Studying to be a teacher

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Massachusetts Teachers Chatboard

Studying to be a teacher

by Kate

Sep 16, 2011

I am currently going to school online to become a teacher in Ma. I work, I raise a child, and so that I can continue my education and stay on track with getting my degree and license I go to school online. I am a little worried that going online is going to hurt my chances at becoming a teacher because many of the classes that I have observed in and different people that I talk to get quite upset when I tell them I go online.

If I get my license to teach and degree like everyone else will going online really hurt my chances.

My other question is I am trying to get my foot in the door of the education professon. I have done different things ranging from volunteering in a preschool to teaching CCD. My thoughts for this year was to try getting a paraprofessional job however with all of the applications I filled out I didnt get any kind of responses.

Is there a trick or something that I am missing. Is there a better way of getting my foot in the door. I currentl...See More

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also a career changer Getting a teaching job right now is tough for people who are already teachers! Being a career changer just makes it that much harder. Why would a district take a chance on someone with no experience when there are experienced teachers available? I'm not knocking the career change as I am a career changer as well. I just happened to make the change ...See MoreGetting a teaching job right now is tough for people who are already teachers! Being a career changer just makes it that much harder. Why would a district take a chance on someone with no experience when there are experienced teachers available? I'm not knocking the career change as I am a career changer as well. I just happened to make the change when times were better and need in my subject area was high.

What school are you going to? Is there a practicum/student teaching requirement for program? Is it preparing you for the licensing process in MA? MA is VERY strict with the licensing requirements. In my 5th year of teaching, I had to advance my license to the next level. Since I was a career changer, I never did student teaching. It is a requirement to advance the preliminary license to the initial license. I had been teaching for 5 years and the state still wanted me to quit my job and do student teaching elsewhere for free to satisfy the requirement (ridiculous!!) My only alternative was to pay Class Measures $2,500 to evaluate me based on my portfolio and observations (route 4 - PRPIL). If your program is not requiring you to do student teaching, you would run into this same issue after being hired.

On 9/16/11, Kate wrote: > I am currently going to school online to become a teacher > in Ma. I work, I raise a child, and so that I can continue > my education and stay on track with getting my degree and > license I go to school online. I am a little worried that > going online is going to hurt my chances at becoming a > teacher because many of the classes that I have observed in > and different people that I talk to get quite upset when I > tell them I go online. > > If I get my license to teach and degree like everyone else > will going online really hurt my chances. > > My other question is I am trying to get my foot in the door > of the education professon. I have done different things > ranging from volunteering in a preschool to teaching CCD. > My thoughts for this year was to try getting a > paraprofessional job however with all of the applications I > filled out I didnt get any kind of responses. > > Is there a trick or something that I am missing. Is there > a better way of getting my foot in the door. I currently > work in a business office and I want a job that is somewhat > in my field but I dont know what exactly to look for while > I am still studying. > > Does anyone have anyfeed back that might help lead me in > the right direction.

Sep 20, 2011

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Kate Im not changing careers I have been working towards my BA in teaching since I graduated however I work in an office in the mean time. I also went to a community college before a four year college and it took me longer at that school plus the time I had to take off to have my child caused for me to have extra time.

The school I am going to...See MoreIm not changing careers I have been working towards my BA in teaching since I graduated however I work in an office in the mean time. I also went to a community college before a four year college and it took me longer at that school plus the time I had to take off to have my child caused for me to have extra time.

The school I am going to is Nationally accredited as well as accredited by the state of Arizona. I go to Grand Canyon University. As far as I understand it Arizona and Massachusettes have a compact when it comes to licencing. I do observations for almost every class and in the end will also be doing student teaching. It seems to me to be the same progression and I am taking all of the MTEL's needed as well.

On 9/20/11, also a career changer wrote: > Getting a teaching job right now is tough for people who are > already teachers! Being a career changer just makes it that > much harder. Why would a district take a chance on someone > with no experience when there are experienced teachers > available? I'm not knocking the career change as I am a career > changer as well. I just happened to make the change when times > were better and need in my subject area was high. > > What school are you going to? Is there a practicum/student > teaching requirement for program? Is it preparing you for the > licensing process in MA? MA is VERY strict with the licensing > requirements. In my 5th year of teaching, I had to advance my > license to the next level. Since I was a career changer, I > never did student teaching. It is a requirement to advance the > preliminary license to the initial license. I had been > teaching for 5 years and the state still wanted me to quit my > job and do student teaching elsewhere for free to satisfy the > requirement (ridiculous!!) My only alternative was to pay > Class Measures $2,500 to evaluate me based on my portfolio and > observations (route 4 - PRPIL). If your program is not > requiring you to do student teaching, you would run into this > same issue after being hired. > > > > On 9/16/11, Kate wrote: >> I am currently going to school online to become a teacher >> in Ma. I work, I raise a child, and so that I can continue >> my education and stay on track with getting my degree and >> license I go to school online. I am a little worried that >> going online is going to hurt my chances at becoming a >> teacher because many of the classes that I have observed in >> and different people that I talk to get quite upset when I >> tell them I go online. >> >> If I get my license to teach and degree like everyone else >> will going online really hurt my chances. >> >> My other question is I am trying to get my foot in the door >> of the education professon. I have done different things >> ranging from volunteering in a preschool to teaching CCD. >> My thoughts for this year was to try getting a >> paraprofessional job however with all of the applications I >> filled out I didnt get any kind of responses. >> >> Is there a trick or something that I am missing. Is there >> a better way of getting my foot in the door. I currently >> work in a business office and I want a job that is somewhat >> in my field but I dont know what exactly to look for while >> I am still studying. >> >> Does anyone have anyfeed back that might help lead me in >> the right direction.

Sep 20, 2011

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be careful! I did my MEd at a state university located in MA. The program's purpose was to prep you to become licensed in MA. When I applied for my MA teaching license, it was denied at first. I had to prove that the program actually prepared me for the license I was applying for. I even had to fax the DOE every syllabus from every course I took in my MEd prog...See MoreI did my MEd at a state university located in MA. The program's purpose was to prep you to become licensed in MA. When I applied for my MA teaching license, it was denied at first. I had to prove that the program actually prepared me for the license I was applying for. I even had to fax the DOE every syllabus from every course I took in my MEd program to prove that I took classes in teaching pedagogy and in the subject area. If the MA DOE is going to be like that with a university located in the same state, I'd be very very cautious about getting an online degree from a for-profit college in another state. You should really make a call to the DOE and talk to them about the program you're in. It is too risky to just assume that your program will be acceptable.

On 9/20/11, Kate wrote: > Im not changing careers I have been working towards my BA in > teaching since I graduated however I work in an office in the > mean time. I also went to a community college before a four year > college and it took me longer at that school plus the time I had > to take off to have my child caused for me to have extra time. > > The school I am going to is Nationally accredited as well as > accredited by the state of Arizona. I go to Grand Canyon > University. As far as I understand it Arizona and Massachusettes > have a compact when it comes to licencing. I do observations for > almost every class and in the end will also be doing student > teaching. It seems to me to be the same progression and I am > taking all of the MTEL's needed as well. > > On 9/20/11, also a career changer wrote: >> Getting a teaching job right now is tough for people who are >> already teachers! Being a career changer just makes it that >> much harder. Why would a district take a chance on someone >> with no experience when there are experienced teachers >> available? I'm not knocking the career change as I am a career >> changer as well. I just happened to make the change when times >> were better and need in my subject area was high. >> >> What school are you going to? Is there a practicum/student >> teaching requirement for program? Is it preparing you for the >> licensing process in MA? MA is VERY strict with the licensing >> requirements. In my 5th year of teaching, I had to advance my >> license to the next level. Since I was a career changer, I >> never did student teaching. It is a requirement to advance the >> preliminary license to the initial license. I had been >> teaching for 5 years and the state still wanted me to quit my >> job and do student teaching elsewhere for free to satisfy the >> requirement (ridiculous!!) My only alternative was to pay >> Class Measures $2,500 to evaluate me based on my portfolio and >> observations (route 4 - PRPIL). If your program is not >> requiring you to do student teaching, you would run into this >> same issue after being hired. >> >> >> >> On 9/16/11, Kate wrote: >>> I am currently going to school online to become a teacher >>> in Ma. I work, I raise a child, and so that I can continue >>> my education and stay on track with getting my degree and >>> license I go to school online. I am a little worried that >>> going online is going to hurt my chances at becoming a >>> teacher because many of the classes that I have observed in >>> and different people that I talk to get quite upset when I >>> tell them I go online. >>> >>> If I get my license to teach and degree like everyone else >>> will going online really hurt my chances. >>> >>> My other question is I am trying to get my foot in the door >>> of the education professon. I have done different things >>> ranging from volunteering in a preschool to teaching CCD. >>> My thoughts for this year was to try getting a >>> paraprofessional job however with all of the applications I >>> filled out I didnt get any kind of responses. >>> >>> Is there a trick or something that I am missing. Is there >>> a better way of getting my foot in the door. I currently >>> work in a business office and I want a job that is somewhat >>> in my field but I dont know what exactly to look for while >>> I am still studying. >>> >>> Does anyone have anyfeed back that might help lead me in >>> the right direction.

Sep 20, 2011

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