Why I Decided to Pursue a Master’s Degree with Initial Teaching Certification
I was not one of those kids who “played school” when I was young. I had no aspirations to enter the field of education. No one in my family had been an educator; no one in my family had even gone to college. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer until I started to teach swim lessons in college. That job changed the trajectory of my life; I loved working with kids, progress monitoring their ability to swim, and then seeing the gleeful expression on their faces when they could cross the pool on their own.
I knew that I could positively impact thousands of lives if I pursued this new passion and entered the College of Education. The only problem was that I took only history and political science classes in college. I was at a crossroads because I did not have the time or money to start over in college. This lead me to speak with the dean at the College of Education, and he mentioned the Master’s with Initial Certification (MIC). I looked into the program and determined that it was an excellent path to teaching because all of my education classes and student teaching could be accomplished in graduate school.
What Does an Initial Teaching Certification Master’s Program Consist Of?
Beginning Education Classes
The first summer you start the master’s program with initial teacher certification (also known as alternative teacher certification), you have an opportunity to take the education classes that you would normally take as an undergraduate in the College of Education. Typically, you will complete two to three classes during the first summer. This is also a time when you get to know your cohort. This is important because you will spend a lot of time with these people for the next year.
We arranged get togethers outside of class so we could become acquainted with one another. More than likely, you will student teach in the same school with members of your cohort so forging a strong relationship helps when you work on projects together or need help with classroom management or lesson planning. During the school year, things really ramp up. You start the year off logging practicum hours. This is the process where you spend time in classrooms observing teachers and students.
Teaching Placement
I was then assigned to a school for my student teaching placement. I was a student teacher from September to March. Our cohort discussed our tier preferences with our advisors, so we were appropriately placed. We were all secondary student teachers, but some of us preferred high school, so our placement was only in high schools while others wanted the middle and high school experiences because they may be in a more competitive field such as social studies. This is a much longer placement than traditional tracks.
Seminars
In addition to my student teaching placement, I would attend seminars once a week. The seminars were hosted by the MIC program and featured different speakers each week. Speakers ranged from teachers to chief academic officers to superintendents. I would also meet with the other social studies teachers in my cohort for class once a week. My social studies colleagues and I would learn about research-based, best practices and then apply those practices to our classrooms.
PRAXIS Exams
After my student teaching placement was complete in the spring, we were given a week off from school. This was an opportunity for us to travel to a school district and spend time in schools to make connections to procure a job after graduation. This was especially important for me because I was moving out of state after graduation. That week off I could visit several schools, drop off my resume, and meet administrators.
Our advisors set up times for us to complete our PRAXIS exams so there would be no reason we could not be hired right away. Since I was leaving the state, I took a different set of exams than my colleagues. Each state has its own PRAXIS requirements. After the school year, we wrapped up by taking a few more education classes on campus and then we were finished.
Why I Suggest a Master’s Degree with Initial Teacher Certification
I did not know what the MIC program had in store for me when I decided to become a teacher. The program was fairly new, and I did not have someone that could sit me down and explain it all to me. Completing the MIC program was the best thing I could have done for my teaching career. First, since I did not take any education classes as an undergraduate, I was able to take more classes in history and political science.
More Time Student-Teaching
I realize this was by accident for me since I wanted to practice law but think of how much more prepared you will be if you are more versed in your content area with those additional classes. Second, you spend so much more time student teaching than you would in an undergraduate program. Many of the people I worked with explained that they only spent about six weeks in a school. I spent seven months in my student teaching placement. This additional time allowed me to get to know my cooperating teachers and the students I served. I was able to try different types of pedagogical practices without the concern that my time in front of students was going to run out soon.
Didn’t Have to Go Back for My Master’s
Lastly, I graduated with a master’s degree. Many states require teachers to go back to school and obtain a master’s after they start teaching but I did not need to factor this in and already have this step completed.
Interested in the field of education and following the initial teacher certification path? Check out our teaching graduate programs that will qualify you for in-person and online initial teacher certification and get started today!
