Teachers: Lesson Plan Forms- Page 4

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 12/6/08 at 11:16pm

Q, you're going to have to take the tests wherever you get your initial licensure. If you stayed in Florida you'd have to take the FTCE. In Minnesota I had to take the Praxis, in New York it is the NYSTCE.

So what's the difference? Get your degree in Florida and then take the tests required for Pennsylvania.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 12/6/08 at 11:33pm

colleen- that's what I'm going to do, if I decide to go back to PA and teach. I just was agreeing with the person who wrote "Also there should be a universal teacher test to get your teaching certificate.""

I had enough difficulty taking the 3 required state tests for Florida. I'm not sure I really want to go through the torturous testing again (with 5 state tests!) when I already have my bachelors and am certified to teach elem ed.

In the end, I'm just saying that I think that a teaching certificate/bachelors should be universal.

Updated On: 12/6/08 at 11:33 PM

[violet72]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 5:40pm

I went to college in PA and took the 5 Praxis tests in PA which I found most of them repeatative then I took the Praxis 2 in NJ and got certified in elementray ed and then secondary social studies then I took 2 esl tests...in all I have spent close to $2,000 for assessments, it's ridiculous. I say get universal teaching assesments, as well as universal student assessments. Some states don't even require them for teachers(which is ridiculous)

[nmartin]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 5:48pm

I got my certification in 1983 and am simply amazed to read what a person must go through to get certified now. We were tested, but it certainly wasn't the inquisition described here. I find Violet's cost out of pocket absurd.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 9:25pm

I'm a bit confused too...I thought most states required the Praxis NTE. i know different states required different parts of it, but once you'd taken one test, those scores were good for certification in each state.

For example...to be certified in NY in 1994, we had to take the 3 main parts of the NTE. (It was general knowledge, listening/writing, and teaching methodology..or something like that!) That earned me my certification in NY. PA required those 3 tests, plus the music education speciality test. NJ only required 2 of the "main sections". Plus, different states had different scores they deemed as "passing".

I'm curious what the current certification test requirements are....

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 12:09am

wendy- according to the person I spoke to at the PA Dept. of Education, the 5 required tests are:

PRAXIS
PPST- Reading
PPST- Writing
PPST- Math
Methodology
Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge

[javero]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 1:50am

A three-front civil war is about to break out between the DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Michelle Rhee, the teachers union and faculty/administration. Ms Rhee has ridden her reform horse all the way to national prominence at the expense of her reputation within the school system, teachers union and surprisingly many parents.

I've been tracking it somewhat but find it a bit Byzantine as an outsider who's never taught in a public school system.

DC School Reform Diva in the Crosshairs

Updated On: 12/8/08 at 01:50 AM

[violet72]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 11:31am

I can see both points in that article. If a teacher isn't doing there job then they should be let go. But it doesn't matter how good a teacher is if the student doesn't care, if their is no family support, if there is no community support, if the school is under funded, you can fire all the teachers you want because it won't matter the school will fail.

If you want education reform you must get the community, families, students, and the funds. That is why we need someone in charge of Education who knows what the hell is going on in classrooms around America...not someone who has a degree in business (that is the person who put together NCLB). Who knows what teachers are dealing with outside problems (like kids who are living in poverty)

This line "Then she raises her chin and does what I come to recognize as her standard imitation of people she doesn't respect. Sometimes she uses this voice to imitate teachers; other times, politicians or parents. Never students. "People say, 'Well, you know, test scores don't take into account creativity and the love of learning,' " she says with a drippy, grating voice, lowering her eyelids halfway. Then she snaps back to herself. "I'm like, 'You know what? I don't give a crap.' Don't get me wrong. Creativity is good and whatever. But if the children don't know how to read, I don't care how creative you are. You're not doing your job."

I have to get creative to teach children how to read because not all students learn the same way. It is called differentiated instruction and I took a whole class in college about it.

With the testing. In PA it was 5 tests. First three were the PPST which were reading, writing, and math (not teaching it, general knowledge like the SATs all over again, I think it's $100 a test) then 2 about content knowledge and methods($100 a test). IN NJ all you need to take is you content knowledge (I have 2).For ESL you need to take 2, one for speaking in English (over the phone for 20 minutes) and one for writing in English (on the computer for 20 minutes) together it is between $600 to $700. Yup ridiculous

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 9:43pm

When students have to transfer into a new system, they take placement tests on topics they've already proven themselves in. Again, I'm not sure why an adult can't handle the same.


I have to get creative to teach children how to read because not all students learn the same way.

I think she meant the type of people who believe testing doesn't matter, because their child is a GENIUS and his intellect can't be limited to a grading scale designed by mere mortals! Who cares if he turned his test paper into an airplane and threw it across the classroom- you're punishing his creativity by failing him instead of accepting the airplane in place of the test!

[violet72]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 10:50am

"I think she meant the type of people who believe testing doesn't matter, because their child is a GENIUS and his intellect can't be limited to a grading scale designed by mere mortals! Who cares if he turned his test paper into an airplane and threw it across the classroom- you're punishing his creativity by failing him instead of accepting the airplane in place of the test!"

OK that makes more sense

"When students have to transfer into a new system, they take placement tests on topics they've already proven themselves in. Again, I'm not sure why an adult can't handle the same."


It's not that I can't handle the tests, it's that I can't handle paying out of pocket for them. With students they don't have to pay for their placement tests. I had to pay for mine. Imagine a college student who has no job paying for 5 test, thats $500...not many college students have that kind of money