The Road To Teaching....What It Looks Like For Me!

I have been asked about the programs I am in to get my degrees so I can become a certified Teacher in an elementary school.  So I thought I would share my plan and path I am currently on to reach my goals.

I had college experience but not much I could transfer over into a degree in Education. My previous college experience is in the arts, specifically photography. So I decided to pretty much start over and if things transferred GREAT if not, no worries.

I currently am enrolled at Green River Community College and I take a mix of online classes and face to face classes. This is great for my life now, I am a stay at home Mom and this gives me lots of time to work in my children's schools which is some valuable volunteering hands on I think will really help me down the road.

I am taking courses for a Associates in Applied Science Degree with a emphases in paraeducation. My reasoning for this is so I can go directly to work as a Paraeducator in a elementary school and hopefully have a leg up for employment with 97 credits under my belt rather than just taking the test only. PLUS my youngest is still home and I am determined to stay home with him until he is in school full time. He will start school full time fall 2013. So this works out really well!

After that I will transfer to a BA program to get a degree in Elementary K-8 Education.  I could take a better transfer program but I really like the one I am in, its new and I am learning a lot about assisting and TEACHING which is what I will be doing for a year or two until my degree is done for teaching. I think spending a few years assisting helps me really get some good hands on practice and I can watch how Common Core will be implemented in the coming year or two in my state and other programs and curriculum while I work as a para. 

My husband really wants me to just stay home and work 100% on my degree and then go right into teaching. I love doing this so much I really want to get out there and work and working as a Para for a year or two while I finish my degree gives me that chance. So right now thats my plan, may change. We will see.

* Note, this is the path I am taking to get my degree and certificate for elementary school teaching in my state. It may change but this is the plan as of now. Its different for many. Check with an adviser at your local collage to have questions answered specifically for you.