don't much like 'em, don't trust 'em wrote: > On 7/15/12, Chris wrote: >> Recently I have noticed an upswing of alternative licensed >> teachers in classrooms. To me this goes against the times >> as instead of a teacher shortage we are experiencing a >> teaching job shortage for those that decided on the >> traditional route.. What are your thoughts and opinions of >> alternative routes? > > > The biggest example around here has been Teach for America > (although our district has had such bad experiences with the > TFA kids that they're really only hiring them now in fields > like science and special ed, where real applicants are in short > supply.) > > They have terrible classroom control, because they're always > trying to "negotiate" the rules with the class and be the > students' new, hip best friends, which the kids interpret as, > "heh heh heh...we got a sucker here!" > > They tend to panic, get really impatient, have sudden temper > fits or crying spells out of the blue, or quit mid-semester > when they realize that no, despite the line of bull the TFA > people have been feeding them, they are NOT the sainted saviors > that our students have been waiting for all their lives. In > fact, our students have been around long enough to be pretty > tired of them. ("Why she always talk so fake?" > "Why's he always saying 'You can Do It!' like I don't know I > can do it?" "I don't even want to go to that class...why > can't we just do our work without the hand-clapping and > chanting? Who damn wants to rap about geometry? That's just > corny.") Teenagers can smell Condescending from a mile away, > and they despise it. > > It's no secret to anyone anymore, either, that the TFA interns > rarely stick around for more than a couple of years. Most of > them don't even want to be teachers! And a revolving-door > faculty of dabbling newbies can never be a solid faculty. > > To be fair, though, it's not all the fault of the TFA recruits. > Most of them are extremely young, just out of college > themselves, and TFA sells their program as a two-year, Peace > Corps kind of "commitment." It's no wonder some of their crew > show up ready to do priceless missionary work in the Dark And > Scary Ghetto. TFA encourages them to think of "the experience" > as a temporary, do-gooder sacrifice on their way to Bigger and > Better Things. > > Check out this list, and you'll get a pretty clear idea as to > why they sign on in the first place (especially in a shaky job > market), and why they almost never hang around once their > contracted Charity Gig comes to an end:

Apr 14, 2013

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John Today’s work force changes career paths more than ever. A teacher has every right to switch careers to become a nurse, so a business person has every right to become a teacher. I think alternative certification is great, as long as the hiring is ethical and a good teacher isn’t passed up for a football coach who needs a teaching job.

O...See More

May 13, 2013

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I'm sorry, but.. The naive 21 year old who chants YOU CAN DO IT constantly, tries "teach kids to negotiate the rules", etc. might in fact be a typical TFA teacher, but it is definitely a typical education graduate..that is the bullcrap we learn in ALL education classes! On 5/13/13, John wrote: > Today’s work force changes career paths more than ever. A > te...See More

Oct 3, 2013

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