Want to become a teacher? It isn't all just fun and games

By Kelly A. Morgan
Staff Writer

So you want to become a substitute teacher? In that case, you better be prepared to fill out paperwork.

To become a licensed substitute teacher in New Jersey, you first must have a minimum of 60 college credits. Sixty credits are required by the state under the administrative code, making it a law. If you lack the required 60 credits, you will not even be allowed to fill out the paperwork. There is no required GPA; anyone is free to apply for certification. Paperwork for substitute licensing is available at local board of education offices. You have to fill out pages and pages of documents that include all of your personal information, like your address, Social Security number, educational background, health history, employment experience, etc. You also must sign an oath of allegiance, which is your promise to uphold the constitution.

"When I first saw all that paperwork and found out I had to get fingerprinted, I almost changed my mind," said Joseph Zisa, 22, a substitute teacher in Lodi. "Filling out all those pages took a lot of time but now that's it's
finished and I'm substituting, it has really been worth it."

Your paperwork also includes an official college transcript that you can buy for around $2 at your college registrar or bursar's office. The document usually has to be mailed to the superintendent of schools in the district
where you want to substitute. You also are required a physical examination, and a Mantoux shot that tests you for tuberculosis. Your doctor must write a prescription noting that you tested negative.

"I really don't like shots and the Mantoux test is one of the worst but you have to look at it like this you go in, get it done, and it's over", said Elizabeth D'Amico, 22, a substitute teacher in Bergen County.

Next, you are fingerprinted at your local police station. The fingerprints are given to the FBI, which does a complete background search on you. So if you have a criminal record, do not bother applying for a substitute license. Your paperwork is completed with two money order checks for approximately $50 each to pay for your paperwork processing and your license. You can purchase these checks at your town post office.

"It seems like a lot of money to pay when you are getting something in order to work," said Zisa. "I mean who wants to pay for a job? But you make back the money quick and you have your license for five years. So really it's a bargain."

Before turning your paperwork, fingerprints, doctor's letter, and money, it is a good idea to make multiple photocopies for your own records. Sometimes things get lost in the mail and having back-ups can help you out.
After sending in your paperwork, you must wait for around two months for approval. During this time it is a god idea to call the board of education office where you dropped off your paperwork.

After being approved by the state you usually have to wait to be approved by the board of education in the town or towns where you wish to substitute. Because of the need for substitute teachers in this area, most people
approved by the state are approved by the local board of education. Dorothy Sepede works in the superintendent's office in the town of Lodi.

"Most people are approved by the board of education because there is always a substitute [teacher] shortage. Last year I only had about 45 regular substitutes; this year I'm fortunate to have many," said Sepede.

Your final approval puts you on the substitute's list. Now all you have to do is wait for your first 6 a.m. phone call.

"I try to call people the night before; that way they have time to prepare," said Sepede.

A Day in the Life of a Substitute Teacher

It's 6 a.m. and your phone is ringing. As you wonder who it is, you realize the woman at the board of education office told you that she calls very early when you are needed to substitute. You contemplate not picking up the phone, but as you turn over in your warm bed, you remember all the work you did to become a substitute, not to mention the $100 you paid for the license.

"In Lodi they pay $85 a day," said Danielle Palasti, a substitute teacher in the town of Lodi. "So after two days you have earned back what you spent for the license and everything after that is profit. Not to mention substitute teaching is great experience."

After being told where you are placed for that school day, you arise and get ready. You pack a lunch because substitutes are given just 30 minutes to eat and that is not enough time to go out. You should arrive at your school 10 minutes early; that way you can meet the principal and the other teachers in the grade in which you will
be teaching that day. If you have trouble locating a book, dealing with a student, or explaining a problem, you can ask for help.

The children enter, begin unpacking, and naturally are excited to have a substitute teacher for the day. No matter how much a child likes his or her teacher he/she is always happy to have a substitute. Young students
think it means there will be no work for the day, only play time. You introduce yourself and write your name on the board. This is also the time you take attendance and lunch count. You also join your class in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. It's impossible to remember the names of 20 or more children you have just met, so by the end of the day you probably will know two names the troublemaker's name and the teacher's pet.

"There is always one kid that you are constantly calling on, to sit down, stop talking, don't throw things; it's that kid that needs attention," said Palasti. "Once I know who that is, I let him or her read aloud to the class and that usually gets it out of their system."

Deciding what to do with the students is not hard. You just follow the teacher's plan book. It tells you what the students have to do and at what times. The problem is they usually finish their work early, even if you explain things incredibly slow. At those times you can allow them to start their homework or assign a journal entry, something like "My favorite thing to do after school is..."

If you're lucky and you usually are not, you will have a prep time. Translation: another teacher comes in for 30 to 45 minutes and takes over your class to teach a language or about self-esteem. You are then free to do whatever you like. The children may have to leave the room for gym or library; in this case you are free and have time to figure out what you have to do with them for the rest of the day.

It's important to leave a note for the regular teacher explaining what lessons you did and what areas you covered. You should tell the teacher if the children had any problems or if anyone was difficult.

"It is also a good idea to tell the class that they were very well-behaved, even if that isn't totally true. You never know when you may have to substitute for that same class again," said Palasti.

Achieving Teacher Certification

So you have decided you want to spend 180 days a year with 20 or more children that are not your relatives? On the upside, at least teachers get the summer off.

So how do you become certified to teach elementary education (grades kindergarten through eighth) in New Jersey? You take classes and classes and more classes.

At William Paterson University, you are not only required to take education courses; you must also declare an additional major such as English, mathematics, science, etc. All education students have to pass two mathematics courses. This requirement can add another 10 classes to your load of general education classes. To declare your major and apply for education certification, you have to fill out applications at the guidance office.

Elizabeth D'Amico, 22, is a WPU senior majoring in English writing and working towards teacher certification in elementary education.

"It seems like a lot of classes but after completing them you are something of an expert in your area," said D'Amico. "It also looks great on a resume."

A prerequisite to your first education course is General Psychology, which also fulfills a general education requirement. After successfully completing this course you can enroll in Teaching as a Profession, where you will learn the basics of life as a teacher. In this class you learn how to do lesson plans, deal with the common problems of students, and observe a classroom for up to 20 hours. You must complete an application form asking for acceptance into the education program. You must also take a speech and hearing assessment and a written/literacy assessment. And all students in the education department must have a substitute license and a cumulative 2.75 grade point average.

At this point, if you have successfully completed all requirements and have the minimum GPA, you will receive a letter formally admitting you to the program. This letter will contain the name of your advisor in the education department and his/her phone number and office location. After being formally admitted, you can take Developmental Psychology and Literacy and Learning.

"It's a good idea to take Literacy and Learning and Developmental Psychology during the same semester because the classes cover a lot of the same information," said D'Amico.

Your next step is the practicum field experience. To start your practicum you must complete all you general education classes, the classes in your major, and the four education classes already listed. You must also fill out and submit your field experience applications one year in advance. Applications for placement in the fall semester must be turned in Oct. 15 for the following fall and the deadline for placement for the spring is March 15. Your practicum and student teaching applications include a personal information form that lists your address, GPA, and towns you would like to be placed in, etc. All students must complete either their practicum or student teaching in an urban school district. A list of these districts is available in the office of field experiences on the Valley Road campus.

Practicum and student teaching paperwork also includes three copies of a biographical data form with your philosophy of education included, a copy of your substitute license, a physical examination and mantoux test and
your education advisor's signature. After properly submitting your paperwork and completing all your courses you can begin the final stages of education certification. The practicum experience consists of five classes at WPU during two days, and two days in a classroom observing an elementary school teacher.

"I really feel like I'm learning a lot from the teacher I have been placed with," said D'Amico.
The following semester you start your student teaching by spending five days a week in an elementary school learning all you possibly can. You are required to take one last class at WPU, Technology Across the Curriculum, a weekly class offered at night. D'Amico's mother, Janice D'Amico, was graduated from WPU 30 years ago and has been an elementary school teacher for the past 29 years. When she attended WPU, education majors did not have to declare a second major.

"I watch my daughter take all these additional classes and I think it's great," said Janice D'Amico. "She has one important area that she focuses on and when she graduates she can get a job teaching something she specializes in."

Your final test that decides if you are ready to be a teacher is called the praxis, a test given by the state to determine your knowledge. After successfully completing all of the above, you are ready to teach a class of your own.

The Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education is located at WPU's Valley road campus. They can be reached at ext. 2331.

May 8 , 2003 Issue