Teaching jobs

in VA do teachers actually major/minor in Education? or is there a way to get hired on as a teacher w/o having to go back and do the whole TEP program? I'd love to teach but am just wondering about the certification process since I actually already have my BA in History and really don't want to go back another year to the TEP program at Wise unless I have to.

Usually what will happen is that if you are hired by a county and don't have a teaching license, you will be granted a 3-year provisional license. Essentially, that means you have three years to complete whatever education coursework you need and pass the Praxis. OJT will count as student teaching. I think it would be more complicated if you had a History degree and wanted to teach Health & P.E. You would also have to take enough classes to be considered a P.E. teacher. If you check the Va Dept of Education website under Teacher Licensure, I'm sure that will help you.

according to a friend of mine at the college, you have to PASS the Praxis test in order to do your student teaching.

I think that is pretty much standard anymore if you are in the education pipeline in college. I have a former student who will get her Master's degree before she passes her Praxis. There have been plenty who get jobs without student teaching and then just have to pass the Praxis to get their license. If they don't pass the Praxis within the three years, they get a pink slip.

Here is a great source regarding provisional licenses in VA:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/newvdoe/licroute.pdf
More than one individual in Wise County has taken this route to licensing.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">III. Alternative Licensure - an alternative route to licensure is available through the recommendation of the individual's employing Virginia school division or nonpublic school. A three-year nonrenewable license can be issued through satisfying endorsement course work, experiential learning, or by meeting the provisional-special education requirements.*
*Please refer</div></div>

Ta Da!! Thanks elp6n. I'm not as computer savvy as you.

Either computer savvy, or I just have too much time on my hands this evening lol (in between medicating dogs and cleaning up messes and waiting on the next mess!)

I would have to add one thing about getting a teaching job without any prior teaching experience. It would be a REALLY good idea to substitute or volunteer at a school with the age students you are thinking about working with. And it needs to be for an extended period of time. Time within a school, in any capacity, is going to help you determine whether the job is a good fit for you. And, by the way, my last day is Wednesday! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]

I've done the sub thing for quite some time almost 3 or 4 years off and on... plus I did the whole Teacher Cadet program in HS too where you "teach" a class at the Primary/Middle School. I've also done tutoring at the college. I def. know I want to teach HS aged kids.

I think I'm going to wait on applying for a job seeing as how the baby is due almost a month after school starts, but I'll work on studying up for Praxis and hopefully by this time next year I can be teaching somewhere and working on my masters at the same time.

btw thanks for all the info!!

Sounds great! I know my county pays a $2000 stipend to all teachers who have a Master's. Plus, when you go through the relicensure process, you don't have to take any more classes. I've thought about working on one, but the jury is still out on what area of concentration I would chose. Anyway, take care and keep your feet propped up.

I know a few in Scott County who have went this route GatorGirl. Seems to be popular with coaches. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img] I know a couple who have cut it really close to receiving that dreaded pink slip 82 mentioned because of it too.

from what I've heard as expensive as the Praxis is... Blue will kill me if I fail too many times *lol* but with all the free time I have right now I can def. be studying. If we're going to stay around with my History degree teaching sounds like a winner... I'd love to eventually teach at a college level, so we'll see. Hopefully if I am lucky enough to teach a job teaching US/VA history or Govt. I can also help with tennis or track (the only two sports I didn't suck at) and that'll provide a little extra income also.

No doubt. I have been considering go back next year and trying to finish my degree and going the same route. Hope to get hired and have to pass the Praxis within 3 years. I subbed probably 6 years ago or so, and set in in classes while at E&H as part of a few education classes.

There are 2 Praxis tests you have to pass...one is general knowledge (which is usually required to get into a TEP or to even have someone take a chance on you if you don't have a license) and then another one which is content knowledge that you need to get a regular license. But, it helps to know a big wig if you don't have everything you need to get a license...

For me, the Praxis I was easy. I passed it on the second time. It really seems to be a lot like the SAT's. I've heard that the Praxis II is hard as crap even though it is in your related field i.e. Health and P.E. for me. I changed my mind on teaching just before doing my student teaching (long story to it!), but I do know of people who have been hired without it. They have a PRAXIS practice book in the bookstore at the college. Maybe you can swing by there and buy it to help. Whatever way you go, good luck with it!

I didn't have to take the Praxis I. I was exempt because of my SAT scores, but I don't think they do that anymore. I did have to take the VCLA though. I thought it was easy. I had to take the Praxis II in my content area.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know a couple who have cut it really close to receiving that dreaded pink slip 82 mentioned because of it too. </div></div>

Not me stripes! I get ish DONE! I'm finishing up everything in about two weeks and I still have a year to go. And that's all while coaching 5 seasons and getting married. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]

As of now, I plan on getting my Masters. I don't know when I'll start. Might as well. Classes like that help me fulfill my extra contract hours per year.

Praxis 1 was easy
Praxis 2 is hard as [censored] for a Social Studies

Education was the worst mistake I have ever made in my life, its the only thing I ever regret. Terrible choice on my part.

And finding a social studies/history position is not easy

I hear ys YB...it doesn't pay for shiz...but I kinda like it come summer time.

I just finished up everything yesterday. When are you all done?

Either June 9th or June 16th.

I absolutely love teaching. Yeah, I may complain every once in awhile (like after Friday....went on a field trip with 70+ CRAZY seventh graders), but I really do enjoy it.

And if I could someway, somehow keep parents out of the equation when it comes to coaching, life would be perfect. Because I am completely satisfied being in a gym with young people teaching and coaching them about something I'm so very passionate about.

It's funny you mention that, because I feel the same way. I absolutely love what I do. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction when a kid shaves 4 minutes off their mile time or takes up soccer after being introduced to it in class. It also makes me feel good when parents say that I'm the only teacher that their kid likes. I think adults, in general, sour the education process.

I got 4 days including work days.

Dr.Coach where do you work?

Personally, I feel my career choices were one of the very few regrets I have in my life.

I understand where you're coming from.
When I was younger I wish I knew better what I wanted to do career wise. I was one of those that wanted to try a little of everything. The reason I wound up with an Econ degree is because at the end of 4 years, that's what I wound up with the most credits in.

Now that I know what I want to do, I dont have the time/money for school to do it!

Not that my current job is bad - I just see things that really interest me - and I can't get to it now that I'm in the middle of the "real world."

I just thought that thing would be very different. I thought wow it will be great, kids will wanna know about things, listen to my expierences, I will have this great job where I can help people and that the environment was built to do so... in the words of Charlie Murphy.... WRONG! And I didint spend that much time in it or really doing it. If that the one thing I can say to people, its really think about if thats what you want to do. Sure they are cases where people love it, some people love their job no matter what it is. But I wish in my education classes they taught more things like how to deal with kids, with kids who have real problems, with leaving work at work and not taking it home etc. Not standard deviation or how to average a grade.

I wish I would have went into business or forestry sciences.

I think you have hit on some very good points. I don't think that my teacher education experience prepared me for the real world. Think about it, professors who are doing the teaching probably haven't been in public schools in decades. The two best things that happened to me were being a camp counselor for an entire summer and being in the military. When you are a young person, even a college student, your wordly experiences are still pretty small. I was challenged with living with kids who came from a variety of backgrounds and had real-world problems. ADHD, broken homes, and a recently killed parent were all under the same roof. The kids became people, rather than names on an application. Dealing with the baggage, doing a good job as a supervisor, and making camp fun was a learning experience. The military experience was a no-brainer. All my youthful idealism went out the door with me on my first parachute jump. I develpoped my callouses before I started my true chosen profession. I was and am fortunate.

There's a 4 year photography degree program at VIC (as opposed to many schools that force an art degree, and include photography in it).
It took a career change or two, and a part time job from a hobby before I figured out what I really like.
Now that I've made my career path and am in the middle of it, paying bills, etc etc it's something I'll never get to. The real world screws things up!

I second that...that's basically my story as well.

I would also have to say that my teachers also helped influence the type of teacher I am. Theresa Mason, Joan Short, Buster Taylor, Ricky Blevins, and Preston Potter are a few that pop into my head. I always thought that they cared about me as much as a person as they did a student. On a personal level, they were wonderful adult role models at a time when most kids think their parents are stupid. I owe them a great deal for helping shape me through the murkiness of middle and high school.

I agree...PVHS had some great folks in the school back them. I know I respected and still respect those folks.

ahh preston potter hated me, i spit skoal all over his bus.
we didnt get along after that.

i loved mrs. short as well, i always assumed she might have smoked some herb, i dont know, but all the indian stuff and the james taylor jus made me suspicious, but i loved getting stoned then going to her class, id have a grand ole time.

I work in Scott County.

With the way things are going at work, I have pretty much made up my mind that starting next year, I am going to go back and try to finish my degree. I dread the thoughts of classes again, but its about time I started doing what I always dreamed of.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1inStripes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">With the way things are going at work, I have pretty much made up my mind that starting next year, I am going to go back and try to finish my degree. I dread the thoughts of classes again, but its about time I started doing what I always dreamed of. </div></div>

What, not enough young hotties at work?

Not many.

I knew it, Stripes, you want to be another Sarge Reed... [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]

Yeah I can just find a solid white mesh shirt and some drawstring white khaki material shorts I will be good to go. May have to even take up that chewing tobacco.

"May have to even take up that chewing tobacco"

Not at RC you won't. There's a new sheriff in town.[img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]

Check with Goodwill and see if Sarge donated any of his old duds.

I can get ya a complete outfit, Stripes...lol

People will just think that Sarge is back if you do! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif[/img]