Thread: I didn't get into Teacher Cadet... hurt but not surprised

That is unfortunate. At least you realize the cause and effect of the situation. What are you going to do about it next year? Why are you not working to your intellectual capacity?

If you do become a teacher, you realize you will be carrying out the role your teacher is doing with you? Trust me, your teacher probably finds no satisfaction in her actions. She is not the one as to why you are not in the Teacher Cadet class, though, you are.

What is a Teacher Cadet program?

I am sorry this happened to you. Learn from your mistakes and move on. The past cannot be changed and there's no reason to tear yourself up about it.

If you truly want to become a teacher, there are always other routes into the profession. Becoming a teacher cadet might have been convenient but it's certainly not the only path.

Your future is still unwritten. Please don't allow this experience to depress you. If you slack off because of this and if you let your grades drop, you will find yourself limiting your future options.

Best wishes,

David

You know what the best thing about all this is, Voltaic Blue????

The way you are handling the disappointment is superb. A lot of people would not be so mature about it, would look to blame everyone and everything.

You didn't.

Me write off your generation???? Not while you are in it!!!!

What is the Teacher Cadet program? I'm picturing small teachers in military uniforms. . .

The Teacher Cadet Program is an introduction to the teaching profession. Its main purpose is to encourage students with the appropriate academic qualifications and personality traits to consider the possibility of becoming teachers.

Courses taught in this program are taught at the college freshman level. Students extern under the supervision of a certified teacher while also taking classes. This program is generally reserved for high school seniors.

Over the last fifteen years, this program has attracted some 20,000 students in South Carolina, 10% of whom are now working as teachers in the state schools.

[url]http://www.teachingquality.org/whytqmatters/teachercadets.htm[/url]

I pray that I can be a good teacher and administrator even though I've been such a crappy student.

Simmer down a bit. You can be, if you want to bad enough. When I was in high school, I was a B student, sandbagging his way through intermediate level classes and didn't decide to be a teacher until about halfway through my junior year. My family was, umm....."low wealth".... so I was going to need some assistance to even think about college. I applied for a NC Teaching Fellows scholarship and...made third runner up at my school. (They love high-energy, enthusiastic people. I wasn't one, even as a teen.) Anyway, I worked hard, borrowed a lot of $$, went to college, and became a teacher anyhow. HOWEVER....it would have been a whole lot easier had I done the very best work in high school and I would not have spent a decade paying off student loans. Moral of the story: always do the very best you can- it makes things easier later on.

We have a teacher cadet program at my school. It is a good program but it is not a guarantee that anyone in it will even pursue a teaching career. I've seen some people stop just short of doing their student teaching in college and go in other directions. So, if teaching is what you want to do, you can get there- if you miss a turn find the next one on the road.

Stop beating yourself up for what WAS and start working on WHAT IS TO BE!
What do you need to do to be considered for another try at the program?

Wow, lots of responses. You guys are so supportive. As, of course, I already knew. Now let's see here...

Me write off your generation???? Not while you are in it!!!!

^ What a sweet thing to say.

David - thanks for pulling in the research. Like you always do. :wink:

What do you need to do to be considered for another try at the program?

^ The woman who teaches it also teaches English to juniors, so... she knows me. I'd either have to try and convince her to change her mind (which I'm very reluctant to do, because 1. it's almost sure to not do any good, and 2. it would feel a bit disrespectful to challenge the integrity of her decision); or, my other option is to switch to my zone school and see if they'll let me in there.

I've actually been considering switching schools for several months now, way before I applied for Teacher Cadet.... Everyone tells me not to switch senior year, and that I should stay at my cozy arts magnet school where everything and everyone is familiar.... But my zone school's got Spanish, and we only have French. They've got AP English Language and Composition, whereas we just have AP Literature. There are other reasons, too.... I dunno when I'm gonna decide, but... I will.

Moral of the story: always do the very best you can- it makes things easier later on.

^ I've known this all along, and still, I've let myself be an A, B, C, D and F student. Seriously. My grades are all over the map. My SAT scores are really good, so if I'm lucky I may be able to get money that way. But you're right. I've made things hard for myself.

All is not lost. Here is some information about teacher colleges in South Carolina. Look at the admission requirements.

Please note that higher SAT scores can help offset a lower GPA.

You still have one year of high school left - so if you really apply yourself, you can raise your GPA.

If after graduation, your GPA is still relatively low, I'd recommend going to a community college for two years. If you do well in community college, you could always transfer during your third year to USC or some other college or university.


The University of South Carolina

General Admission Requirements:

Admission as a freshman to USC is based on a combination of grades earned in specific high-school courses and official SAT or ACT scores. Admission to the university is selective; the majority of admitted students score at or above 1070-1250 (the middle fifty percent of admitted students) on the SAT and have a B+ or better high-school average. Higher grades will offset lower entrance examination scores, and vice-versa.

Students are expected to complete the following minimum high-school core course curriculum:

English - 4 units: At least two units must have strong grammar and composition components, at least one must be in English literature, and at least one must be in American literature. Completion of college preparatory English I, II, III and IV will meet this criterion.

Mathematics - 3 units: Algebra I and II and geometry are required. (Applied Mathematics I and II may count together as a substitute for Algebra I if a student successfully completes Algebra II). A fourth, higher-level mathematics course is strongly recommended (i.e., Algebra III/trigonometry, precalculus, calculus).

Laboratory science - 3 units: Two units must be taken in two different fields and selected from among biology, chemistry or physics. The third unit may be from the same field as one of the first two units (biology, chemistry, or physics) or from any laboratory science for which biology and/or chemistry is a prerequisite. Courses in earth science, general physical science, or introductory or general environmental science for which biology and/or chemistry is not a prerequisite will not meet this requirement. It is strongly recommended that students take physical science (taught as a laboratory science) as a prerequisite to the three required units of laboratory science outlined in this section.

Social studies - 3 units: Must include one unit of US history. One-half unit of economics and one-half unit of government are strongly recommended.

Foreign language - 2 units: Both units must be in the same language.

Academic electives - 4 units: These must be college-preparatory units taken in addition to the 15 units above, and they must taken from at least three different fields selected from computer science, English, fine arts, foreign languages, humanities, laboratory science (excluding those for which biology and/or chemistry is not a prerequisite), mathematics above the level of Algebra II, or social sciences. It is suggested that one unit be in computer science which includes programming (i.e., not just keyboarding) and one unit in fine arts (appreciation of, history of, or performance).

Physical education - 1 unit: or ROTC is required.

The College of Charleston

To apply for admission you will need:

1. 3.3-3.7 GPA (Strong B+ average on an unweighted 4.0 scale)
2. 1100-1240 SAT range for instate students
3. 22-26 ACT range for instate students
4. Class rank in the top 20%
5. Strong high school curriculum (above our required curriculum)

* Admissions essay
* Leadership skills
* Letters of recommendation (not required)
* Extracurricular activities