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RP: NBR: Teachers Come in please

DonniesgrrlDonniesgrrl member
in Illinois Babies

So I have been thinking alot about going into special education, I have my bachelors degree and have been out of school for 5 years.

I have a special place in my heart for special needs children and as a camp counselor at a special needs camp I fell in love with the work that I could do.  Unfortunately I was too far into my degree at that point to switch without being in school for another 2-3 years, and my parents were not willing to pay nor was I able to secure Financial Aid as they still claimed me as a dependent therefore my ability to contribute was really high.

My H is in the process of going to Nursing school so I would have to wait at least a year before I could start my Masters of education.

My Questions are what is a realistic  amount of time that I can expect to be in school before I would be allowed to be a teacher?

What is the process for obtaining my certification and then special ed endorsement?

any other advice/comments/experiences would be appreciated.

ETA: I would have to work full time while going to school since I am the main bread winner at this point.
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Re: RP: NBR: Teachers Come in please

  • norunawaybridenorunawaybride
    I worked full time and went to grad school in the evenings to get my masters and teaching certificate.  It took me a little over 1.5 years, but my certification was in secondary ed.  I remember that the special ed program took a bit longer...maybe another half year to a year depending on how motivated you are.  Your instructors will tell you when you should be applying for your certification.  I went to National-Louis, and my cohort instructor had a timeline she wanted us to follow of what tests should be taken and what not.  Be prepared to take a bunch of tests as well (at least 4), and ask when the tests should be taken.  I was single, and I thought working and going to school was a breeze because frankly, the classes at NL were a joke.  As long as you showed up and turned in a paper near the end of the term, you were almost guaranteed to get an A.  I didn't really care too much about the level of eduation with my instructors because you learn the most when you student teach.  Anyway, hope that helps. 
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  • calex33calex33

    I finished my Masters in special ed in December. ?My?undergrad degree was in elementary education and I had already been teaching for 11 years but, the program I enrolled in was made up primarily of "career changers." ?It was a 2 year program and almost everyone in it worked full time while taking classes. ?Many schools offer programs like this. ?I went through Northeastern, but I wouldn't recommend them. ?

    ?One thing I would caution you about is that it is harder than ever to get a teaching job - even in special ed. ?So, don't assume that you will be able to immediately get a full-time position after completing your degree.?

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  • amommy2oneamommy2one

    I would say that you could finish between 1.5 and 2 years. ?I finished my Master's degree in 2 years while teaching full time, but was not married/no kids yet. ?It kind of depends how many courses you are able to manage taking without going crazy. ?I believe you would also have to do some sort of student teaching or internship semester so it may affect your ability to work full time when you reach that point in the program. ?It is a challenge to secure a full time teaching job in IL right now but I do think you'd have some advantage with the special ed certification, even more if you speak a 2nd language like Spanish fluently.

    ?I would look into different universities that offer the degree you are interested in and compare tuition rates, program requirements, and schedules for the times the courses are offered since you'll be working.

    Good luck! ?We need good teachers in special education.?

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  • inapeartreeinapeartree member
    I'm at National-Louis, and they offer a ton of graduate level classes that take 1.5 - 2 years to finish!  I love the program, and it's moved so fast... I graduate in May! Good luck!
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