How Teacher Certification works...

A postcard from the Petrified Forest, 1902

Cool, huh?

What I am doing today: organizing all paperwork, application forms, etc.

Job for today: take my official transcript to the Warren County School Board. This will hopefully complete my file.

Other jobs: A. Make a NEW business card
B. Send at least one official teaching application form to another district
C. Pick up my Journalism folder. I am happy and unhappy about this. Happy because this means I won't have to run everything off again to have a Journalism Unit
Unhappy because it wasn't chosen for the teacher to keep.

Oh - and to get to today's subject: HOW TEACHER CERTIFICATION WORKS:

#1. You complete the courses you need
#2. You take the Praxis and pass it
#3. You practice teaching as a Student Teacher for one semester
#4. You complete the Student Teaching Seminar class
#5. Your paperwork is sent to Frankfort.
#6. You register online at R.E.A.P.
#7. You wait for your official paperwork from Frankfort.

#8: (hopefully!) You go on BEAUCOUP interviews with extremely friendly and smart people who want you to sign on the dotted line immediately. You have to remember, though, signing a contract means REALLY keeping your word.

I think it is supposed to take about two weeks to get your paperwork from Frankfort. You do need this. The schools need this - they are extreme sticklers for REAL CERTIFICATION. Some schools wait until a week before school starts to hire teachers. I always thought that this meant that they hired somebody and that somebody didn't show up. Some school systems let teachers know in advance (by this week) if they are interested in hiring them -- so you don't exactly know always where (or if) you are going to teach right away.

ALSO, many school systems hire by committee now. The days of a short meeting with only the Principal are long gone.

If I didn't have another (extra) class this semester, I think I would have applied for positions earlier. As it was, I had to wait to send in the forms.

I slept a longer time yesterday than I have lately. It had gotten to the point where I was too tired to get much done, but too guilty to sleep longer. It's a great feeling not to be falling asleep at the desk each day.