thedrifter
07-15-04, 10:40 AM
Tips for Transitioning to a Teaching Career
by Maj Joseph Fabrizio, USMC(Ret)
Marines are natural educators. The path from career Marine to teacher may seem
intuitively easy. The author provides advice on how to make the transition seamless.
Every Marine noncommissioned officer, staff noncommissioned officer, and officer has the ability to be a great teacher. Most have, on numerous occasions, stood in front of a classroom full of fellow Marines as part of their jobs. They have proven themselves to be independent and responsible. If you are thinking of becoming a teacher, there are a number of things to consider.
As a teacher you are expected to be very independent in a very critical job. You can expect to be formally observed by a supervisor/principal less than 1 to 3 percent of the time (depending on the school district). In a 180-day student school year, having five observations by a supervisor during the first year is considered about average. During subsequent years, as long as you are performing to a satisfactory rating, observations are less. In most schools, veteran teachers (those with tenure—about 3 or more years of experience) are observed only once or twice per year.
Your most important assets are your Marine training and experiences. You have most likely served in foreign countries. You are able to appreciate America, our democratic system of government, and the wonderful freedoms we enjoy. If you think you would enjoy conveying that special feeling for America and critical skills, such as math, science, English, or social studies, to a classroom full of future voting Americans, then maybe teaching as a second career is right for you.
Getting Started
Becoming a certified teacher can be a difficult and tedious task. Each of the 50 states has its own requirements for certification. You should first determine where in the United States you would like to teach. First narrow down the states where you would like to teach to about three. You can then begin your research on what the requirements are for each state and how close you are to fulfilling those requirements. Some states have reciprocity with other states. There are often stipulations; i.e., you might have to pass some sort of competency or subject area test or take a certain course or two about state history. The best resource available to determine each state’s unique requirements is “Troops to Teachers” which may be found at www.proudtoserveagain.com. Troops to Teachers reports over 80 different certification programs available throughout the 50 states. According to Troops to Teachers, Texas currently has the quickest program for certification. Texas also has no state income tax.
Your base/station education office is also a good place to find out about credentialing programs offered on and off campus. Most installations offer teacher certification programs from the state hosting your particular installation. You are eligible for tuition assistance funds from your education office and most likely from the Veterans Administration (which you may access at www.gibill.va.gov).
Troops to Teachers
This program was created right after the Cold War was over and downsizing of the military began during the early 1990s. It was created by the Department of Defense to assist military members in transitioning to teaching. This program has assisted many servicemembers in determining teaching certification requirements for each state and in securing jobs. Although it is now part of the Department of Education and the legislation no longer includes incentive money for school districts to hire former military personnel, it is still an invaluable resource.
Troops to Teachers offers a $5,000 stipend for servicemembers to become teachers by helping to pay for teacher certification costs. An incentive bonus of $10,000 is offered to those who agree to teach in schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families. Participants accepting the $5,000 stipend must agree to teach for 3 years in public schools. Those who accept the $10,000 stipend must agree to teach in public schools that serve low-income families for 3 years. Each year money is budgeted from Congress. It is not an unlimited pot. You would be wise to check the status of funds and apply early in the fiscal year (October-November).
Student Teaching
Your final stage in preparing to be a teacher is the student teaching phase. You may not be able to complete this phase while on active duty, so save as much terminal leave as possible prior to your discharge or retirement. Most programs are 3 to 4 months long (about one semester).
You receive college credit; however, in most cases you are not paid. Sometimes you can find a large city school or parochial/private school that will be willing to hire you and allow you to complete your student teaching requirement at the same time. Most districts will not hire you without a valid state credential.
You will be assigned a master teacher (sometimes two) from the school you are assigned. You will eventually be teaching some of their classes. In most programs you will teach an 80 percent load. The other 20 percent of the time you will be expected to observe other teachers in the school in order to observe a variety of teaching methods and/or attend classes/seminars. You want to really do your best to impress your master teacher(s). In most cases they are in the classroom with you at all times and evaluate most of your lesson plans.
When you are finished your student teaching experience it is a good idea to ask for a written recommendation from your master teacher. This recommendation is extremely valuable for your portfolio, especially when submitted with applications. Submit your lesson plans to your master teacher early and meet with him or her often.
During the student teaching process, you will also be assigned a university supervisor. The university supervisor is the representative from your college/university responsible for your overall evaluation. Any grade less than an “A” will most likely eliminate you from teaching jobs from the best school districts. A university supervisor will normally observe you about once per week.
Finding a Job
Finding a teaching job can be difficult and frustrating. You’ve invested a lot of time and money in yourself and you want to begin your new career. Most school districts hire teachers during May, June, July, and August. Thus, you should have your applications in before May. Your recommendations from your university supervisor and master teachers are your most important assets. Comments such as “best student teacher I’ve ever observed” or “in the top 10 percent” will most likely earn you interviews—your next step in landing a job.
In addition to completing applications, you should also work on compiling a portfolio. A portfolio is comprised of an up-to-date resume; transcripts from colleges/universities; your DD 214 (discharge) form; observations from principals, master teachers, and university supervisors; action teaching pictures during your student teaching experience or from teaching experiences on active duty; favorable student comments (occasionally a student will write something nice about you in a notebook or an assignment—be sure to save it); any noteworthy awards, events/achievements, references; and letters of recommendation.
Be sure not to include a high percentage of military items in your portfolio. Remember, you want to be considered for a teaching position. You want to impress upon people that you can teach.
Bring the portfolio in when you are called for an interview. Offer to allow prospective administrators to keep it for a few days—until they have made a decision—in order that they have a chance to carefully look through it. During the interview process many administrators are on timed schedules, and it may not be possible at that time to have a thorough look at your portfolio.
Personal knowledge of any superintendents, principals, or school administrators is certainly helpful. You may want to consider joining Rotary International or some other civic organization prior to being discharged from the Marines in order to make some contacts. Many school districts have job hot lines. Be sure to call them at least once a week to check for new openings.
Possibly the most precious resource is a school administrator with prior Service connections. I had about 10 interviews with different school districts in Pennsylvania and California while trying to land a teaching job. In the two districts where I landed jobs, both had an administrator with prior service who was part of the hiring process. The old slogan, “Marines take care of their own,” seems to apply even after discharge. Of the three administrators, one was a former Navy pilot, one a former Army officer, and the other a former Marine corporal. It may seem like a coincidence, but I am convinced the difference between being hired and not hired came down to Service connections.
continued...........
by Maj Joseph Fabrizio, USMC(Ret)
Marines are natural educators. The path from career Marine to teacher may seem
intuitively easy. The author provides advice on how to make the transition seamless.
Every Marine noncommissioned officer, staff noncommissioned officer, and officer has the ability to be a great teacher. Most have, on numerous occasions, stood in front of a classroom full of fellow Marines as part of their jobs. They have proven themselves to be independent and responsible. If you are thinking of becoming a teacher, there are a number of things to consider.
As a teacher you are expected to be very independent in a very critical job. You can expect to be formally observed by a supervisor/principal less than 1 to 3 percent of the time (depending on the school district). In a 180-day student school year, having five observations by a supervisor during the first year is considered about average. During subsequent years, as long as you are performing to a satisfactory rating, observations are less. In most schools, veteran teachers (those with tenure—about 3 or more years of experience) are observed only once or twice per year.
Your most important assets are your Marine training and experiences. You have most likely served in foreign countries. You are able to appreciate America, our democratic system of government, and the wonderful freedoms we enjoy. If you think you would enjoy conveying that special feeling for America and critical skills, such as math, science, English, or social studies, to a classroom full of future voting Americans, then maybe teaching as a second career is right for you.
Getting Started
Becoming a certified teacher can be a difficult and tedious task. Each of the 50 states has its own requirements for certification. You should first determine where in the United States you would like to teach. First narrow down the states where you would like to teach to about three. You can then begin your research on what the requirements are for each state and how close you are to fulfilling those requirements. Some states have reciprocity with other states. There are often stipulations; i.e., you might have to pass some sort of competency or subject area test or take a certain course or two about state history. The best resource available to determine each state’s unique requirements is “Troops to Teachers” which may be found at www.proudtoserveagain.com. Troops to Teachers reports over 80 different certification programs available throughout the 50 states. According to Troops to Teachers, Texas currently has the quickest program for certification. Texas also has no state income tax.
Your base/station education office is also a good place to find out about credentialing programs offered on and off campus. Most installations offer teacher certification programs from the state hosting your particular installation. You are eligible for tuition assistance funds from your education office and most likely from the Veterans Administration (which you may access at www.gibill.va.gov).
Troops to Teachers
This program was created right after the Cold War was over and downsizing of the military began during the early 1990s. It was created by the Department of Defense to assist military members in transitioning to teaching. This program has assisted many servicemembers in determining teaching certification requirements for each state and in securing jobs. Although it is now part of the Department of Education and the legislation no longer includes incentive money for school districts to hire former military personnel, it is still an invaluable resource.
Troops to Teachers offers a $5,000 stipend for servicemembers to become teachers by helping to pay for teacher certification costs. An incentive bonus of $10,000 is offered to those who agree to teach in schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families. Participants accepting the $5,000 stipend must agree to teach for 3 years in public schools. Those who accept the $10,000 stipend must agree to teach in public schools that serve low-income families for 3 years. Each year money is budgeted from Congress. It is not an unlimited pot. You would be wise to check the status of funds and apply early in the fiscal year (October-November).
Student Teaching
Your final stage in preparing to be a teacher is the student teaching phase. You may not be able to complete this phase while on active duty, so save as much terminal leave as possible prior to your discharge or retirement. Most programs are 3 to 4 months long (about one semester).
You receive college credit; however, in most cases you are not paid. Sometimes you can find a large city school or parochial/private school that will be willing to hire you and allow you to complete your student teaching requirement at the same time. Most districts will not hire you without a valid state credential.
You will be assigned a master teacher (sometimes two) from the school you are assigned. You will eventually be teaching some of their classes. In most programs you will teach an 80 percent load. The other 20 percent of the time you will be expected to observe other teachers in the school in order to observe a variety of teaching methods and/or attend classes/seminars. You want to really do your best to impress your master teacher(s). In most cases they are in the classroom with you at all times and evaluate most of your lesson plans.
When you are finished your student teaching experience it is a good idea to ask for a written recommendation from your master teacher. This recommendation is extremely valuable for your portfolio, especially when submitted with applications. Submit your lesson plans to your master teacher early and meet with him or her often.
During the student teaching process, you will also be assigned a university supervisor. The university supervisor is the representative from your college/university responsible for your overall evaluation. Any grade less than an “A” will most likely eliminate you from teaching jobs from the best school districts. A university supervisor will normally observe you about once per week.
Finding a Job
Finding a teaching job can be difficult and frustrating. You’ve invested a lot of time and money in yourself and you want to begin your new career. Most school districts hire teachers during May, June, July, and August. Thus, you should have your applications in before May. Your recommendations from your university supervisor and master teachers are your most important assets. Comments such as “best student teacher I’ve ever observed” or “in the top 10 percent” will most likely earn you interviews—your next step in landing a job.
In addition to completing applications, you should also work on compiling a portfolio. A portfolio is comprised of an up-to-date resume; transcripts from colleges/universities; your DD 214 (discharge) form; observations from principals, master teachers, and university supervisors; action teaching pictures during your student teaching experience or from teaching experiences on active duty; favorable student comments (occasionally a student will write something nice about you in a notebook or an assignment—be sure to save it); any noteworthy awards, events/achievements, references; and letters of recommendation.
Be sure not to include a high percentage of military items in your portfolio. Remember, you want to be considered for a teaching position. You want to impress upon people that you can teach.
Bring the portfolio in when you are called for an interview. Offer to allow prospective administrators to keep it for a few days—until they have made a decision—in order that they have a chance to carefully look through it. During the interview process many administrators are on timed schedules, and it may not be possible at that time to have a thorough look at your portfolio.
Personal knowledge of any superintendents, principals, or school administrators is certainly helpful. You may want to consider joining Rotary International or some other civic organization prior to being discharged from the Marines in order to make some contacts. Many school districts have job hot lines. Be sure to call them at least once a week to check for new openings.
Possibly the most precious resource is a school administrator with prior Service connections. I had about 10 interviews with different school districts in Pennsylvania and California while trying to land a teaching job. In the two districts where I landed jobs, both had an administrator with prior service who was part of the hiring process. The old slogan, “Marines take care of their own,” seems to apply even after discharge. Of the three administrators, one was a former Navy pilot, one a former Army officer, and the other a former Marine corporal. It may seem like a coincidence, but I am convinced the difference between being hired and not hired came down to Service connections.
continued...........