Thread: First Time Posting

JM,

Congratulations! You have discovered the secret to success! When I graduated high school I had a 1.9 GPA (I know, I know)...then ten years after high school I discovered community college. I also began to take education seriously. I was able to transfer to a University of California school with a 3.8 GPA and it was "Katie bar the door" from there. The one piece of advice I can offer is ...don't get burned out. Keep your eye on the prize and know that it is a goal of acheivement and not of time. For a while I kept thinking...another year of this and another year of that...but then all of a sudden you are sitting in a classroom...your classroom. But it does take time. One of the side benefits is that your daughters will see what it takes to become a college graduate and will be better off for it.

As for what you will teach...no need to worry about that now. What I hear is that high school teachers can't understand why anyone would teach middle school or elementary school and elementary school teachers can't imagine teaching high school or middle school and we all agree that middle school teachers are just nuts! :wink:

Congratulations on becoming a teacher. Look, listen, and ask and you will go far! 8)

Otto

Congratulations to you! You've done good so far- keep it up.

I don't know a whole lot about what I will do when I'm in the four year. What I mean is, at what point do I decide whether I want to teach math, science, etc. or can I be certified to teach a variety of subjects? How does that work?

In our state (I live in NC too) Middle Grades can be certified as Middle Grades, Middle Grades Social Studies, Middle Grades Language Arts, etc. Your teaching license depends on your degree and the employment you get. (I was teaching in a 7-9 junior high school, and for awhile had a 6-9 certification tacked on to my 9-12 Social Studies license by my district, without me doing anything). Generally, you will do better to specialize. Make sure you learn about the team concept- that is where a lot of middle schools are going these days. If you want to be certified to teach more than one subject, you generally have to have a pretty big minor in one subject in addition to your major- almost enough to have two. Or, you can have some work experience that makes you certifiable in a subject. (that's that lateral entry stuff). When you transfer to the four year school, you'll have to declare a major and that will pretty much determine the direction your certification will take. Incidentally, getting a degree does not automatically certify you- you'll have to pass the Praxis tests and then apply for an initial teaching license.

You're difficulty in school can act as a catalyst for pushing your students to their limits. You are just getting started on this grand adventure. My advice is to enjoy it along the way. If you can find your classes enjoyable, you will learn more, retain more, and truly possess the credentials you will eventually receive. Even the classes that you'll take that you wonder "Why in the heck do I need to know this?" will come in handy someday.

Stay the course, ignore the naysayers, and never forget why you decided to do this. Although the job requires an incredible amount of time, you'll never actually feel like you're working.