So, I skipped over an important part of getting accepted into a program under TNTP, and that is the interview. The interviews are intense events, and can be pretty hard to prepare for. I went through 2 separate interview events in different school districts both in the mid-Atlantic region. I did not feel that I did very outstanding in my first interview, and that was reflected by them not offering me a position. Going into the second interview, I was much better prepared and had had a lot of time to reflect upon my first experience.
Showing posts with label Paths to certification. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paths to certification. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Praxis II: Mathematics Content Knowledge (0061)
Previously, I mentioned that one requirement to get state certification for teaching is to pass the Praxis exams.
These exams are administered by Educational Testing Services and they are used by every state for teacher certification. The Praxis I is a test of general knowledge, and can be taken online at approved testing centers. Or, if you have test scores from the SAT, ACT, or GRE that qualify, you can opt not to take the Praxis I.
The Praxis II exams are specific to the subject area(s) and grade levels you want to be certified to teach. You can find out from your state's department of education or from the ETS website which exams you will need to take, and what a passing score will be.
I am going to focus on the Praxis II: Mathematics Content Knowledge exam, (test code 0061) since that is the one I needed to take to teach secondary level math.
These exams are administered by Educational Testing Services and they are used by every state for teacher certification. The Praxis I is a test of general knowledge, and can be taken online at approved testing centers. Or, if you have test scores from the SAT, ACT, or GRE that qualify, you can opt not to take the Praxis I.
The Praxis II exams are specific to the subject area(s) and grade levels you want to be certified to teach. You can find out from your state's department of education or from the ETS website which exams you will need to take, and what a passing score will be.
I am going to focus on the Praxis II: Mathematics Content Knowledge exam, (test code 0061) since that is the one I needed to take to teach secondary level math.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Pathways to Teaching: Back to School
The traditional way of becoming a teacher is to go to college and get a Bachelor's or Master's in Education. Usually these programs take care of all the requirements needed to get your certification, including doing a program of student teaching. I am no expert on education programs, but I did look into getting a Master's of Art in Teaching (MAT) as one way I could enter the profession, so I will share what little I know.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Pathways to Teaching: Getting Certified
In order to teach at a public school, and sometimes private schools, you need to get your teaching certification from the state department of education. Since I live in Maryland, the information presented here will apply to this state. You will need to check with your state's board of ed to find out the specific details.
So for Maryland, it makes sense to start with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The MSDE website has a lot of information on it, however it is not easy to find what you are looking for, especially if you are not exactly sure what you are looking for.
Let's start with what it takes to become certified. There are different types of certification available in MD, and different ways to become certified. For general information about certification in MD, see the MSDE FAQ's.
So for Maryland, it makes sense to start with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The MSDE website has a lot of information on it, however it is not easy to find what you are looking for, especially if you are not exactly sure what you are looking for.
Let's start with what it takes to become certified. There are different types of certification available in MD, and different ways to become certified. For general information about certification in MD, see the MSDE FAQ's.
Friday, February 19, 2010
The New Teacher Project
I will be teaching as a Teaching Fellow in a program that is part of a larger, nationwide effort at improving schools called The New Teacher Project (TNTP).
From the website: “Founded by teachers, The New Teacher Project was formed in 1997 to address the growing issues of teacher shortages and teacher quality throughout the country. In its first year, TNTP embarked on three projects to create and implement high-quality alternative route to certification programs to bring new streams of accomplished individuals into hard-to-staff urban schools. Since then, TNTP has worked with more than 200 school districts and become a nationally-recognized authority on new teacher recruitment and hiring. “
The programs under TNTP are similar to Teach for America, and in fact many of the founders of TNTP came from Teach for America. These programs are aimed at recruiting professionals from diverse backgrounds, as well as recent college graduates who do not have teaching experience or education degrees but who would like to become teachers. (That's me!)
The exact details may vary by location, but they are all fairly similar. Once an applicant is accepted into the program, he or she spends one summer training (think teacher boot camp), and is then allowed to teach full-time in a real classroom once the school year begins. Participants get full a salary and benefits from the school district. While doing this, the new teachers are granted “resident teaching certification”, which is a temporary status. Participants also attend evening and weekend classes and seminars that allow them to complete the educational requirements need for a full teaching certification. For me, this takes 2 years. New teachers are also given support from mentors and more veteran teachers, and they get regular feedback on their performance.
If this is something that is of interest to you, I highly recommend this article in the Feb. 2010 issue of the Atlantic.
From the website: “Founded by teachers, The New Teacher Project was formed in 1997 to address the growing issues of teacher shortages and teacher quality throughout the country. In its first year, TNTP embarked on three projects to create and implement high-quality alternative route to certification programs to bring new streams of accomplished individuals into hard-to-staff urban schools. Since then, TNTP has worked with more than 200 school districts and become a nationally-recognized authority on new teacher recruitment and hiring. “
The programs under TNTP are similar to Teach for America, and in fact many of the founders of TNTP came from Teach for America. These programs are aimed at recruiting professionals from diverse backgrounds, as well as recent college graduates who do not have teaching experience or education degrees but who would like to become teachers. (That's me!)
The exact details may vary by location, but they are all fairly similar. Once an applicant is accepted into the program, he or she spends one summer training (think teacher boot camp), and is then allowed to teach full-time in a real classroom once the school year begins. Participants get full a salary and benefits from the school district. While doing this, the new teachers are granted “resident teaching certification”, which is a temporary status. Participants also attend evening and weekend classes and seminars that allow them to complete the educational requirements need for a full teaching certification. For me, this takes 2 years. New teachers are also given support from mentors and more veteran teachers, and they get regular feedback on their performance.
If this is something that is of interest to you, I highly recommend this article in the Feb. 2010 issue of the Atlantic.
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