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Few people would consider it fun to be out in the job market again. However, I think most WOULD agree that it is an adventure! It's also a wonderful opportunity. I've taken the approach that my job loss was the "nudge" out the door that I needed to help me leave the security of a well-paying job where I wasn't very happy to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a full-time music teacher. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, there were many layoffs at the university where I worked. I asked myself what I'd do if my position were eliminated. And the answer was an easy one, I would get my teacher certification, begin working on my Masters in Music Education and become a General Music Teacher or Band Director. It's what I've always wanted to do. So if this was what I always wanted to do, what was stopping me? Nothing! In 2009 I enrolled at the University of Houston with the intent of getting my Masters. However, a prerequisite to getting a Masters in Music Education is that you already have your teaching certificate. While the Masters program is geared towards students who are currently working full time, the teacher certification classes aren't. After a single class (grade 99.7% btw), I quickly began running out of class options. The following semester, there were no classes offered that fit both my certification plan and my "working full time" schedule. The semester after that, same story. A friend and colleague suggested that I might have better success going through an alternative certification program that he had used. In 2011 I began work on my certificate through Web-Centric ACP. I found the material to be very challenging and thorough. In discussing what I've been learning with teaching colleagues, they affirm that what I've been learning is in line with modern practice. I was a little nervous about sitting for my TExES content area exam (EC-12 Music). The few practice tests I took seemed straightforward enough, but I'd heard horror stories about the test from other people. The test was actually quite fun. I made an 86% on the test - and this was nearly 20 years out of music school! I am "Highly Qualified"! I am presently (Fall 2011) waiting for my 12-week clinical teaching assignment. I am presently studying for the TExES PPR exam and finishing up the remaining course modules. My regular teaching certificate should arrive in mid-December! I hope to find a mid-year vacancy in a nearby district teaching General Music or Band. |
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