Poll: Are or were you a certified teacher?

[katalaska]

I'm curious how many of us are or were certified teachers. I submitted my renewal application over the summer and just found out yesterday that my "Application has been evaluated and approved - Awaiting Issuance."

 

Yay!!

 

ETA: My teaching certificate is our "backup plan." If dh should ever become unable to work/support the family, then I could go back to teaching as a career.

 

For the record, I don't think homeschooling parents have to or should be certified. Most of what I learned in my education to become a professional teacher has minimal influence on what I do in my homeschool! Most of the instruction I received was on how to teach large groups, how to use behavior modification techniques, and how to work within public school systems.

 

I am just interested in how many certified teachers with public/private/charter/other school experience have chosen to homeschool. For me personally, my choice to homeschool has nothing to do with my experience as a public school teacher. I know others, however, who choose to homeschool because of what they experienced as teachers in public school.

[Nakia]

Nope

[MelaniePA]

No.

[LisaKinVA]

I've never been certified, but I have taught in private schools before -- and coached/instructed at 4-year colleges... but you don't need to be certified for either of those :D

[NorthwestMom]

I have a degree in Special Education and taught kids with multiple disabilities before I had my own.

 

However, I am a firm believer that homeschooling does NOT require teacher credentials.

[TammyinTN]

Nope

[Parrothead]

Nope, never had the desire to be a professional teacher.

[Bev in B'ville]

for universiy professors, most of whom do not have certification. It was never required when I taught.

[elegantlion]

Nope, never had the desire to be a professional teacher.

 

 

Same here.

[JFSinIL]

While I was in grad school I taught two college courses for working adults (night school) at Northwestern. I also taught one undergraduate course at Mundelein. But did not have to be certified to do that.

[1bassoon]

Yes.

 

Taught elementary school music for 5 years.

[A.J. at J.A.]

I have not been certified but I have taught at college level before when I was getting my Master's in Statistics.

 

Angela

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

I probably have more education than a lot of certified public school teachers and I have a child care credential that I went and got when I was pregnant. I've done quite a bit of tutoring and teaching "on the side" kind of stuff, but never in a paid position.

[Erica in PA]

 

Most of what I learned in my education to become a professional teacher has minimal influence on what I do in my homeschool! Most of the instruction I received was on how to teach large groups, how to use behavior modification techniques, and how to work within public school systems.

 

 

That is really interesting that you'd bring this up, because just last night I was talking with a friend who is a fifth grade teacher, and she was explaining to me how they teach reading-- and all the terminology, the "strategies," the processes, the lingo-- it all hit me how very differently children are taught in schools, versus homeschooling. There really is very little resemblance. She agreed with me that most of her training in college was centered on how to "teach groups of children"--which basically means try to compensate somehow for the fact that there are 20 children of varying abilities and interests, that there is little time for one-on-one instruction, and despite all of that, to hopefully help as many as possible of them advance in each subject during the school year. Homeschooling is much more like tutoring-- just pick up the books and go, really.

 

I don't think I realized before how very differently my homeschooled children have been taught, using such different methods and materials. And it makes the idea of requiring homeschooling parents to become certified teachers that much more ludicrous, because there is so little relevance between the two.

 

Anyway, I just thought that was interesting!

 

Erica

[dcjlkplus3]

I had to mark other because I started going to school for my teacher certification, then I mostly stopped going to school (part-time trickled in to not at all). When I considered going back (when oldest dd was in preschool) I looked at the education requirements and decided that I was too old and opinionated to put put up with all the liberal classes I would have to take. I will still get my history degree (someday), but I will not be taking education classes.

[beansprouts]

No Ma'am. In fact I don't have a college degree at all. I have a high school diploma and a well-used library card ;)

[Jane in NC]

for universiy professors' date=' most of whom do not have certification. It was never required when I taught.[/quote']

 

What she said. I can teach Calculus at a university but not at a public high school because I lack certification.

 

Jane

[Mama Lynx]

I completed all the requirements for secondary certification in English except the student teaching. I also took some graduate-level courses in curriculum design.

[Lorna in the boonies]

Another former special education teacher here.

[8filltheheart]

I answered never completed my certification. I finished all my course work and received my degree. Then my dh (who is a yr older than me and graduated ahead of me) got a job in a different state. I originally stayed behind doing my student teaching. I only stayed for 8 weeks of the semester b/c 1-I couldn't stand being away from dh, 2-I hated the bureaucracy and knew I didn't want to teach in a ps, and 3-the state we moved to certified in different grade level combinations (birth-4th whereas my certification was to be in K-6) I would have had to have 2 more yrs of coursework to get certified there.

 

I found it hilarious b/c I ended up managing a day care. I was informed that I wouldn't qualify to teach as a day care teacher b/c I hadn't taken some 64 hr course or something. I had a double degree in early child psy! I had to fill out tons of paperwork and pass an interviewing board for my bachelors psy degree to replace their 64 hr day care course!

 

Gotta love hoops. :eek:

[Mom to Aly]

Well, I have taught university, both in person, and online, but you don't have to certified to do that, well, at least not with a teaching certificate ;).

[sleepy]

No... and I never had any desire to be.

[Ellie]

Nope. No college at all, except for a life drawing class and several quarters of fencing :-)

[Kfamily]

I did some substitute teaching at various public schools including one that was long term for a teacher on maternity leave. I went on to teach at a Montessori private school where I think I learned more about teaching there than anywhere else. Montessori schools use combined classes so I taught grades 4-6 the first year and grades 1-3 the following year. My husband took a job in another city so I left my job (happily) and got to stay home with my first-born dd who was about 9 months at the time. I was so relieved to stay with her because it was very hard trying to be a good teacher and a good new mom. I felt like one role was always suffering while I was attending to my other role. I loved being able to stay home with dd and we have never gone back.

 

I truly love being able to homeschool both girls.:001_smile:

 

When they are both grown I may go back to work but in what way I'm not sure.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I completed all the requirements for secondary certification in English except the student teaching. I also took some graduate-level courses in curriculum design.

 

Masters in Education through an program for non-traditional students (ie, mostly former military). Did everything for certification except student teach.

 

DH likes to put my masters diploma up and explain that his kids' teacher does have a masters in education. (Not that it makes it any easier to teach a child to read. One day at a time.)

[kat19]

No

[Vita Passiva]

I got my degree in deaf/hard of hearing education with a certificate in learning disabilities and taught for 6.5 years. I feel as though I have learned more about education, though, in doing research for homeschooling than all of those years combined. We are homeschooling because of our life circumstance overseas, but I do think I would heavily consider it if we lived in the States as well.

 

If I ever went back to teaching in the public schools, I think I would be a much better teacher because of homeschooling, and I am just starting now with kindergarten :001_smile: I often wonder where and why any of the curriculum that is discussed around here is not offered in public schools. I know some of the math is the same, but I think of things like OPGR and the History curriculum's offered and how they make so much sense to me. I look back and wish I would have had some of these resources as a teacher.

 

Well, just my $.02

[dirty ethel rackham]

I did spend some time in college as a secondary education major in Math. However, after I did my observation hours, I changed my mind. The teacher that I observed was a burned out jerk of a man. He spent 90% of his time riding one kid. Yes, this kid was obnoxious, but he just couldn't see that if he befriended that kid, he would own the class. Less than 10 minutes per class period was spent on instruction. I realized that I didn't want to work with someone like him, or, worse, become someone like him. I switched to Math, got my diploma, got a job as a computer programmer/analyst and never looked back.

 

Now, I teach kids and adults. One of my part-time businesses is to teach childbirth classes. I still love teaching, but on my terms!

[Cornerstone Classical]

No, but I am about 28 hrs away from a double major of elem ed and biblical studies. I did observation and student teaching in the PS and worked in an after school program while going to college. Ultimately, being in the PS system made me not want to teach school, so I use my experience to homeschool.

[fractalgal]

I'm curious how many of us are or were certified teachers. I submitted my renewal application over the summer and just found out yesterday that my "Application has been evaluated and approved - Awaiting Issuance."

 

Yay!!

 

ETA: My teaching certificate is our "backup plan." If dh should ever become unable to work/support the family, then I could go back to teaching as a career.

 

For the record, I don't think homeschooling parents have to or should be certified. Most of what I learned in my education to become a professional teacher has minimal influence on what I do in my homeschool! Most of the instruction I received was on how to teach large groups, how to use behavior modification techniques, and how to work within public school systems.

 

I am just interested in how many certified teachers with public/private/charter/other school experience have chosen to homeschool. For me personally, my choice to homeschool has nothing to do with my experience as a public school teacher. I know others, however, who choose to homeschool because of what they experienced as teachers in public school.

 

I have several degrees in math and have taught for several years at the college level.

 

You don't need certification to teach at the college level. In fact we had a couple of hours of training the week before the Fall semester began to practice teaching, and that was about it.

 

:iagree: Requiring home school teachers to be certified would be illogical. Who in the public school (or government) is qualified to certify a parent teaching their own child?

[Aggie]

I taught several years before having our dc. Pre-K, elementary, special ed, and middle school.

 

Kat...I agree with you about certification. My education also included instruction on making the ever popular bulletin board.

[Remudamom]

After I graduated I subbed until first child was born, I let my certification run out. Subbed from K to high school.

[myfunnybunch]

I have a degree in Early Intervention--Special Education for infants through kindergarteners. In my program we had the option to do additional student teaching and become certified to teach in the public school, but I chose not to pursue that option.

 

Cat

[mazakaal]

I respdend no because I never sought certification, but I did teach at a preschool before I was married.

[mysticamethyst]

Nope.

[Year Round Mom]

in Korea (international, English-speaking school), for two and a half years. I started out as a teacher in a sixth-grade self-contained classroom. The next year they made sixth grade a junior high grade, so I taught two subjects for sixth grade and a few foreign language classes (2 BAs - French and German). Since I was leaving in the middle of my third year because I had gotten married (!), I took over elementary PE along with a few junior high/senior high classes, all of which were easier to pass off to the next teacher.

 

But no, I was never certified.

 

Now I feel like I'm not teaching classes, I'm teaching my kiddies!!!

[Plaid Dad]

I do not have state certification, but I have taught elementary, middle school, high school and adult students in private schools. I also have a degree that would qualify me to teach German language and literature at the university level.

[Susan in KY]

Certification in ESL here, but didn't complete the one in Bilingual ed. I student taught in a US elem. school, but most of my teaching experience has been teacher training, 1-on-1 tutoring (adults and kids), and homeschool co-ops.

[KS_]

I've never been a certified teacher, but dh's degree is actually in elementary ed. However, he doesn't work in that field, as the pay isn't enough in the state where we live for me to stay home and homeschool if he did.

[klmama]

I taught in a state university for three years, a private college for one year, and private elementary and middle schools for thirteen years. No education degree or certification, although I did take a number of education courses before I realized I didn't need certification to teach where I wanted to teach. Advanced degrees carry a lot of weight with private schools and colleges, but teaching certification is optional.

[Jennay]

Yes, I taught elementary and middle school instrumental for 7 years. I know many former teachers who now homeschool their children.

[PariSarah]

. . . graduate school level in my field. I have taught at the high school, undergrad, and graduate level, and plan to apply for jobs at the graduate school level. I could probably be hired at a private school, although I would consider that an absolute dead last career choice. Like, after having an affair with one of my parishioners and getting kicked out of the ministry career choice.

 

One more reason not to have an affair with a parishioner, I guess!

[threetreasurs]

Never completed, but did 1 year student teaching.

[Sandy in Indy]

I taught Language Arts and Social Studies at a public middle school level for five years before I left to began a new career as a mommy. I have a lifetime license but I have ZERO desire to ever step foot in a classroom again (at least not a public school anyway). That baby will turn 21 in December...

[imeverywoman]

:)

[Lolly]

yep. Have no desire to go back to it either.

[Melissa B]

Like many others - I taught without a teaching degree or certificate.

 

I voted other. :)

[ekarl2]

Most of what I learned in my education to become a professional teacher has minimal influence on what I do in my homeschool! Most of the instruction I received was on how to teach large groups, how to use behavior modification techniques, and how to work within public school systems.

 

 

:iagree: I've never sat through so much DRECK in my life than the cr@p I listened to in my education classes. The only thing, in my opinion more useless than a BA in Education is an MA or PhD in Education. DRECK, DRECK, DRECK!!!!!