Being a college student is a struggle for the best of us. I mean, it takes a lot to be able to juggle term papers, studying for exams, attending class and just being able to enjoy your college experience. But for an education major in New York State, formally known as a teacher candidate, college life is a grand adventure of lesson planning, knowing when to take a given certification exam, spending copious amounts of money and learning to teach young minds. Making one mistake in the arduous process is a giant pain in the crayon tub. From my experience as a teacher candidate in New York State, here are all of the things you need to know!
1. Do Everything as Early as Possible.
Fingerprinting, certification exams, edTPA…. everything! Do every step of the certification process as soon as you can. I know, I know. It’s exceedingly expensive. Fingerprinting normally costs approximately $100. Certification exams run at a quality rate of about $100 each. And depending on your certification areas, you may be taking approximately six of these exams. And that’s not including the current rate of the edTPA, which is a whopping $300. But … Stay with me here for a moment. Yes, it is expensive. But the earlier you get it done, the better off you’ll be. Look at it like this: spending $1,000 on exams, fingerprinting and the edTPA are not nearly as breathtaking and gut wrenching $100 at a time. I started taking my exams once I’d finished all of my concentration courses, and I took one a month until I started student teaching. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: I was relatively stress free because of it. Student teaching is stressful, and college methods are stressful. Belting out all of these (seemingly) menial requirements makes methods, student teaching and your post graduate life way easier.
2. Become Familiar with the English Language.
It’s amazing how few teacher candidates are able to articulate their thoughts, processes and opinions. Being able to speak articulately is the number one necessity to passing the edTPA with mastery. Thesaurus.com will literally be your best friend. And here’s the reason why this is so important: This is vital to landing your first job as a teacher candidate. School districts want to know that you can justify your reasoning for making students use manipulatives in a lesson plan. They want to know why you chose to focus on the standards you focused on. They want to know what you would change in the future. Articulation and reflection are the two most important things potential employers look for. Articulate, articulate, articulate.
3. Know the Interview Process.
The interview process is actually way more complicated than I ever thought it would be. I thought there would be only one interview based on all of your placements and credentials. I didn’t think it would be a long process of waiting and talking and planning and buying. When I got my first interview, I went in with my extensive portfolio in hand. I thought they would want to look through my portfolio to see what I was capable of, and they didn’t even touch it. I also wasn’t expecting to hear the same types of questions I’d heard in my search for entry level jobs. But, I learned through multiple interviews, that this is the area where you need to take control as a teacher candidate. When they ask you the same questions you’ve heard many times before, make sure you answer them in unique ways. Showcase everything you know and have done. You can also make sure they get to peek into the portfolio you spent about 15 hours on. When they ask you, “Tell me about a time where you struggled to finish a task,” make sure you show them that volcano unit where you only had four days to teach an extensive unit on how volcanoes are formed and why they erupt. And then, after you show them your extra sparkly and shiny unit plan, show them student samples to showcase how hard your students rocked it!
Another aspect of of the interview process that I wasn’t prepared for was the second interview. The second interview needs to be your ace in the hole, and I’ll tell you why: This isn’t a traditional second interview. The traditional second interview is a more extensive version of the first, where they ask the super important questions that will let them know if you’re a great fit for their company. But the second interview for a teaching position is a sample lesson. And what’s even better is that you normally only get thirty minutes for this lesson. And they want to see lesson planning gold on top of seeing you build rapport with about four students you’ve never met in your life. This is a challenge. But this is where you really shine. And this interview is, in my opinion the most important. The feel of this lesson and the Q&A afterwards will really tell you if you have a fighting chance at getting the job.
4. Follow Your Gut.
I was very driven while in my undergrad. I wanted to get multiple certifications and I knew I wanted to find a teaching job as soon as physically possible after my bachelor’s degree was completed. I even went to the extent of applying for jobs while student teaching. And I did this all while having a child and a family to care for. But I knew that this was within my limits. I knew, in my heart, that this route was best for me. But my goals and limits and aspirations are not the same as everyone else’s. In this area, listen to your heart — follow your gut — don’t ignore your instinct. I know people who tried to rush themselves into what they thought a teacher candidate should be doing, and they ended up hating teaching because they weren’t ready for it. If you need to take a few years to substitute teach before finding a permanent position, that’s fine. If you would rather be a teacher’s assistant for a year, no harm no foul. Do what think is best for you. You will benefit from it, and your prospective students will as well.
5. Find your Niche.
The time you spend on your undergrad is an invaluable time. I went into school thinking I wanted to be a second grade teacher. I had one placement in second grade and realized I was not suited for early elementary. I then decided I wanted to teach fourth grade, and the same thing happened. I’d had a placement in that age range and then changed my mind. It took me until the final semester of my undergrad (aka Student Teaching) to decide that I really wanted to do middle or high school. So, just because you start college thinking that you’re destined to be a preschool teacher doesn’t mean that’s actually where your heart and soul are. If your heart and soul aren’t in it, then you’re not going to be happy, and your students will notice that. One thing that you can do that will help you find your niche is to substitute teach. Substitute teaching is so vital to testing all of the various waters of the teaching world. When I substitute teach, I don’t say no to anything. You need a gym teacher today? Sure. Oh, your physics teacher fell out of a tree? That sucks, but I would love to come in. My concentrations were English and Social Studies. I sure as hell taught students how to cook banana bread and to play kan-jam in they needed me to. And I learned a lot about my teaching preferences, who I was a teacher candidate and what students from all grades liked about me. So, find who you are as a teacher candidate, and don’t just assume. That will be your greatest gift an asset as a teacher candidate. And, plus side, having that experience looks great on a resume, and you only need the equivalent of an associate’s degree to substitute teach.
So, here is the small amount of advice I can give you. I’m currently looking for permanent work, and I’m killing the interview process. But before I got to where I am, I really had to learn a lot about myself, the education field and what I was truly made to do. My advice: do the same.
