I have always wanted to be a teacher and feel overwhelmed with where to go to school. I want the best and fastest way to reach my goal, any advice would be helpful!
There isn't a fast way to become a teacher...but Otterbein College has an excellent teacher certification program. The student teaching is done through Westerville, Gahanna, and some Columbus public schools. If you don't have your B.A. yet, they will put together a degree with the TC that you can feasibly finish in 5 years...it all depends on how many credits you can take in a quarter. Check it out.
C.,
I have been a public school teacher in Columbus for 7 years, but have a total of 17 years experience in AZ, IN, and OH. My daughter just graduated from ODU and is working in a charter school. This is my advice:
You should definitely pursue your goal! However, this area is extremely saturated with ed grads and many do not get a teaching position after graduation. If you are willing to move to Nevada, Louisiana, or even PA, no problem. If not, don't give up, but be willing to start out at low pay $26,000 at a charter or private school. The public school districts laid off hundreds of teachers in the last 4 years due to budget cuts. Also, you should know that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law of 2001 changed the whole ed system to data driven everything. Mostly it's for the worse, but that's another long story.
You can teach preschool with an associates degree from Columbus State, which you can do in less than 2 years if you take a full schedule and go summers. There are many classes online so that you can still be at home with your family. Preschools are desperate for good help, but again, you will start out with low pay-$10 hr.
OSU only has a teaching certificate program in a master's degree program. They are the longest route.
ODU is a great school, but expensive like all private univs. They have some online classes. Their masters ed program is available online now, too.
If you go for a middle or secondary teaching certificate and major in mathor science, (maybe technology), you can start teaching before you graduate by going through the alternate certification routes, (Check the OH dept of ed. website). You will have to pass the Praxis I test to get admitted to an ed program, the Praxis II tests in your field at the end of your ed program to get certified, and the Praxis III within 2 years after graduating.
There are now a few accredited online univs that are offering ed programs with initial certification, but they are expensive like all private/online programs. You probably can get financial aid.
If you need more information, I would be happy to help you. I got my BAE from Arizona State Univ, my MAE from Univ of Phoenix online, and finishing up my doctorate from Walden Univ online. I have no desire to leave the classroom. I was a dept. coordinator for 4 years and missed the students.
I LOVE MY JOB! I have always loved the kids, and I just moved up to middle school, and I still love the kids! :) lol So you have to pursue your dream, even if the job market looks bleak here right now. My daughter loves her new position, too, even at low pay. Job markets change and there's a high percentage of new teachers that leave the profession. It is a tough job, not suited for everyone. As a teacher, you will be going to school for the rest of your life. Good luck!
B.
Hi,
That is what I am pursuing now. It depends really, what kind of level do you want to teach at? Most schools now require a Masters degree, even to teach at the grade school/high school level. For the college level, you almost always have to have a PhD. Though, at the lower levels, you can teach with a Bachelors and then you must take the state test in order to be licensed. Either way, you are looking at a minimum of a four year degree. Look into some liberal arts colleges that really specialize in teaching degrees, such as: Otterbein and Ohio Dominican. If not, there is always OSU. One thing I like about Ohio Dominican (where I have previously atteded and plan on returning to soon) is that they now have an online Masters program in teaching. But, like I said, you can not teach without at least a BA, and even that is iffy thesedays.
I also had always wanted to be a teacher. I went back to school in 2002 through OSU. If you already have credits (any) make sure you get a good appt. with an advisor and they'll set you up. You have to get your masters degree when you go through OSU, but lots of schools will tell you the quality from OSU is unmatched around here and you'll have to go back and get your masters later anyway.
The tough part is not going back to school...it is finding a job. I just now found one...many school districts report having between 4000 and 7000 applicants per opening. Lots of luck. It's worth it in the long run...but you have to be patient!
One more thing...I read another response about having a middle or other area being able to teach prior to graduation. Not true. I have middle licensure. HOWEVER, you can have a Bachelors in ANY subject (even fashion or finance,etc.) and be able to substitute teach. Licensure runs Pre-K through 3, 4-9 (requires certification in two areas, ) and 7-12 (which is essentially you picking a subject you like and getting a degree in that with all of the teaching requirements added in.) In hindsight, I'd have done that. Oh, and Math is the easiest field to get a job for teaching because it is harder to come by the Math people (have been told that by many HR depts.) Good luck!
