Certification

When I first graduated from college I had an elementary education teaching certification (Grade 1-6) and a psychology degree. I was ready to teach. Well I quickly found that getting a job would not be that easy. The first couple of years I taught everything from a substitute preschool teacher, a special education Kindergarten teacher, a building substitute for grades fourth and fifth grade, I was a one on one tutor for a bipolar third grader, and a special education assistant for four third grade classes. These experiences taught me one thing that I did not want to teach up to sixth grade. In fact I preferred the younger students mostly kindergarten and preschool. But my certification was not in this area. So I went back to graduate school and started working in a childcare center. After two years, three classes and two more teacher exams I was now certified to teacher preschool through second graders with or without special needs and I still had my original elementary certification.
I then got a job in a public preschool and found I was teaching a wide range of students age three to five with many different disabilities. I liked my job but I wanted to learn more about my students disabilities and if I wanted to keep my teaching certifications I still needed to get my masters degree. So I decided to get a masters in moderate special needs. Now two and a half years later and six classes later I have just received my third teaching certification my license to teach moderate special needs students grades preschool to eighth grade. I am triple certified to teach my students. I can teach students in grade preschool through eighth with special needs, preschool through second with or without special needs, and regular education students in first through sixth grade. I have decided I do not want to teach above third grade but have to keep my options open. I am also completing that masters degree. I am enrolled in a master program in moderate special needs so all my classes in this field will carry over and I am quickly approaching the end. I love my job and my students and am excited that I am qualified to do my job well.