The CSTA Organization asks this on their website:
We believe that this is a critical discussion for our professional community right now, so tell us:
* What are your experiences with certification/endorsement in computer science?
* What were the qualifications required of you when you were assigned to teach your first computer science class?
* Were you adequately prepared?
Computer Science Teachers Association: Addressing the Crisis in Computer Science Certification
I’m one of the lucky ones. At the time I decided to become a teacher, I could find a certification program. One of the things that helped was that I decided to become dual certified in math and computer science. I was required to take both pedagogy and math courses. Those math courses focused on being able to teach the material to their students.
I did my teacher certification at Texas Woman’s University which is designed as a teaching college (as well as other disciplines). I was even required to take a CS course but then again I ended up teaching a lot of it, as the instructor was retired and recognized that I had just finished about 10 years of the discipline being taught. It WAS a good experience, since it gave me some CS teaching experience, besides tutorial others. However, it was a small class.
Even with pedagogy classes, I wasn’t prepared for classroom management. That is the weakest part of my preparation. A smart high school gives new teachers good mentors who are good at classroom management and not all teachers are. I am known for my classroom management but it didn’t come easy or over night. At lot of it is second nature now, and I really don’t think about it a lot. I will admit that I use my dog training skills a lot — and also use a very good source: Karen Pryor’s – Don’t Shoot the Dog! – The new Art of Teaching and Training and can’t recommend it highly enough. I’ll confess, I’m quoted in the 2nd edition.
I’ve seen the product of other computer science teachers who are not as good at classroom discipline and it is difficult for their students to learn in a classroom setting. I don’t know what happens in their classroom on a day to day basis, but have seen them in a AP tutorial setting. I’ve complained for years about the behavior of our SEM students — in the tutorial setting they were disruptive and rude when corrected — and that was fixed at our last tutorial session by a new teacher.
I think one of the problem is the alternative certification program. I’ve watched some of the teachers that come out of it, and they work really hard when it comes to classroom management. At the same time, they don’t take advantage of the training given by the district. We’ve been using CHAMPS, which I swear is right out of Karen’s book.
Most of classroom management is coming up with entertaining lessons that have built in feedback, especially if you have a large class. By the way, my average class size over the years has been 25+ so I know how to manage a large classroom.
In all, if you want to be a good classroom teacher, no matter the subject, you need good preparation, good mentors to watch and follow, and you need to find your own style.
I will also say, that some of my best preparation has come from my Master’s in CECS (Computer Education and Cognitive Studies), which I obtained about 10 years after I started teaching.
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