Advice and info seeking-
 

Ok- I am going to plunk myself down with a career advisor at school sometime soon but I know there are some people here (GD springs to mind) who might be able to give me some advice and guidance-

I think I want to be a teacher-

Really.

This desire started years ago- and got buried by life- now it is back and more powerful than ever.

I have always wondered what I wanted to do when I grow- and more and more every day this is what screams at me. Young kids specifically- like kindergarten.

I would like to pick brains on this- I am going back to school- and I would love any info, guidance...whatever anyone can give me. My future sister in law is going to be a teacher so you can bet I am going to be asking her too.....

Thanks in advance-

I know very little about the process of getting credentialed, especially since it varies so much county to county let alone state to state. So I can't offer you much advice there.

Are you shooting for public or private?

Public I would think-

I'm also going to talk to Rose's current teacher- find out more, she just got out of school.

Well, all I can really do is wish you good luck. In all honety, you are likely to run into a lot of frustration. The federal guidelines are making it harder and harder to be much more than a test-score producing robot. More and more good teachers who actually want their students to learn are doing whatever they can to get out of the system because it's become so stifling. Hopefully you'll be able to fight through the crap and use what little time you have that's not devoted to standardized testing to do the best you can and stay motivated.

Maybe that is why I am tempted by kindergarten- less standardized pressures?

But thanks- :D

Heh, oops. Somehow didn't catch that part of the OP.

You can start, as I have, by taking the C-best test, otherwise, known as the emergency credential. Your councellor will fill you in with all the rest.

I have years of school left- *sigh* can you tell me what that is?

Tref, she's not in California. The CBEST is a basic aptitude test that, in California, is the first step to getting credentialed and, in some districts, allows you to start teaching almost immediately (although some districts have done way with the "emergency credential"). There may be a similar test in Colorado, but like I said, requirements vary widely from state-to-state, so you're going to have to ask someone local for those kinds of details.

Up until last year I was a Credential Analyst for the State of California. At that time everyone in the nation was struggling to find funding to implement Bush's unfunded mandate "No Child Left Behind" which radically altered the credentialing process across the nation. Basically becoming a teacher requires two basic components: demonstrating competence in a subject (or subjects, for elementary teaching) AND demonstrating proof of training in the teaching of said subject or subjects. NCLB basically erased the use of college coursework to demonstrate competence in a subject, so most states require passage of a subject matter exam (such as the CSET). Then you'll have to study to TEACH that subject. Some states will allow you to take teacher education courses concurrently with your baccalaureate degree. California requires that you take them afterward (the fifth-year rule). Because of differences like these (in California many other tests are required...) it is very difficult to take your credential to a different state--just so you know! Even teaching kindergarten will require passage of the CSET or a similar state-accepted and NCLB-compliant multiple subjects exam. Good luck!