Thursday Thirteen: Becoming a teacher
August 30th, 2007 by SarahFor anyone out there that thinks that teachers are overpaid and that “those who can’t, teach”, here is my list of thirteen hoops I have to jump through (or already have) just in the pursuit to become a teacher.
1. Get an AA taking ugly general education courses as electives rather than fun foo foo classes.
2. Major in Human Development rather than anything thing else more interesting because it contains most of your pre-rec’s for the credential program.
3. Take the CBEST ($41 pass or fail).
4. Spend many late night crumpling papers and throwing them as far as they will land wishing the school would burn down or you would win a billion dollars and get to drop out.
5. Add additional classes to your already full schedule to finish within your cramped time frame, because believe it or not, you can not get a BA in two years unless you are overloaded.
6. Expend massive energy preparing for a three part state exam (aka CSET) that you can’t teach without, then take the CSET (at $74 per part, pass or fail).
7. Once you are in your credential program, you now get to go to school full time, AND go to work every day as an unpaid student teacher.
8. Finally finished with your AA, BA, and Credential you can start interviewing.
9. In the process of finally getting hired, you will need to go get fingerprinted and have your entire background checked (hopefully while you were completing the first three lengthy steps you stayed out of trouble).
10. Get a job and start paying back years worth of debt accrued in student loans for the exciting $38k per year you will now be earning.
11. Sign up to teach summer school as well, because you need to pay off a couple of extra bills that your deficit pay check didn’t cover.
12. Listen to a bunch of idiots tell you for the rest of your career just how lucky you are to have the whole summer off.
13. Sigh in relief that college life is now over, but take a deep breath for the new world of politics and administration that has now alienated your life.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Damozel
2. Jessica the Rock Chick
3. Jennifer
4. Damien
5. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
August 30th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Excuse me while I sit here quietly at my desk and sob. Alas, I am afraid it is too true…or seems that way some of the time. Though–and this is why it’s worth hanging on—there ARE some good times.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:18 am
I don’t think teachers are overpaid at all! And yikes, you guys don’t make anything compared to the elementary school teachers here who average about $63,000 per year and get free master’s degrees! WOW.
I could never do that job. I could probably deal with the kids but the parents and the administrators….ummmmmm, probably not :)
Happy TT
Jessica The Rock Chick
August 30th, 2007 at 11:40 am
great post!!
my very first 13 is up —-
http://momworksathome.blogspot.com
August 30th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Damozel: I’m counting on the good times :), otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it at all. Thanks for stopping by.
Rock Chick: I should mention $38k is for first year teachers. It goes up with an MA, experience, and years on the job. But dh has 9 years experience, an MA, and 5 years with his district and still isn’t at $63k
August 30th, 2007 at 11:55 am
It’s Thursday ..?
You know I agree with that post!
Here’s a few more:
And on the stats Rock Chick gave . . . I don’t think she understood you were talking about what you will make your first year. And the average amount she listed, here anyway, isn’t enough to qualify for a 4-bedroom home in the cheapest part of the state. Rock Chick is good with us, but many many peeps in this fun world and internet DESPISE teachers. get used to it, ignore them, focus on the kids and the few perks that DO indeed exist!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Sarah and Damien,
Oh, I know…$63K isn’t really anything here either. My hubby doesn’t even make that much being a cop. I’m totally on your guys side! It seems the people who have the most necessary jobs that require the most dedication seem to be the ones paid the least. I don’t understand it. My neighbor makes three times what my husband does selling cell phone contracts to businesses.
Home prices? Insane! I think it CA it’s even worse than here. I have a 3 bedroom split level with a 1 car garage and a kitchen too small to even have a table in there. $500,000. The only reason I can afford my house is because I had a doctor severly injure me during a surgical procedure. Truth be told, I’d rather be squished in my little condo than go through that again and continue to deal with the aftermath!
There are no 4 bedrooms in my neighborhood because the houses were all built in the 1950’s, but in the next town over the 4 bedrooms are at least $650,000. Never mind the property taxes. It could make you crazy. I try not to think about it. :)
Jessica
August 30th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Sounds like you know exactly what you are getting into, Sarah.
I’ve never understood how salaries work in any job, but especially jobs like teachers.
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 pm
To my sister in this journey,
Hang in there! When we are done with our BA (in eight short months), I will personally sigh hugely with relief. I really enjoyed reading your blog. You have a gift, and I’d put my kids in your class any day of the week. Keep on going, girlfriend. Pretty soon, you’ll have 20 or 30 kids who think you hung the moon!
Lattes, 10 o’clock, Thursday…
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Number thirteen will getcha in any job…