Welcome to class!

A little overdue, but writing this seemed less important than teaching my classes!

In early November, I took my first steps into teacherhood. I've been teaching 4 classes at a high school, while the regular teacher was busy taking her first steps of motherhood! The hurricane cut my time a bit short; between that and thanksgiving, it will have been 4 weeks instead of 6, but I'm still really grateful to have had this opportunity.

As an alternate-route candidate, this is my first time getting any classroom experience. In the past two weeks, I've learned that my 5-year-old self had the right idea; this is definitely what I was meant to do!

Certificate!

It must be the luck of the Irish! Check out what arrived in today's mail:
 

Happy Pi Day!

Ducks in a Row

I made my list, and I checked it twice… I don’t know about naughty, but my CE application paperwork looks nice!

I’m applying for the K-12 Mathematics certificate, which is endorsement code 1900. There’s a run-down of the general requirements below the picture, but the exact requirements for each certificate are on the NJ website here:
http://www.nj.gov/cgi-bin/education/license/endorsement.pl?string=999&maxhits=1000&field=2

Mine, for Math:
http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/endorsements/1900CE.pdf

Now I have all my ducks in a row… or at least in an envelope:

• My sealed official transcript - This shows that I have a B.A. in math and French, which included the required amount of subject matter credits. It also includes my GPA and a course that covers the “24 hour” requirement (more about this below the picture).
• The PDF printout of my praxis results - (The “official” report was sent to Trenton when I took it, but the PDF will help them find it.)
• The Oath of Allegiance form, all stamped and signed (aka notarized)
• http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/forms/verify.pdf
• Banks have notaries - all you have to do is bring the unsigned form and a photo ID.
• “Application Status” page from TCIS - this shows the certificate I applied for, and my tracking number.
• http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/tcis/
• (This isn’t required; I just included it in case it makes things easier.)
• Everything has my TCIS tracking number and/or my Social Security Number written on it, in case any pages get misplaced.

If you’re curious, here’s a quick highlight of general requirements that you have to meet for any K-12 subject-area CE:

• Degree/GPA -
  + Bachelor’s degree (or better) in anything.
  + GPA of 2.75 or better; 2.5 if you (a) graduated before September 1, 2004 or (b) scored very well on the Praxis. More info here: http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/gpa.htm

• Subject Matter Study - Most degree programs will meet this requirement, but double-check. You do not have to have majored in the subject you’re applying for, you just need the following:
  + Minimum of 30 credits in your subject
  + At least 12 of those credits must be at least “junior” level (e.g. classes numbered 300 or above).

• Praxis II Test - Passing score in your subject’s test. There’s so much to say about the Praxis, it’s getting its own post soon!

• OPI (Foreign Languages only) - Pass the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview. For most languages, you have to demonstrate “Advanced-Low” proficiency during your telephone interview. More info here:
  http://www.nj.gov/education/aps/cccs/wl/highered/centers.htm

• 24 Hour Pre-service - I met this requirement through an “Intro to Teaching” course at my university, but there are various courses and programs to cover it. There’s a list of them about halfway down this page:
  http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/advisories/applicant.htm

• Notarized Oath of Allegiance/Verification of Accuracy form -
  http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/forms/verify.pdf
  Banks will usually notarize things for free, for their customers. All you have to do is bring the unsigned form, a photo ID, and possibly your debit card.
  Blog post here: http://alternaterouteteaching.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-miss-n-do-solemnlysear-or-affirm-that.html

• Apply and pay the $190 fee online -
  http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/tcis/
  More on this step in its own blog post: http://alternaterouteteaching.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-turning-back.html

• Physiology and Hygiene -
  + Pass a 35 question True/False test administered in the county office of education. You have to do this after you submit your online application and pay the fee.
  Phone Numbers by County: http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/county.htm
  + Alternately, you can submit evidence of basic military training or a college course such as biology, health or nutrition. (So I guess biology teachers are in the clear, on this one!)

I Solemnly Swear

I, Miss N, do solemnly swear, (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and in this State, under the authority of the people.
I did, in fact, swear that today (substituting the screen name with my legal one). That oath is part of the “Oath of Allegiance / Verification of Accuracy” form, which is one of the requirements of teaching certification. It’s actually a 4-part document:

A) Personal information (address, etc.) and the certificate you’re applying for (In my case, that’s code 1900 - Mathematics Certificate of Eligibility)

B) The actual oath; you just fill your name into it. There are actually two options: one ending with “so help me God” and one not

C) Two “Yes” or “No” questions about having had certification revoked, and your criminal history

D) Certification that “all statements and information provided herein are true and accurate.”

The PDF can be downloaded here:
http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/forms/verify.pdf

This form must be notarized, which is actually pretty easy in NJ. Most banks have notary publics, so I just ran over to the branch next to my office during lunch. The notary has to watch you sign it, but the rest can be filled out beforehand. A driver’s license is sufficient ID, and sometimes they’ll ask for your debit card to verify that you’re a customer.

That was actually the last piece of documentation that I needed; now I just have to get everything into an envelope, double-check it, and drop it in the mail!

No turning back

Well, there’s no turning back, now! I’ve submitted my online application, and paid the (non-refundable) $190 fee.

The first step in the application process is to apply online, with TCIS:
http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/tcis/


If you’re read blogs, TCIS probably won’t be a problem for you; it’s not much different than signing up for anything else on the web.

• You make an account with your contact information
• You fill in your education history and (if you have one) teaching employment history
• You select the type of certificate you’re applying for (e.g. subject matter specialization)
• Answer 4 yes/no questions about your educational qualifications (this verifies some of the basic requirements so you don’t apply if you’re grossly under-qualified.).
• You select the certificate you’re applying for (for me, that’s 1900 - K-12 Mathematics CE)
• You fill in your credit card information to pay the non-refundable $190 fee for the certificate. Technically, this is the cost of the certificate, and not an application fee, and will remain on your account as a credit until they make their decisions.

Click on the screen shot to see the qualification questions:

If you do, in fact, meet all of the requirements for the certificate you request, I’m told it takes them about 5 months to get it out to you.

If you’re missing anything, they’ll do an evaluation and tell you what you still need - for $70. They’ll just deduct that from the $190 you paid, and the remaining $120 sits in your account until you apply again; then you pay the remaining $70. If you change your mind, they hang onto your money.

The requirements are pretty well spelled out online, so most people shouldn’t have a problem if they’re careful. That said, if you have an odd circumstance, you might get into some hot water. I do know one person who got a degree in math, but because his university had trimesters, he was told that he still didn’t have enough math credits.

Hi, nice to meet you!

Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Miss Nichols, and I’ll be teaching you what it’s like to become a teacher by Alternate Route certification in New Jersey.

What I’m not doing: The traditional route that most people take is a university program that ends with a semester of student teaching. Students come out of this program with a “CEAS” - “Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing.” Additionally, many programs include extra teaching courses, and result in a Master’s degree in Education.

• The main difficulty of this system is that you’re a student the entire time, paying tuition, and having little to no time for paid work.

• The benefit is that you come out of it with experience and confidence, because you actually got to teach for most of a semester!

What I am doing: I decided that Alternate Route certification was more practical for my own life. What’s that? Alternate route is when you skip the student teaching and instead apply for a “CE” - a “Certificate of Eligibility” (that doesn’t mention your standing). This means that you’re fully certified to teach your own classes (and get paid to do it!). You’ll have to take (at least) one teaching course, and you’ll work with a mentor for awhile, but they’re not going to be in the class with you every day like with student teaching. You meet with them to discuss lesson plans and any issues you may be having.

• The drawback is that you’re teaching your own class from the start, which is a lot of responsibility. If you have 6 classes a day, with 25 students per class, that’s 150 young minds whose progress in your subject is 100% your responsibility. That’s a lot of pressure.

• The benefit is that you’re actually getting paid.

As I said before, Alternate route was the practical choice for me. I weighed the pros and cons, and decided that I can do it. Sure, it will be hard. It’ll be scary, but I can handle it, to make my dreams come true!