[guatgal]

I posted the other day about "am I too old to return to school" and received TERRIFIC feedback. THANK YOU!!!!!! Ok, so new dilema. I signed up to go back to school through University of Phoenix and will be taking courses online. I was so super psyched and walking on a cloud yesterday until I talked to DH's cousin. She is a teacher in TX and is going through an extremely rough patch in her marriage, so is not in the best of moods. While she was excited for me to be going back to school to become a teacher, she was pretty negative about the online thing. Needless to say I got off the phone and felt pretty deflated.

I am now extremely worried if I am doing the wrong thing. Online will go MUCH faster than if I have to go for my BS through night classes, plus DH works late every night (till 8) so I would have to find a sitter for my kids. I don't know, I'm pretty upset.

I would like to hear from teacher's..........what do you think? Am I hurting myself in the long run by getting my degree online? Please be honest. I really don't want to make a mistake.
TIA!!!

[shoegirl06]

I'm not sure what your state requires, but in order to become a certified teacher, I would think you'd have to do observation time/student teaching in a brick & mortar classroom. If you can find a local, accredited institution that will accept your online credits (totally possible!) they might allow you to student teach through their program. I'm an adjunct lecturer at a local university (Education Methods) and I don't know of any student who has taken their bulk load online, but that doesn't mean they don't exist!! I'd call some local schools and see what they say or even contact your State Ed. department and find out what's required for certification. BTW - I've also been teaching for 14 years... Good luck!!

[guatgal]

Julie, I live in MO and will do my student teaching in my state, however my degree and certification will be from AZ. I did call my MO dept of ed and they said that this school is accredited and all I would have to do is transfter my certification to MO.

[becky]

Again...be very careful with on-line teacher's degrees. You may want to check again about the University of Phoenix and verify about their accreditation.

Also 'just transfering' your teaching accreditation isn't always that simple. I had a Master's Degree and 7 years of teaching experience when I moved to a new state and was required to go back to school for additional courses before they would certify me where I live now.

I would look at some of your 'in state' Universities. Many of them have on-line courses available.

You should also find out what the 'need' for teachers is in your area as well. If you live in a place with a lot of teacher candidates you may find that it isn't that easy to get hired...especially if you don't come from a local school. In my county there were over 600 applicants for about 200 openings this past year. Principals like to hire teachers from schools they know, so having an 'on line' degree may hurt you in that respect.

I think getting your teaching degree is a wonderful thing and it's a very rewarding career...it's just important to make sure you are in a position to get a job when you are done.

Good Luck!!

[CaddoRose]

I teach at a university in Texas and also teach online classes. Needless to say, I am in favor of them.

You should contact your local university and find out if the credits from Phoenix will transfer or see if they have an online class schedule as well. My university has many online classes and an entire program to certify teachers. Your local school should be able to layout the entire process for you and let you know what to take online whether it is with Phoenix or another school, so you don't waste your time or money on classes that don't transfer.

I think at some point you would have to attend some classes in person, particularly as you get toward the end of your degree. Some things just can't be done online. But that would down the road.

I'm excited for you because I went back to school at 32,got a BS and then an MS. I have friends who are in their 50's who are also working on degrees too.

PM me if you want to talk more about schools and particulars.

Celia

[Mindybeth6]

I have heard a lot of people red flag online teaching degrees and honestly, I can see why they do. This fall I start my Student Teaching and then I graduate. I have done hundreds upon hundreds of in class observation/teaching hours during my schooling all required. In fact, the state requires that you have a specific amount of in school hours (clinical hours). There is honestly no way I would feel prepared to take on a classroom had I not been doing these hours since my Freshman year. Teaching is not what it used to be even when I was in school (graduated in 98') and it takes getting in there and working with the children and their needs and differences IMO. I think taking your basic classes online that are not teaching related would be VERY good but when it comes to the actual teaching classes...wow...I can't even imagine taking them online. Each of my teaching courses have required countless projects, where we create complete lesson plans and then teach them in local schools, case studies on individual children and their learning styles/delays, and so much learning that I don't think I could get online at all. PLEASE don't think I am being a downer but teaching is, in a lot of states, Ohio included, a very, VERY competitive field. It's TOUGH to get a job and I can tell you someone who has an online degree here probably wouldn't even get an interview when there are so many candidates of people that have extensive field experience. Not this is all just my total opinion and I know it's a little harsh but it's the reality where I live. Jobs are getting scarce in teaching because of budget cuts and the economy.

I just wanted to be totally honest with you...it's so hard..I have been working on my degree for over 6 years (took time off when Mikayla came home) and will graduate this next school year. It has taken a lot of figuring out what to do with the kids, a lot of running around, a lot of work, and a lot of stress but now I see the light and it's so wonderful. My heart is with children and I love what I do. I can't wait and you CAN do this...but doing it through a University is your best bet. At least when you start your teaching classes.

[BethanyB]

I am a teacher who plans to get my masters online. But with that, I am able to complete all of the assignments with my students during the school year.

I went to a regular four year college for my initial teaching degree and yes, I was in a different school in a different grade each semester. We watched teachers teach, planned lessons and taught them, we did DRA assessments, we did case studies and that all factored into our grade.

I didn't even know that online colleges could offer initial teaching degrees as I thought you at least had to do a student teaching experience. You should still have to do that. And with that, an instructor comes out to the school to observe you and speak with you from time to time. Not quite sure how that would be done online but it's something you can find out. Ask them how you will do your student teaching. Also be aware that you will have to take the teachers exam in the state that you live in to be a certified teacher.

So just ask some more questions and see what they say. If you can't do it any other way than I don't see why you should not try this. There will be employers who may not take you seriously if you go through an online program. I agree that you should look into online classes at a college near you so at least a future employer would see that name and not think anything of it. They will not know you did it online.

Good luck!

[shoegirl06]

GuatGal - if you student teach in your state, does your school have a supervisor that will give you feedback and ensure that you're using the proper methods in your classrooms? I'm a high school teacher (by day) and I had to do both a 7-9 placement and a 9-12 placement for student teaching, PLUS I had a University Supervisor who critiqued me at least 2 times at each placement. Transferring certification isn't as easy as sending a check, please be careful. In many states, even when there is a reciprocity agreement in place, you still have additional tests to take and possibly courses to sit through. I live in NY and the testing alone is BRUTAL. I can't speak for MO or AZ, but research this one a little more and see if there's actual people who have BTDT before you take that expensive leap. My undergrads have to satisfy 400 hours of observation during their 4 years before they're even allowed to student teach and that includes mock lessons, projects, etc. My grads have it even worse in the 4 semesters of the cohort program.

I know of many programs that certify teachers who already have a BS or a BA with a Master's of sorts, but if you're looking for great feedback and really seeing what goes on in classrooms, I'd use a brick & mortar school. I, too teach an online class (high school Spanish 1) through an accredited BOCES program and it's just not the same thing. DH took Art History online to finish his BS (and another one I think - he's in the financial field), but when it comes to core classes, it helps to be face-to-face.

[Mindybeth6]

Julie, yes, this is what I am doing now and it is INTENSE! Each semester has been intense with so much and TONS of feedback from my professors as well as my in-school cooperating teachers. I don't have my state requirements in front of me but I believe that we have to have near 500 clinical hours before I can student teach here and before I student teach I must pass TWO of my states PRAXIS (certification) tests. I have one more to go. I am an ECIS major (pre-k - 3rd). It has been a long road but has been so much fun too. I will say this, as much as I am IN the schools around here, I know for sure this is what I want to do for a living. They really throw you into it, get your feet REAL wet, and it allows you to make sure this is what you WANT to do. ANd I can tell you it is SO much different from what I expected when I started the program.

[Devora]

Where I'm coming from: I've been a university professor in psychology as well as have taught some in two schools of education. My husband has been teaching in schools of education and graduate education programs for 8 years. We also have both worked in a high school. That said....

Online education when done well is great. But much of it is mediocre at best. The University of Phoenix is particularly hit and miss in its quality. It also has a reputation (deserved in my opinion) of being a degree-mill (i.e., they cut a lot of corners so that you can earn a degree without doing the same kind of work that you would at another university). An example: I know someone who got her degree from there. For her degree she needed a couple of computer science courses. They accepted courses she had taken when she did her first years of college -- 15 years earlier, not only pre-Windows applications but back when you ran programs on punch cards!!! There is no way that they should have accepted those credits and no reputable university would have accepted them. (Most places put a 5-7 year limit on how old credits can be.)

Even if they are an accredited program, because they have such a dubious reputation (especially among educators) it may well be that many of the courses will not be accepted in your state for certification. You need to first find out if it's truly a reciprocal licensing agreement between AZ and where you live; then find out exactly what you would have to do to get your license to transfer.

You also need to find out exactly how supervision for observation/clinical/student teaching hours works. Do you have to find your own supervisor? Do you have to find your own placements? (These are two things that you do not have to do if you are working with a local university; they will have a system set up to facilitate placements.) If you have to find this on your own, then be very, very cautious of doing the Phoenix route. Many schools will only accept students/student teachers from universities that they currently have relationships with, especially if there are a lot of students in the area. They will often not work with someone coming from outside. And even if they do, some of them will not work with you once they know you're doing your degree through Phoenix.

Also, as someone else said, check on the job market in your area. There is a national teacher shortage, but that doesn't mean all communities have shortages. I live in an area that does not. That means it's a tighter local market and you would be far less likely to be hired with a degree from Phoenix.

If online is important to you, look at your nearby universities and colleges. Many of them do online courses. You might not be able to do everything online, but you will be able to do a lot. Many education programs also offer their courses at night and on weekends precisely for non-traditional age, career-change people. (This is almost always the case in master's level certification programs; if you need your bachelor's degree then it might be a little less true. But it's still worth checking into because lots of colleges are doing more for non-traditional age students.) If you don't live near a college/university with an education program then check out the schools of education in your state -- some of them may offer extension programs that are close to you and that will most likely be taught in the evenings and on weekends as well as some courses online.

I think it's great that you want to go back to school!! You can definitely do it. But, personally, I wouldn't recommend the University of Phoenix. I would only suggest that if you really just need the piece of paper as a credential. But if you're going into education you need a lot more than just a piece of paper -- you need high quality education and professional development. In the field of education, Phoenix just doesn't have a good reputation in that regard.

[carolynpep73]

Firstly, going back to school is tough. Hang in there!!! You'll figure it out!

I have been a first grade teacher for 9 years. I have no knowledge of U of Ph other than the ads I've seen. With that said, I would agree with the other posters who have stated about making contacts and double checking all of your info.

I know the university I attended offered many courses online. Like another poster stated, you would eventually need to do some in person work as well as student teaching. I would strongly recommend that you do not skip the student teaching portion, even if skipping is an option. It's very important that you have experience under a seasoned teacher who can guide you in the ways of planning, behavior management, and school/district/state policies. Student teaching gives you time in the room to practice your skills without all the other day-to-day teacher stuff. IMHO I don't believe that observations are enough. You have to practice in order to learn.


Good luck to you! I know you will figure it out. It will be worth it to make the sacrifices now.