July 7, 2021 | Michelle Dzisiak
Have you ever wondered what the journey to becoming a classroom teacher is like? If so, look no further!
We’re showcasing current and former students from our Teacher Certification Program to give you a sneak peek into the world of teaching.
This month we’re featuring a recently certified teacher, Kaytlyn.
Kaytlyn has always had a passion for working with children and has found the energy and joy of teaching Elementary education is the perfect fit for her.
Prior to enrolling in TCP, Kaytlyn was working as a highly qualified teacher in a school in Arizona.
Due to the teacher shortage in Arizona, prospective teachers can teach at a charter school without a teacher certification as long as they pass select subject knowledge tests.
In other states, this type of teacher might be referred to as an emergency hire.
Because Kaytlyn was already working in a teaching capacity, taking an alternate route to attain her teacher licensure was a no-brainer.
Kaytlyn was able to complete her clinical placement at the school she already worked at, get paid while doing so, and is now a certified teacher.
As an added bonus, becoming a certified teacher opens up more job opportunities and the potential of higher pay compared to teachers who work without a teaching license.
For experienced teachers like Kaytlyn, who are already working in an educational setting, alternative teacher certifications like TCP create a cost-effective, time-saving, flexible way to achieve state licensure.
Working in the classroom is controlled chaos, with a lot of love and never a dull moment!
Let’s dive in to hear about Kaytlyn’s experience with Klassroom’s Teacher Certification Program and her adventures in the world of teaching!
What drew you to pursue a career in teaching? Was this a lifelong dream or a new interest?
I think that I was always drawn to teaching I just didn’t realize that I was.
Everything that I did from my early teenage years up to now involves kids and teaching in some way.
It wasn’t until I was teaching English in Russia as a semester abroad trip in college that I realized that this was something that I was really interested in and should highly consider doing, as I was the only one in my group that really enjoyed what we were doing in the classroom with the students.
Why did you decide to take an alternative route to become a licensed teacher instead of the traditional education path?
I chose to take an alternative route because I already had a job in education as a third-grade teacher and if I went with the traditional route I would not have been allowed to continue teaching while I worked towards my certification.
Also, I already had a master’s degree and really didn’t want to spend the time and money earning another degree when there were other options available.
Has your alternate route to certification been manageable while juggling your other responsibilities?
Taking the alternate route was manageable once I created a firm study plan that I stuck to, this allowed me to still be the best teacher I could be for my students while being an amazing student for my certification teacher.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far?
The most valuable thing that I learned was the way to make what we are learning in class more transferable to my students’ lives and skills that they will need outside of school, while still meeting the state and national standards they need to have mastered by the end of the school year.
Was there a teacher in your life who inspired you? If so, who was it and what impact did they have on you?
I had two teachers that really impacted me.
First was my sixth-grade teacher Kris, who made learning so much fun that we often didn’t realize how much we had learned throughout the day.
The second teacher was Bart, my choir director in high school.
We called him our school dad because we knew he cared about us and would help us with anything, not just things related to choir.
This really helped during some of my most challenging years in high school.
What area of teaching are you specializing in? Why did you choose it?
I am an elementary teacher.
I love working with the younger students especially those in the lower grades.
I enjoy helping them build the essential foundational skills that are required for anything else they choose to do with their lives.
Are you currently working in a teaching capacity? If so, could you tell us a little bit about your experience teaching so far?
I am working in teaching right now, it is the best kind of exhaustion.
My students make every day exciting and a new challenge that I love to overcome with them.
Working in the classroom is controlled chaos, with a lot of love and never a dull moment!
What is your favorite thing about working with students and/or what is the thing that you’re most looking forward to when you are in a classroom?
I love that aha moment where whatever we are working on just clicks for a student and they understand it completely. Their confidence in themselves grows with every one of these moments, giving them the desire to keep learning and trying.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about getting certified to teach?
I would highly suggest that you ask around and see if you can volunteer in your perfect grade level before you start teaching, just to be sure that the grade level you are thinking about is within your personality.
I had a friend who thought that elementary was right for her and ended up going back to school to earn her high school teaching certificate because her personality wasn’t for elementary school. She’s much happier now!
Are there any final notes, thoughts, or comments you’d like to add?
I would suggest creating a study program that works for you, and your lifestyle early on in the program so that you don’t feel overwhelmed or fall behind.
Throughout the program, I tried to stay about a week ahead whenever I could on the assignments so that I didn’t feel like I was doing all of the assignments at the last minute.
Are you thinking about becoming a teacher or making a career change?
Start your teaching career and find teaching jobs with Klassroom. Learn more about our online teacher certification program and become a teacher today!