Any Teachers On NT? Vol:School Me

[hankzilla]

I want to thank everyone that dropped their knowledge/opinions/experiences. The only thing that I think is holding me back from becoming/loving teaching is my negativity. I'm negative at heart, but through my forthcoming college education I'd like to come out a positive person. I want to teach history(love) or english(pays).

Also what degrees/creds did you obtain?
How many vaca days do you get/benefits?
How much do you make a year?
Would you say you're happy with the career you've chosen? And is it the career you wanted to pursue when you where in college?
Have you ever won a teacher of the year award etc?

 

[hankzilla]

I want to thank everyone that dropped their knowledge/opinions/experiences. The only thing that I think is holding me back from becoming/loving teaching is my negativity. I'm negative at heart, but through my forthcoming college education I'd like to come out a positive person. I want to teach history(love) or english(pays).

Also what degrees/creds did you obtain?
How many vaca days do you get/benefits?
How much do you make a year?
Would you say you're happy with the career you've chosen? And is it the career you wanted to pursue when you where in college?
Have you ever won a teacher of the year award etc?

 

[ikari xd]

About to start the grad program at USF's School of Education.

To teach at the HS level in CA, you need to complete the CBEST and any applicable CSET tests for your particular field of study. You'll then need to complete your undergrad if you haven't done so already, and then apply for a program that offers a teaching credential, usually 3 semesters. There might be a couple of things I'm leaving out, but that's the gist of it.

Good luck, just remember that you should be doing this because you love the idea of teaching, and not because it may seem like an easy career. I know there are a couple of teachers on NT from a previous thread who'd be able to give you much better insight.

 

[ikari xd]

About to start the grad program at USF's School of Education.

To teach at the HS level in CA, you need to complete the CBEST and any applicable CSET tests for your particular field of study. You'll then need to complete your undergrad if you haven't done so already, and then apply for a program that offers a teaching credential, usually 3 semesters. There might be a couple of things I'm leaving out, but that's the gist of it.

Good luck, just remember that you should be doing this because you love the idea of teaching, and not because it may seem like an easy career. I know there are a couple of teachers on NT from a previous thread who'd be able to give you much better insight.

 

[hankzilla]

Originally Posted by ikari XD

About to start the grad program at USF's School of Education.

To teach at the HS level in CA, you need to complete the CBEST and any applicable CSET tests for your particular field of study. You'll then need to complete your undergrad if you haven't done so already, and then apply for a program that offers a teaching credential, usually 3 semesters. There might be a couple of things I'm leaving out, but that's the gist of it.

Good luck, just remember that you should be doing this because you love the idea of teaching, and not because it may seem like an easy career. I know there are a couple of teachers on NT from a previous thread who'd be able to give you much better insight.

Thanks for that info taking note of it right now. What is your major? PM me their names. Also isn't Meth or Dirty a teacher? I remember seeing a post about that.

 

[hankzilla]

Originally Posted by ikari XD

About to start the grad program at USF's School of Education.

To teach at the HS level in CA, you need to complete the CBEST and any applicable CSET tests for your particular field of study. You'll then need to complete your undergrad if you haven't done so already, and then apply for a program that offers a teaching credential, usually 3 semesters. There might be a couple of things I'm leaving out, but that's the gist of it.

Good luck, just remember that you should be doing this because you love the idea of teaching, and not because it may seem like an easy career. I know there are a couple of teachers on NT from a previous thread who'd be able to give you much better insight.

Thanks for that info taking note of it right now. What is your major? PM me their names. Also isn't Meth or Dirty a teacher? I remember seeing a post about that.

 

[ikari xd]

^ I graduated with an English degree. The program is for both a credential and a Master's in Education. Sorry, I don't have the NT teacher's names off the top of my head though. Definitely look into taking the CBEST if you're straight out of HS. It's kinda like what I imagine the senior exit exam is like.

 

[ikari xd]

^ I graduated with an English degree. The program is for both a credential and a Master's in Education. Sorry, I don't have the NT teacher's names off the top of my head though. Definitely look into taking the CBEST if you're straight out of HS. It's kinda like what I imagine the senior exit exam is like.

 

[in yo nostril]

the process of becoming a teacher isnt too hard in california. actually teaching is a whole different story though

 

[in yo nostril]

the process of becoming a teacher isnt too hard in california. actually teaching is a whole different story though

 

[i nasmatic i]

Can anyone describe the difficulty of the CSET? The CBEST was relatively easy for me, but I hear the CSET is much more difficult.

Since I plan on being an elementary teacher, I have to take all of the sections. 

 

[i nasmatic i]

Can anyone describe the difficulty of the CSET? The CBEST was relatively easy for me, but I hear the CSET is much more difficult.

Since I plan on being an elementary teacher, I have to take all of the sections. 

 

[ikari xd]

^ CSET for English (single-subject) was a set of 4 tests. One grammar, one reading/comprehension, one creative writing/applied writing, and one long essay. Easy...though I wasn't too happy. My concentration of undergrad study was in creative writing...of course that was the only one I failed

. That's what I get for writing about the Hyperdunk commercial I guess.

Most people would not suggest taking all of the CSETs that you need in one go, but @*%$ it, if you know your %+!!, you'll be fine.

 

[ikari xd]

^ CSET for English (single-subject) was a set of 4 tests. One grammar, one reading/comprehension, one creative writing/applied writing, and one long essay. Easy...though I wasn't too happy. My concentration of undergrad study was in creative writing...of course that was the only one I failed

. That's what I get for writing about the Hyperdunk commercial I guess.

Most people would not suggest taking all of the CSETs that you need in one go, but @*%$ it, if you know your %+!!, you'll be fine.

 

[ezln1]

Seriously, the one thing that helped me a ton with the CSET was taking out some SAT practice exams.
A lot of the same info is on that exam, but of course in the essay portion you need to know what you are talking about.

There's only so much you can BS.

If you havent noticed, jobs are scarce right now. This is my 2nd year in which I have not been able to land any full time job. It's so bad here in San Francisco, that the school district didnt even accept my application. Teacher who have been part of the district and have been laid off get priority, along with those who have worked previously. At least in the bay area, if you are a new teacher your best bet is to apply to charter schools. They accept any application and do not get sent candidates from HR. Downside with charters is no union....you can leave and get fired at any time, and many teachers I know have all but abandoned charter schools because of the pay. They dont always pay you what they should because of no union presence.

If you aint teaching math or science, get a multicredential. Seriously, I %+%$!% up when I just went for a Social Science cred...should have gotten an english one at the same time, cause a lot of schools are beginning to go the Humanities route, so if you got both eng and his you are covered and climb to the top of the heap.

I started on 43k, with about 7 personal days and 8 sick days...something like that.

 

[ezln1]

Seriously, the one thing that helped me a ton with the CSET was taking out some SAT practice exams.
A lot of the same info is on that exam, but of course in the essay portion you need to know what you are talking about.

There's only so much you can BS.

If you havent noticed, jobs are scarce right now. This is my 2nd year in which I have not been able to land any full time job. It's so bad here in San Francisco, that the school district didnt even accept my application. Teacher who have been part of the district and have been laid off get priority, along with those who have worked previously. At least in the bay area, if you are a new teacher your best bet is to apply to charter schools. They accept any application and do not get sent candidates from HR. Downside with charters is no union....you can leave and get fired at any time, and many teachers I know have all but abandoned charter schools because of the pay. They dont always pay you what they should because of no union presence.

If you aint teaching math or science, get a multicredential. Seriously, I %+%$!% up when I just went for a Social Science cred...should have gotten an english one at the same time, cause a lot of schools are beginning to go the Humanities route, so if you got both eng and his you are covered and climb to the top of the heap.

I started on 43k, with about 7 personal days and 8 sick days...something like that.

 

[emendoza93]

Originally Posted by minnetrapolis

if youre gonna be a high school teacher prepare to get no respect, teachers at my school got clowned from 830 till 300 every day

 

[emendoza93]

Originally Posted by minnetrapolis

if youre gonna be a high school teacher prepare to get no respect, teachers at my school got clowned from 830 till 300 every day

 

[23soles]

Literally almost everyone in my family teaches or works in the school system in some kind of way (counselors, principals, etc.) and I'm about to start teaching as well and I can honestly say that I don't think there are many more rewarding jobs out there. Provided the kids you're teaching are well behaved, it can be awesome. Plus your work schedule can't be any sweeter... Six hour days, paid summer vacation (unless you choose to work summer school), plus you get many holidays off as well.

As far as salary goes, it ranges... My mom has been teaching LD and TMH (Learning Disabilities and Trainable Mentally Handicapped) students in elementary school for approximately 25years and last year she made 98k. That's not including summer school either, however she did head her school's after-school program so that helped some. My uncle is the Dean at a high school and he made approximately 85k last year, my aunt is a senior counselor and she made approximately 95k...But then there's my friend who has been teaching for five years and she's making right under 60k now. It's all based on experience and credentials.

This brings me to my next point. In CPS schools (Chicago Public School) the salary levels are broken down into lanes depending on degree level: BA/BS, BA/BS +15, BA/BS +30, BA/BS +45, MA/MS, MA/MS +15 and so on... And in each lane, the salaries increase with each year.

I received my BS in Mathematics and I'm now working to complete my Master's in Secondary Education (grades 6-12) with a concentration in Mathematics. When I'm done with that, I'll pursue a Master's in Statistics.
Having completed all of that, I'll be in the Master's +45 lane. I'm getting a Master's in Statistics so I can be in that lane but most importantly so I can be eligible to teach Math/Stats at a junior college or lecture at a university.

In order to be a "Professor" you have to have a PhD and they get paid quite well, especially if you're doing research for the university. However, you can be a "Lecturer" with only a Master's degree. They get paid a substantial amount less but it makes for an excellent side job. I know in Chicago math lecturers at junior colleges make $565 per contact hour. Math classes typically meet 3 days a week for about an hour so that's like an extra $1,695 a week added to your full time job salary for only three days of work...

Now the downfall of it all is the fact that kids can drive you CRAZY. Elementary school is cool but it's a lot of behavioral issues and parental involvement but once they get to high school, they start feeling themselves. So I don't know which is better.

 

[23soles]

Literally almost everyone in my family teaches or works in the school system in some kind of way (counselors, principals, etc.) and I'm about to start teaching as well and I can honestly say that I don't think there are many more rewarding jobs out there. Provided the kids you're teaching are well behaved, it can be awesome. Plus your work schedule can't be any sweeter... Six hour days, paid summer vacation (unless you choose to work summer school), plus you get many holidays off as well.

As far as salary goes, it ranges... My mom has been teaching LD and TMH (Learning Disabilities and Trainable Mentally Handicapped) students in elementary school for approximately 25years and last year she made 98k. That's not including summer school either, however she did head her school's after-school program so that helped some. My uncle is the Dean at a high school and he made approximately 85k last year, my aunt is a senior counselor and she made approximately 95k...But then there's my friend who has been teaching for five years and she's making right under 60k now. It's all based on experience and credentials.

This brings me to my next point. In CPS schools (Chicago Public School) the salary levels are broken down into lanes depending on degree level: BA/BS, BA/BS +15, BA/BS +30, BA/BS +45, MA/MS, MA/MS +15 and so on... And in each lane, the salaries increase with each year.

I received my BS in Mathematics and I'm now working to complete my Master's in Secondary Education (grades 6-12) with a concentration in Mathematics. When I'm done with that, I'll pursue a Master's in Statistics.
Having completed all of that, I'll be in the Master's +45 lane. I'm getting a Master's in Statistics so I can be in that lane but most importantly so I can be eligible to teach Math/Stats at a junior college or lecture at a university.

In order to be a "Professor" you have to have a PhD and they get paid quite well, especially if you're doing research for the university. However, you can be a "Lecturer" with only a Master's degree. They get paid a substantial amount less but it makes for an excellent side job. I know in Chicago math lecturers at junior colleges make $565 per contact hour. Math classes typically meet 3 days a week for about an hour so that's like an extra $1,695 a week added to your full time job salary for only three days of work...

Now the downfall of it all is the fact that kids can drive you CRAZY. Elementary school is cool but it's a lot of behavioral issues and parental involvement but once they get to high school, they start feeling themselves. So I don't know which is better.

 

[tdrizzle]

I have one semester in the Composite Business Education program at my university.

I'm getting my degree as a back-up plan if other aspects don't pan out.
Both my parents are middle school teachers and it's treated them well.


In Utah we have to pass the "Praxis II" test in our individual field.

We do 2.5 years of study in our program of choice, 1 year of eduction course work in theory and classroom management techniques. Then a semester of student teaching in class. This is all for a BA with a minor.

My course list for this upcoming semester for EDU classes
-Foundations of Diversity; Discovering the culture of each student
-The Exceptional Student; Exploring the learning differences and speed students learn at
-Preparing/Teaching/Assess Instruction; Developing lesson plans and time frames
-Read & Write/Sectional Curriculum; Creating a classroom that follows state guidelines and writing workshops


My official degree will read "Composite Secondary Business Education with a Minor in Marketing Education"

 

[tdrizzle]

I have one semester in the Composite Business Education program at my university.

I'm getting my degree as a back-up plan if other aspects don't pan out.
Both my parents are middle school teachers and it's treated them well.


In Utah we have to pass the "Praxis II" test in our individual field.

We do 2.5 years of study in our program of choice, 1 year of eduction course work in theory and classroom management techniques. Then a semester of student teaching in class. This is all for a BA with a minor.

My course list for this upcoming semester for EDU classes
-Foundations of Diversity; Discovering the culture of each student
-The Exceptional Student; Exploring the learning differences and speed students learn at
-Preparing/Teaching/Assess Instruction; Developing lesson plans and time frames
-Read & Write/Sectional Curriculum; Creating a classroom that follows state guidelines and writing workshops


My official degree will read "Composite Secondary Business Education with a Minor in Marketing Education"

 

[i am nas]

Originally Posted by EZLN1

Teacher here...BA in ethnic studies, Social Science credential for MS/HS
1. I would HIGHLY recommend volunteering or working with different age levels to start with. Most teachers have a preferred age level, and you need to find that comfort zone. I love working with all youth, but in the day to day classroom, my preference is HS by far.  Find out yours.

2. ALL CREDENTIAL PROGRAMS ARE THE SAME. I dont care if you go to Stanford or your local state college, do not get fooled and think you are getting a better experience by going to a prestigious and expensive program. Real talk....whatever is the cheapest, and closest to you. THAT' should be your choice.

3. Why? Because most cred programs are staffed with professors who havent stepped into the classroom in decades. If you find a professor that knows what their talking about, cling to them and try to get as much knowledge possible.

4. When you get into a cred program, do your HW. You will meet a ton of students who dont care about pedagogy  at all, who think teaching is all about experience. WRONG! You should have some solid foundation of theory in your practice, and you can only get that by reading.

5. DO NOT LET THE PROGRAM ASSIGN YOU A MASTER TEACHER! Take the time, go visit classes, talk to teachers, and find your master teacher (the one who you will intern for a school year). Too many "master teachers" are worthless, and only ask for student teachers to lighten their work load. Find a teacher in your subject who will inspire you, who will take the time to pass you down their knowledge, who will talk to you about how to handle real situations, etc. Man, you dont know how many of my colleagues complained about their master teachers and their unprofessionalism.

6. I've only taught 1 year, but man, it is emotionally and physically draining. Half of all teachers change career within 5 years, so the odds are stacked against you. If it aint the lesson plans, students, it's administration, politics, the district, the school....so many things that are overwhelming, and sometimes it feels like the year will never end. Seriously, breaking down at some point will happen, It's a matter of how you respond to it.

7. This is my biggest piece of advice...either give your students all, or dont bother. If you are going to be the teacher who suspends kids at any given chance, leaves the school at 3:30, and could care less if students fail or pass your class, pick a different career. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many teachers like that, and we dont need more. If you are willing to put in the work with kids and give your all, by all means become a teacher. 

8. Never stop believing in kids. This is hard because it's so easy to give up on anyone, but keep the faith, Believe that one day they will "get it", and do better for themselves. It's easy to cater to the book nerds, the ones who give you no problems and do the work on the time, but you got to spend time with the ones who are on the verge of giving up. High risk/high reward..it's those kids who need constant positive reinforcements, and reminders of what they are capable of.

If you got specific questions, just ask

good stuff man...

 

[i am nas]

Originally Posted by EZLN1

Teacher here...BA in ethnic studies, Social Science credential for MS/HS
1. I would HIGHLY recommend volunteering or working with different age levels to start with. Most teachers have a preferred age level, and you need to find that comfort zone. I love working with all youth, but in the day to day classroom, my preference is HS by far.  Find out yours.

2. ALL CREDENTIAL PROGRAMS ARE THE SAME. I dont care if you go to Stanford or your local state college, do not get fooled and think you are getting a better experience by going to a prestigious and expensive program. Real talk....whatever is the cheapest, and closest to you. THAT' should be your choice.

3. Why? Because most cred programs are staffed with professors who havent stepped into the classroom in decades. If you find a professor that knows what their talking about, cling to them and try to get as much knowledge possible.

4. When you get into a cred program, do your HW. You will meet a ton of students who dont care about pedagogy  at all, who think teaching is all about experience. WRONG! You should have some solid foundation of theory in your practice, and you can only get that by reading.

5. DO NOT LET THE PROGRAM ASSIGN YOU A MASTER TEACHER! Take the time, go visit classes, talk to teachers, and find your master teacher (the one who you will intern for a school year). Too many "master teachers" are worthless, and only ask for student teachers to lighten their work load. Find a teacher in your subject who will inspire you, who will take the time to pass you down their knowledge, who will talk to you about how to handle real situations, etc. Man, you dont know how many of my colleagues complained about their master teachers and their unprofessionalism.

6. I've only taught 1 year, but man, it is emotionally and physically draining. Half of all teachers change career within 5 years, so the odds are stacked against you. If it aint the lesson plans, students, it's administration, politics, the district, the school....so many things that are overwhelming, and sometimes it feels like the year will never end. Seriously, breaking down at some point will happen, It's a matter of how you respond to it.

7. This is my biggest piece of advice...either give your students all, or dont bother. If you are going to be the teacher who suspends kids at any given chance, leaves the school at 3:30, and could care less if students fail or pass your class, pick a different career. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many teachers like that, and we dont need more. If you are willing to put in the work with kids and give your all, by all means become a teacher. 

8. Never stop believing in kids. This is hard because it's so easy to give up on anyone, but keep the faith, Believe that one day they will "get it", and do better for themselves. It's easy to cater to the book nerds, the ones who give you no problems and do the work on the time, but you got to spend time with the ones who are on the verge of giving up. High risk/high reward..it's those kids who need constant positive reinforcements, and reminders of what they are capable of.

If you got specific questions, just ask

good stuff man...

 

[south sole]

It's more of a calling for me than a career...posting for later, great points made in here.