I will start out by saying that I am a traditionally trained teacher.
I got tired of being sexually harassed, mostly mentally but on a couple of occasions physically. I also got tired of working 24/7. I was suffering from sleep deprivation which in my case, looks a lot like rapid cycling manic depression.
I took almost a year off and did the dog thing, teaching obedience classes and bathing dogs for a dog groomer "friend". Evaluated and decided the things I liked the most and the way, I could get there the quickest was teaching Computer Science and Math.
I did try the alternative certification plan for Dallas ISD, but my undergraduate GPA wasn’t high enough. I also tried getting an emergency certificate, but like this year, that year DISD had too many teachers. So I went back to school as a certification candidate and as a grad student. I didn’t have the undergraduate grades to get in but I aced the GRE. I was on probation for several semesters.
I will proudly say that I earned a 4.0 in every class except student teaching, and got a "B" because I mixed my experiences (thankfully), I did half in Mathematics, Middle School, hated it but got an "A", and half in CS, high school. Since the supervising teacher was not certified in CS, she got even and gave me a "C". I think she was a bit afraid I’d take her job since I would end up certified.
The State Board for Educator Certification, or SBEC, which licenses teachers, is considering a new rule requiring alternative certification programs to accept only students who maintained a 2.5 grade-point average or better in college.
I can’t complete knock the AC program, but the percentage of quality teachers from that program seems low. I’m often surprised about who succeeds — one that comes in mind is one who has the most negative attitude I’ve ever seen, has an extremely high failure rate, and obviously would rather be home with her baby. I avoid this woman as she sucks the positive right out of me.
I’ve mentored and assisted in preparing quite a few. For several weeks while teaching summer school a few years ago, I had two follow me around and suck my brain out. Not sure what happened to them. The ones I’ve mentored in my subject area never seem to stay very many years.
I’m also a bit scared of online courses, though I will admit my Master’s Degree is a combo face-to-face and online course. It’s CECS, Computer Education and Cognitive Studies and a great deal of the focus was on teaching online, so it does make sense that at least part of our course was online. And hey, I have taught an online course for the district, and believe you me, that kiddo was prepared for the next course.
So I’m for the stricter rules. We tortured quite a few Algebra I students this year with a couple of AC’s that are moving on.
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