There will be shrieking
It happens every June here at ABCTE. I get yelled at because people fail their exams and are in danger of losing their jobs. About 40% of our candidates respond to our surveys that they are currently working in education. A full 20% are actually the teacher of record and they came in on an emergency license or some other license. Because of their situation, they now have until June 30th or July 31st to complete their ABCTE program or they cannot teach next year.
The problem is that people wait until the last minute to take their exams. If they don’t pass, there isn’t a lot of time to get things done. In some cases the automatic response by these teachers is to shriek loudly at all levels of the organization hoping that someone will just miraculously pass them. Obviously this doesn’t work. So we all scramble around to get them some help and then in to re-test.
The automatic response you may have is that these people are procrastinators, at worst lazy, and don’t deserve our help. But I take a different view – they don’t have time during the year to get things done. If you have ever taught, you know that first year teaching is physically and mentally exhausting and at night you still have to tweak those lesson plans, grade papers and run your life outside of school. This doesn't leave much room to study which is why we prefer, and strongly encourage, that all alternatively certified teachers get their work done BEFORE entering the classroom. But that is not always possible with the teacher shortages out there today.
So next year we are going to push a little harder in April to reduce the shriekage in June – but knowing how hectic the end of the school year can be, I won't hold my breath.
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Comments
You still don't get it do
You still don't get it do you?. The grading process of the essay portion lacks a balance in subjectivity and objectivity.
You wrote, "...they don’t
You wrote, "...they don’t have time during the year to get things done. If you have ever taught, you know that first year teaching is physically and mentally exhausting and at night you still have to tweak those lesson plans, grade papers and run your life outside of school."
Thank you for saying this. You are absolutely correct. I am one of the 20% of ABCTE candidates who pursued certification while teaching full-time one a special license. I signed up the day Missouri's governor passed the bill allowing ABCTE certification, happy to have a year to obtain that certification before an opening would be available in a nearby district, and I would have a shot to begin teaching. Instead, I was offered a job in my dream district three weeks before school began that August. I pushed to take the subject exam before I began teaching, thinking I would take the Professional Teaching Knowledge exam in October or November and to allow for retaking either or both of the exams should that be necessary. When I passed the subject exam the first time, I breathed a sigh of relief, envisioning leisurely evenings and weekends curled on the couch studying for the PTK exam.
I had no clue.
My first year of teaching high school English for a Title I school included the following in addition to teaching five different courses and seven sections of classes every day:
I didn't even begin studying for the PTK exam until late February. Even so, I scheduled my exam for late March to allow for retaking it if needed. My job for the 09-01 school year depended on that certification, and I didn't want to take any chances by running out of time.
My story has a happy ending. I passed the PTK exam the first time, and my state certificate is safely in the superintendent's office as I write. I do know this hasn't been the case for everyone, however. If the ABCTE materials don't mention the need to schedule extra time to retake exams for those of its candidates who are currently working in education and/or need certification by June or July to continue teaching, it would be well worth the trouble to add that information.
Thank you for the opportunity your organization has given me and for continuing to work to improve ABCTE and to support your candidates. You are greatly appreciated.