My certificate expires in June of this year. I need 17 credit hours (from a total of 280) left to get it renewed.
I have NO desire to go back into teaching. My DH thinks that I need to keep my certificate current in the event something happened with his job and I needed to go back to work. Here is the deal. Once I get those 17 hours, pay the state $200.00 for the renewal...I then have 4 more years to earn 280 more credit hours to renew THAT certificate!
I have another baby coming in 2 months, am starting to have complications and just do not see how I am going to be able to attend seminars here and there to earn those 17 hours. Frankly I could care less if I go back into teaching...a passion of mine...until parents started to lose responsbility for their own child, made the job miserable and pointed the finger at us teachers for "the problems of their child!' Being a mom now, I just do not want to be in that enviroment.
What would you do if you were in my situation.
TIA!
Re: If you were a teacher???
It doesn't really sound like you are going to have the time to continue to take the classes you need to keep it current. Do you need the certification in your state to substitute? That is always an option if you needed to go back quickly. You could always tutor which doesn't require certification and you can make really good money doing that especially with experience. I personally wouldn't invest the time/money.
Kerri
I have struggled with this as well. If I were you, I would make sure things are set up for you sub if you need to and I would also look into tutoring options. That way you can pull in some money should the need arise. You can become an assistant director or a director of a tutoring place with just the experience and the degree in education if that is something you are interested in when you do decide to go back to work. You can also just tutor, my grandma does this and makes a lot of money!
How hard is it to get it back if you need it later? Can you take any classes online?
Ditto.
Unless you're prepared to retake state certification tests and lose everything you've already attained, I would NOT, under ANY circumstances, let my certification lapse. I say this as a teacher myself. You have NO idea what this economy is going to bring, and you really have NO way of knowing for sure what your husband's job is going to bring either. You're just digging yourself a nice hole if you let your certification go. If you want my personal opinion, I think to let it go is total laziness on your part. You don't have to do much to keep it.
Clearly, teaching isn't a passion if you couldn't care less about it. But if you hate it that much, be fair to the kids, and don't return. That would be the only reason I can think of that you should let it lapse.
** I am sorry if this came off as harsh ... I love teaching, I believe in it, and this is the same conversation I've had with myself many times. So what I say to you, I have said to myself.