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In order to become a teacher in the state of Massachusetts, a person has to take three different licensure exams called the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTELs).
Depending on which date you select, you are paying about $100-$130 per test. But first, let's take a look at the average graduate student teacher:
- Full-time grad student with little to no jobs... who lives on loans and has more than enough prac. work to last a lifetime.
- Full-time grad student with a job... who lives on loans and nearly places her/himself on the altar for sanity sacrifice.
- Part-time grad student with a teaching job already ... who gets next to no sleep.
We can safely lump most people into one of the three categories. What do all of these have in common? That's right, kiddies! They all pretty much have very low incomes! And when full-practicums hit, you are paying the school to work for them. Think of it as an unpaid internship; it's a good thing experience-wise, but a bad thing for living expenses. What does that also mean? People cannot have a job during their full-pracs (unless they're teachers already and made special arrangements for classroom requirements).
So my next question is... where does the National Evaluation Systems think we get this money?! I would like to know why the "nonrefundable registration processing fee (PER test administration)" is $30. Why don't they just build it into the $60-$90 test? I don't think the actual test paper itself costs $90. Okay, so you have to pay the workers who help out and maybe the workers who work the grading machines... and maybe you have to rent out the building all these are in... but still?! A lot of people have to take the test, so that means a lot of money. I wanna know to where it's going!
I just wish there was better federal aid for teachers (some can get federal loan forgiveness if they work in certain areas in certain subjects... so at least that's a step forward), but that subject would be difficult to go into without discussing the odds and ends of educational reform and teacher rights... I'll save that for another time. ;)
I take the Communication and Literacy Skills exam on October 21st which I haven't even begun to study for yet! I'm so wrapped up in pre-practicum AND class work that I have no idea when to devote some time for it! It's supposed to be the "easiest" of the 3, so that's a little comforting. But I was staring (yes, staring because I just didn't have the motivation to process it) at the "word definitions" section on the practice test... and oh my goodness, it doesn't matter that I was an English major in college, but WHY do you need to define words like transient and abstain (this isn't even in multiple-choice... you write your own definition)!? You're going to be talking to 7 year-olds who would shoot up a million little hands in the air if you even utter a word like that! You adopt an entirely different vocabulary around kids.
Yes, it's good for teachers to be literate and be on the same page as everyone else... so that's why I can't completely hate the MTELs... but oh, the frustration.
At least after October's, I don't have to worry about the General Curriculum MTEL until March... that's always a silver lining, right?
- Miss Chelsea :)
P.S. I think I might be a tad stressed... especially after receiving an email with forms upon forms about full-pracs needing to get on the ball about finding a school in which to do full-time student teaching. Umm, hello, Practicum Office, we just started our pre-pracs TWO DAYS ago and haven't fully adjusted yet. Just give us another week or two, please?!
Despite waking up at 6am, yesterday was wonderful as it was my first day in the schools. If you've had a positive educational experience, there is a certain feeling you get when you step into a classroom with 19 little tykes learning their ABC's and 123's. It is a feeling of excitement, apprehension, and/or energy. You become rejuvenated by this fresh way of thinking. You begin with the basics all over again. We don't think how hard phonics can be (not a fan of phonics, but that, my friends, is an ancient debate amongst educators) because we read Jane Austen or Stephen King and on top of that, we analyze. Second graders just are not at that point yet, and I find it refreshing.
The classroom I'm in is great. Ms. DT, the teacher, has great classroom management skills (thank the Lord!) as well as a good structure to her curriculum. It also helps that she's really nice and so open to what we need to get done as grad students (there is two of us observing in the class). It's going to be a good learning semester as I start putting together my portfolio. I was already able to get a parent interview done, so that was an assignment that was unexpectedly completed. I was surprised that one of things this mother said was that a sign of a good teacher is to "get the children to love her/him." Never really thought about it in that way.
The best part of the whole day though is my new little buddy. My little buddy will be called J. Unfortunately, J has a low reading level for a second grader... and overall, he's performing below his grade level. It's my hope that I can give him more individualized attention and by the end, he will be reading, doing math, and everything a lot better. I don't think it helps him that he's the only black kid in the class; this seemingly-insignificant factor doesn't help matters when children are not doing well developmentally and academically. He always distants himself from the other children at his table when doing his work. He goes to sit at the "listening center" table. Hopefully J will be able to build the confidence that he knows his stuff... he just needs to strengthen and refine it.
I was beaming when he had his "ah-ha moment" yesterday. He didn't make the connection that 129 and 130 followed the same order just like 29 and 30. The 1 in front of the first set made him think that after 129, 141 followed (I'm not quite sure how he made that leap). I showed him that 29 always go before 30... they're like PB&J, best buds. He got it by the end! He was doing his own beaming.
Ahhhh, I'm thinking I want to teach second now and not third (which they don't really let first-year teachers teach in MA anyway... so it may just work out for the best!). But I won't be too hasty, I'll see how this semester develops. Another thought has been that if I can live on a teacher's aide salary, I would love to be a teacher's aide for my first year... despite that I will have my initial licensure next August. I just love the individualized attention I could give, and I could be everywhere helping out everyone. I love both teaching and aiding! So who knows where I'll end up.
I need to remember to bring in some books with monsters or magic in them. J apparently loves to read those kind. Yes, I win the hearts of children through books. ;) I haven't told J yet that we're going to be reading buddies yet since Ms. DT and I just determined it at the end of the day.
So, summarily, a classroom is like applesauce. As simple as it is, there are so many elements that go into the making of this delicious autumn treat. Depending on your recipe, taste and texture will vary. The apple is the teacher and the lemon juice, sugar, food processor, water, etc. are all the kids and what they bring into the experience. And in the outcome, it's just one huge pot of yummy mush!
How's that for an English major analogy? ;) I mean, come on, what kid doesn't like the gross connotation of 'mush'?
- Miss Chelsea :)
