Fellow Warriors, a short follow up to a previous post...
I'm in! Well, at least the door has been opened to me. About two weeks after the review board met, I sent an email to the home office asking when the results would be available. I was told 14 to 21 days. So I gave it some time, in hopes a letter would soon follow. One month after the board, and still no letter, I sent another email. The response was that I have been "certified"!
God said to Evan Almighty, "If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?" Well, I am certainly making very good use of this opportunity to practice my patience; still no letter!
What does the certification letter mean? It does NOT mean that I have a job! It only means that I can officially apply to those schools who support a JROTC program from my service. It also means that I can apply to DoDEA, my dream job. My dream job because I would get to go back overseas to live and travel for a while longer, I would also get to pay back for all those teachers who taught my own children, and I think it would be a peace of mind for our fellow warriors stationed overseas to know that someone who has gone before them are now there to help their children through the frequent separations. But I digress...
I'm Certifiable ;)
More to follow...
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
A Bachelors Degree Does Not Equal a Teaching License
Fellow Warriors,
It sure felt like a rejection letter to me! I recently applied for a teaching certificate in the hopes that having one prior to completing my master’s degree would help me to get hired somewhere. “That’s a negative, Ghost Rider!”
Somewhere along the way, I had stubbornly embedded the idea that having a bachelor’s degree would automatically qualify me for a temporary teaching certificate. If that had ever been a fact, I just don't know. I do know now that this is a MYTH! Yes, you do need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution for the Board of Education in the various states to even consider you as a teaching candidate. However, there will be more requirements you will need to meet to get that coveted license.
Let’s take two states for example:
In Florida, all I need to do for a Temporary Certificate is pass their state approved test, the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). Passing that will get me a temporary teaching certificate that is valid for only three years. Within those three years, I will need to complete further education (which I already have) and take a couple other tests. Then I will be granted a Permanent Teaching Certificate.
In Virginia, I need to pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VLCA), Virginia Reading Assessment (VRA) and the PRAXIS II tests. Plus all the other schooling I've accomplished.
The "other schooling:" Here’s how I found out what I needed. I know that I ultimately want to wind up in Florida. During a Troops To Teachers (TTT) briefing I attended a while back, I found that the FL TTT office will provide military members with an unofficial review of their unofficial transcripts. You will need to contact the TTT office in the state you want to teach in to see if they provide the same service. From that, I was given specific course areas (what the school systems call "core" courses). For me this included a passing a few more English, history, and science courses at the upper level. This gives the prospective teacher a deeper background in the (core subject) areas they are going to be teaching.
Anyway, there is still time for me to make this decision about which avenue to pursue. You, on the other hand, probably need to get crackin’! Do you want a good head start? Contact the TTT office in the area you are stationed or are looking to “retire” to. They should be able to talk to you about formal and alternative routes for licensure, and possibly get you headed in the direction that makes the most sense for you. http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_Web/library/docs/ttt/state_office_listing.pdf
More to follow…
It sure felt like a rejection letter to me! I recently applied for a teaching certificate in the hopes that having one prior to completing my master’s degree would help me to get hired somewhere. “That’s a negative, Ghost Rider!”
Somewhere along the way, I had stubbornly embedded the idea that having a bachelor’s degree would automatically qualify me for a temporary teaching certificate. If that had ever been a fact, I just don't know. I do know now that this is a MYTH! Yes, you do need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution for the Board of Education in the various states to even consider you as a teaching candidate. However, there will be more requirements you will need to meet to get that coveted license.
Let’s take two states for example:
In Florida, all I need to do for a Temporary Certificate is pass their state approved test, the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). Passing that will get me a temporary teaching certificate that is valid for only three years. Within those three years, I will need to complete further education (which I already have) and take a couple other tests. Then I will be granted a Permanent Teaching Certificate.
In Virginia, I need to pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VLCA), Virginia Reading Assessment (VRA) and the PRAXIS II tests. Plus all the other schooling I've accomplished.
The "other schooling:" Here’s how I found out what I needed. I know that I ultimately want to wind up in Florida. During a Troops To Teachers (TTT) briefing I attended a while back, I found that the FL TTT office will provide military members with an unofficial review of their unofficial transcripts. You will need to contact the TTT office in the state you want to teach in to see if they provide the same service. From that, I was given specific course areas (what the school systems call "core" courses). For me this included a passing a few more English, history, and science courses at the upper level. This gives the prospective teacher a deeper background in the (core subject) areas they are going to be teaching.
Anyway, there is still time for me to make this decision about which avenue to pursue. You, on the other hand, probably need to get crackin’! Do you want a good head start? Contact the TTT office in the area you are stationed or are looking to “retire” to. They should be able to talk to you about formal and alternative routes for licensure, and possibly get you headed in the direction that makes the most sense for you. http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_Web/library/docs/ttt/state_office_listing.pdf
More to follow…
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Military Personnel or Students: Same Difference?
Fellow Warriors, here's another reason military personnel are suitable to becoming teachers.
The article linked below is a very insightful look into something we as leaders have hopefully already learned how to do. It talks about getting young people to do something when they don't see why they should. Ever met someone like that in your career? Do you remember how you handled it? Most of us got yelled at, cajoled, and very quickly succumbed to the onslaught. So, as junior leaders, we simply adopted those same militaristic styles of yelling and requiring immediate subservience.
Have you ever tried getting into their heads though? Just like in this article, see if you can prod them into doing what they should, but only lightly. If that still doesn't work, pull them out one on one and see if you can get them to tell you what it is about the project that they don't want to do. I'm a bit long in the tooth, so I've been able to learn and follow this method of leadership. More often than not, if you talk to that young person like an adult, make them feel like they actually matter, I think you'll find that you can get them to do what they ought to.
More to follow...
Towbin, J. (2010) "When Students Don't Play the Game." Educational Leadership, February 2010, Volume 67, Number 5, "Meeting Students Where They Are," Pages 42-45. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/When_Students_Don't_Play_the_Game.aspx
The article linked below is a very insightful look into something we as leaders have hopefully already learned how to do. It talks about getting young people to do something when they don't see why they should. Ever met someone like that in your career? Do you remember how you handled it? Most of us got yelled at, cajoled, and very quickly succumbed to the onslaught. So, as junior leaders, we simply adopted those same militaristic styles of yelling and requiring immediate subservience.
Have you ever tried getting into their heads though? Just like in this article, see if you can prod them into doing what they should, but only lightly. If that still doesn't work, pull them out one on one and see if you can get them to tell you what it is about the project that they don't want to do. I'm a bit long in the tooth, so I've been able to learn and follow this method of leadership. More often than not, if you talk to that young person like an adult, make them feel like they actually matter, I think you'll find that you can get them to do what they ought to.
More to follow...
Towbin, J. (2010) "When Students Don't Play the Game." Educational Leadership, February 2010, Volume 67, Number 5, "Meeting Students Where They Are," Pages 42-45. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/When_Students_Don't_Play_the_Game.aspx
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Head Hunters
** If you know of similar opportunities for educators please post them as comments. **
Fellow Warriors! One of the things impressed upon me during TAP class was in regards to what they call "head hunters". These companies are a like a storehouse for matching available jobs with the best candidate. Some companies will charge the job seeker, but there are also those who charge the employer, thereby providing a "free" service for the job seeker.
The impressionable moment:
Having to pay = bad (well duh!)Free = good.
Any time you can get free professional help job hunting, take it - it's FREE!
I have not used this service myself yet, but this is a link to what is advertised as a free service to those seeking a teaching position. As their name implies, they deal with the southern states; a listing of states is below.
Southern Teachers Agency:
"Our services are free for all candidates. No registration fees, no annual fees, no cost to candidates at any time! Schools support STA because they recognize the value of STA's assistance in recruiting talented candidates. If you are a teacher, coach, or administrator seeking a job in the South, then we look forward to working with you."
States listed on their candidate application:
VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, WV, KY, TN, AL, MS, LA, TX, OK, DC, MD, PA, DE, OH
http://southernteachers.com/
** If you know of similar opportunities for educators please post them as comments. **
More to follow...
Monday, March 8, 2010
Going Back To School
Like I said in an earlier post, take the money and just do it.
Well, that's easier said than done, now, isn't it? I probably could have done better in high school, but as it is, I got by; and got a diploma out of it. After that, I had no desire to continue my education outside of what I needed to do a job. Flash forward a couple years and I find myself with a need to cut ties from the post high school life I found myself in.
On a flight back home on leave early on, I sat next to a businessman. He conveyed that he had some knowledge of the kind of people who get hired. He said that after a tour in the military, he would expect to see some further education. After a 20-year career, he would certainly expect to see a college degree. That certainly wasn't the first, or the last, time I heard something like that, but it stuck with me.
Thirteen years after high school and I found myself in a place, with awesome support, to go back to school. But, what do I really want to do when I grow up? Well, I like aircraft, which is how I wound up where I'm at, so why not continue that with an aviation degree?
Off to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University I go! My very first class there were a lot of "older" people in it (notice the quotes, I'm being gentle with that word now-a-days ;) One of these men was a retired E-9 aviation maintenance professional. After being management for many years in the military, you'ld think he could easily get a management position with a company that takes care of military aircraft. Well, he couldn't. Why? You guessed it, he needed a Bachelors degree. Go back up two paragraphs...
That sealed it right there. Whatever happened, I was going to finish that degree; and so I did.
That is all why you should just get started. Here's how you keep it going.
You need an end point, so pick a degree and follow the path that lays out. Remembering back to the "take the money" post, don't forget that you have a job, and maybe a family, that you need to save time and energy for. Take two classes a term at most. This will give you the time you need to spread among all those important things. It will also spread that TA money out enough so that you aren't trying to pay for classes out of pocket, or dipping into your VA benefits before you need to.
Finally, remember this, you are likely going to be your own worst enemy on this path. You'll find excuses and many ways to sabotage yourself in this endeavor. Persevere! If I can do it, you can too!
More to follow...
Well, that's easier said than done, now, isn't it? I probably could have done better in high school, but as it is, I got by; and got a diploma out of it. After that, I had no desire to continue my education outside of what I needed to do a job. Flash forward a couple years and I find myself with a need to cut ties from the post high school life I found myself in.
On a flight back home on leave early on, I sat next to a businessman. He conveyed that he had some knowledge of the kind of people who get hired. He said that after a tour in the military, he would expect to see some further education. After a 20-year career, he would certainly expect to see a college degree. That certainly wasn't the first, or the last, time I heard something like that, but it stuck with me.
Thirteen years after high school and I found myself in a place, with awesome support, to go back to school. But, what do I really want to do when I grow up? Well, I like aircraft, which is how I wound up where I'm at, so why not continue that with an aviation degree?
Off to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University I go! My very first class there were a lot of "older" people in it (notice the quotes, I'm being gentle with that word now-a-days ;) One of these men was a retired E-9 aviation maintenance professional. After being management for many years in the military, you'ld think he could easily get a management position with a company that takes care of military aircraft. Well, he couldn't. Why? You guessed it, he needed a Bachelors degree. Go back up two paragraphs...
That sealed it right there. Whatever happened, I was going to finish that degree; and so I did.
That is all why you should just get started. Here's how you keep it going.
You need an end point, so pick a degree and follow the path that lays out. Remembering back to the "take the money" post, don't forget that you have a job, and maybe a family, that you need to save time and energy for. Take two classes a term at most. This will give you the time you need to spread among all those important things. It will also spread that TA money out enough so that you aren't trying to pay for classes out of pocket, or dipping into your VA benefits before you need to.
Finally, remember this, you are likely going to be your own worst enemy on this path. You'll find excuses and many ways to sabotage yourself in this endeavor. Persevere! If I can do it, you can too!
More to follow...
Friday, March 5, 2010
Political Leanings Vs. Teaching Style
I wonder what this says about my teaching style... Anyone have any thoughts? We really didn't cover this side of things in my Educational Philosophy class.
"Your answers suggest that you are a libertarian. The yellow star shows more precisely where you fall within the libertarian region of the Nolan chart."
http://www.nolanchart.com/survey.php
"libertarian: supports the smallest possible government, supports individual liberty in all ways, prefers to only defend our borders and not interfere in other countries' affairs."
http://www.nolanchart.com/article7443.html
More to follow...
"Your answers suggest that you are a libertarian. The yellow star shows more precisely where you fall within the libertarian region of the Nolan chart."
http://www.nolanchart.com/survey.php
"libertarian: supports the smallest possible government, supports individual liberty in all ways, prefers to only defend our borders and not interfere in other countries' affairs."
http://www.nolanchart.com/article7443.html
More to follow...
Junior ROTC
I had a wonderful interview with a JROTC Senior Instructor recently!
Yes, I still want to become an elementary teacher, but one does need to keep doors open. Especially with many school systems cutting back on funding, and others firing all of their teachers.
I had been looking into this program off and on for a while. I decided, rather at the last minute, to drop a package in the mail. Filling out the package itself wasn't difficult since most of the information requested was in my personnel file. With the package postmarked by the deadline, I just needed to wait for the interview.
"Interview" seems a bit of a misnomer in this case though, and it had been mentioned to me by another senior enlisted that he had a similar style interview. The concern is the attrition rate, so the interview process includes a bit of a long discussion of how the units actually operate. It seems a lot of us old war dogs think we're gonna get a straight 8-hour a day job when we finally get out. We think about the school system and how it seems teachers only work during the school day, not nights, no weekends, and summers off. So JROTC must be a good place because we don't need any more specialized education than we already gained while in the service.
JROTC is different. Most of the units in this area start about 0600 with drill practice, PT, or something. Then there's the rest of the school day in which the Cadets have different periods for JROTC. Then there's the after school hours stuff with more practice and drill. In this area, most of the units have events 3-weekends a month. It might be a drill competition against other units, fund raisers, tours of a base or historical area, etc.
The point they're trying to get across in the interview is that this isn't a 9-5 job. When a member comes on a unit, there are only two of you, the officer and the enlisted. They don't want to get someone trained up only to have them quit at the end of the year. It's not right to which ever one stays behind, but it's not fair to the Cadets.
It's like taking over a platoon or division. You just get your people used to you and heading in the same direction, then you rotate out before they start achieving milestones. Either they get left with someomne who's already overwhelmed with the workload, or they have to get used to someone new all over again. In the military we are taught to deal with it. High school kids don't have those psychological skills yet. Looking at our society today, many of those kids might already be traumatized by an absentee parent, so having someone like us constantly rotating out can only cause more damage.
When you stop and think about it like that, you can certainly see why they want us to be absolutely sure we want to do this. It's another commitment that will see us continuing to work long hours and weekends away from our family members. But, you don't get deployed anymore :) and you get to come home to your family every night, something they probably haven't had in a very long time anyway.
For me, this is something I can see myself doing. Working with bright kids who asked to be in your unit, who are looking for a role model to help them push themselves. My wife met a former JROTC Instructor and his wife recently. They both agreed a few years in JROTC was a good transitional period from military to civilian life. So if you are still thinking about this for yourself, check out the appropriate link below. Then get with the units in your area and see if you can visit to find out if it would be a right fit for you.
More to follow...
NJROTC
Have at least 20 years of active duty service in the United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard as commissioned officers in grades W-2 through O-6, or as non-commissioned officers in grades E-6 through E-9; and [see more]
https://www.njrotc.navy.mil/instructor/instructor_index.asp
AJROTC
Retired Army personnel (E-6 through O-6) who have at least 20 years of active duty service, receiving a retirement pay and who have not been retired for more than 3 years may apply for certification as a JROTC instructor. [see more]
https://www.usarmyjrotc.com/jrotc/dt/6_Instructor/index.html
AFJROTC
You must have at least 20 years of active duty; served last year of active duty as an officer/NCO. Retired Reserve/National Guard members over the age of 60 who are drawing their military retired pay may apply.[see more]
http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/AFJROTC/Instructors.asp
Yes, I still want to become an elementary teacher, but one does need to keep doors open. Especially with many school systems cutting back on funding, and others firing all of their teachers.
I had been looking into this program off and on for a while. I decided, rather at the last minute, to drop a package in the mail. Filling out the package itself wasn't difficult since most of the information requested was in my personnel file. With the package postmarked by the deadline, I just needed to wait for the interview.
"Interview" seems a bit of a misnomer in this case though, and it had been mentioned to me by another senior enlisted that he had a similar style interview. The concern is the attrition rate, so the interview process includes a bit of a long discussion of how the units actually operate. It seems a lot of us old war dogs think we're gonna get a straight 8-hour a day job when we finally get out. We think about the school system and how it seems teachers only work during the school day, not nights, no weekends, and summers off. So JROTC must be a good place because we don't need any more specialized education than we already gained while in the service.
JROTC is different. Most of the units in this area start about 0600 with drill practice, PT, or something. Then there's the rest of the school day in which the Cadets have different periods for JROTC. Then there's the after school hours stuff with more practice and drill. In this area, most of the units have events 3-weekends a month. It might be a drill competition against other units, fund raisers, tours of a base or historical area, etc.
The point they're trying to get across in the interview is that this isn't a 9-5 job. When a member comes on a unit, there are only two of you, the officer and the enlisted. They don't want to get someone trained up only to have them quit at the end of the year. It's not right to which ever one stays behind, but it's not fair to the Cadets.
It's like taking over a platoon or division. You just get your people used to you and heading in the same direction, then you rotate out before they start achieving milestones. Either they get left with someomne who's already overwhelmed with the workload, or they have to get used to someone new all over again. In the military we are taught to deal with it. High school kids don't have those psychological skills yet. Looking at our society today, many of those kids might already be traumatized by an absentee parent, so having someone like us constantly rotating out can only cause more damage.
When you stop and think about it like that, you can certainly see why they want us to be absolutely sure we want to do this. It's another commitment that will see us continuing to work long hours and weekends away from our family members. But, you don't get deployed anymore :) and you get to come home to your family every night, something they probably haven't had in a very long time anyway.
For me, this is something I can see myself doing. Working with bright kids who asked to be in your unit, who are looking for a role model to help them push themselves. My wife met a former JROTC Instructor and his wife recently. They both agreed a few years in JROTC was a good transitional period from military to civilian life. So if you are still thinking about this for yourself, check out the appropriate link below. Then get with the units in your area and see if you can visit to find out if it would be a right fit for you.
More to follow...
NJROTC
Have at least 20 years of active duty service in the United States Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard as commissioned officers in grades W-2 through O-6, or as non-commissioned officers in grades E-6 through E-9; and [see more]
https://www.njrotc.navy.mil/instructor/instructor_index.asp
AJROTC
Retired Army personnel (E-6 through O-6) who have at least 20 years of active duty service, receiving a retirement pay and who have not been retired for more than 3 years may apply for certification as a JROTC instructor. [see more]
https://www.usarmyjrotc.com/jrotc/dt/6_Instructor/index.html
AFJROTC
You must have at least 20 years of active duty; served last year of active duty as an officer/NCO. Retired Reserve/National Guard members over the age of 60 who are drawing their military retired pay may apply.[see more]
http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/AFJROTC/Instructors.asp
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