Need some help.... Dd considering becoming a teacher

[sweetsouthern]

One of the ideas my dd has tossed out recently is to become a teacher. She wants to have a family and be a stay at home mom, so her main goal in this would be to private tutor or substitute teach or something where she could vary her hours. I honestly have no idea where to start except that i looked at liberty university online. Are there ways around having to make this a four year degree?? Thanks so much for any help!!!

[kiana]

Teaching is really hard to get around -- they want you in the classrooms reasonably early so they can watch you interact with the kids. It's pretty common, though, to do coursework at a CC and then transfer -- transfer students often need to take 3 years though because of Ed classes not available at the CC's.

[Jenny in Florida]

I posted some comments in response to your question on the College Board.

[Jann in TX]

If she wants a K-8 (elementary self contained) degree she really should start out at a 4 yr college as many programs have the ed students begin clocking observation hours which are prerequisites for upper classes (this is not same as student teaching-- they are just observaiton hours).

 

If she wants a secondary ed degree she would be fine starting at a CC then transferring  (or taking some online classes then transfering).  Secondary ed students have more general ed classes than elementary ed majors.

 

Teaching Ceritfication is not the same thing as a degree in education.  The requirements are completely different.  Most 4 yr ed degrees will meet the requirements for teacher certification in the issuing state (state university is in). 

 

In some states it is possible to earn and education degree online  (but it is difficult to get a teaching job since no 'official' observation or student teaching has been completed). Students may or may not be eligible for a provisional teaching certificate...

 

My middle dd will be graduating next year with and English (writing) degree with Spanish minor (or possible double major).  She does not have 'education hours', but she WILL be eligible to teach after her college graduation with a provisional liscense-- she will then have one calendar year to complete the teacher certificaion requirements (can easily be done online distance classes or night classes at a uni).  This provisional year will require she have a supporting teacher  the whole year and will 'count' as student teaching--but she will get paid (lowest possible teaching salary though).

 

It will be important that you check with your state's department of education to make sure what the teacher certificaiton requirements are-- while at the same time checking with the university for their education degree requirements (and understaning that these may not be the same!).

 

 

 

 

[Wheres Toto]

Definitely check with your states requirements.  They can vary quite a bit.

 

Here in NJ you can substitute teach once you have 30 college credits.  Having more credits or certain majors (science and math in particular) will make it easier to get long-term positions.

 

At least in NJ, it's very hard to find a job right now with just an Elementary Education degree and no experience, and that's with "experience" gained during student teaching.    A special education or foreign language degree can help a lot.  High school science or math jobs are much easier to find.

[G5052]

Also check both state requirements and what the actual hiring expectations are.

 

Where I live, they want a bachelor's on paper, but to get hired you need a master's.  Even where I teach now part-time, they want a master's.

 

In contrast where one of my nieces lives, you can do early childhood education with an associates and a provisional license as long as you continue to work towards your bachelor's.  She's currently working as a teacher's aid while working on her associates, and fully expects to get a teacher job when she graduates. She plans to continue taking one class a semester during the school year and then full-time in the summer.

 

[purplelily]

Have her get a job helping in a summer day care program. This will give her a feel for working with children. If she can learn how to manage a group of children,then teaching them will be much easier.

My dd helped with a Sunday school class.

Then later worked in a daycare while she was going to college. It gave her an advantage to know how to work with children, and to get them to obey.

[katilac]

My dd15 has a recurring interest in teaching as well. I'm encouraging her to get a non-education degree. In our state, she can tutor and offer classes for homeschoolers without an education degree (or any degree), and almost any other degree is more flexible if she decides to go another route. If she does decide she wants to teach in a classroom, she can get certified after her initial degree, and we would prefer to pay more and do it that way, rather than have her start in education. In our state, she could teach at a private school for sure while pursuing certification, especially if she can teach in-demand classes. You can also substitute in my state with only a high school diploma (you need to pass a test). 

 

We need good teachers, and it is a noble profession, but it can be a very difficult career, imo. And, if one leaves the full-time profession early on, they miss out on some of the few advantages, like pension, etc. 

 

So, for now, I try to respect her interest in teaching, while pointing out that there are many ways to teach. I teach some classes, and a friend of ours is a full-time tutor, so we have helpful examples. There's also corporate training and adult education, both of which would offer valuable teaching experience.