Hi, I'd like to get opinions on getting a single subject credential in math from National University in Southern California. I was planning on applying to Cal State San Marcos or San Diego St and thought I'd have no problem, but San Diego St requires 30 hrs of observation time and San Marcos requires a recommendation from a public school teacher. This would be a career change for me. Right now I'm working full time and I graduated from college back in 1999 with a biology degree, but math was always my best subject. I'm nowhere near my high school and it's been 15 years since I was in high school so there's no way I could get a recommendation from one of my high school teachers. Working full time, it would be hard to get those observational hours. National University doesn't require those so that's why I'm looking at them. Right now I'm just studying for the CSET in math and plan on taking the CBSET after passing the subject test. Any info would be appreciated.
I got a Multiple subject credential through national in 2000. The basic course work was fast, Just seven classes in seven months and I was finished with the preliminary work. I could not deal ,however with all the distractions in the classroom. Maybe I was just unlucky, but I was always next to, or in front of someone who was constantly clicking or tapping their pen, popping gum, shaking the table, or snapping and unsnapping their binders. It would have been a little better had we had are own desks. I also had a screaming teacher. I had a hard time learning at National.
How was the student teaching like? Does National have plenty of contracts with the local school districts? Does it seem like principles respect the credential from National? Thanks.
Let me more than quadruple the onions in your stew, beagle25: if you're based in San Diego County and interested in a National-like model, you might also want to consider satellite programs of well-regarded bricks-and-mortar institutions: Chapman University and University of Redlands come to mind, and there's also Azusa-Pacific, La Verne, Biola, and a couple others that escape memory at the moment. I assume you've already considered and rejected Point Loma Nazarene, University of San Diego, UCSD, and Alliant. San Diego Christian College and Inter-American College both serve fairly specialized niches, of course.
Beagle, Most career switches who do 30 hours of observation just use a week of vacation time and go do an intensive 1-week observation in a single classroom. Personally, I'd be very leary of getting all the way to student teaching without having spent time in the classroom. Lots of people think teaching is for them, only to find out they aren't cut out for it, or that they are having "Leave it to Beaver" flashbacks...you know, all the students sitting quietly, working hard, reading text books, and saying 'Yes Ms. Landers." in perfect unison. An internship is also a perfect way to find out that teaching is definitely "for" you, which can give you the added "oomph" you need to get through the final coursework and then student teaching. No matter which school you select -- good luck!
My student teaching lasted 18 weeks and was fairly intense, although I was fortunate to have the option of a final exam in lieu of a portfolio. My observer was rather strict in that i had finished 17 weeks of student teaching when school let out in June. He did not let me slide. I had to come back two months later for the last four days, and thus take my final in September, hence making it more difficult to land a job. It is now eight years later, and I am still a substitute. Is National's reputation part of the reason? I do not know, but why take a chance. I recommend further investigation.
Thanks for all the responses. I did think about just taking a week of vacation to get that observational experience so I could apply to San Diego State as it does seem to be the most well regarded program in the San Diego area. How tough is it to get into their program. I just worry that since I didn't study to become a teacher in college, they won't take me. The only experience I have in teaching is the peer tutoring I did in high school for calculus and history. I also tutored a 2nd grader one summer in high school. Alliant does look like a pretty good program. I looked at Chapman's website, but it doesn't mention any satellite programs, just the main campus in Orange.
For Chapman in San Diego, try http://www1.chapman.edu/univcoll/ac/sandiego/; the facility's corporate, but not irritatingly so, and Chapman in Orange has been cranking out teachers for years. The University of San Diego, which has a gorgeous campus, is at http://www.sandiego.edu/soles - don't be deterred by it being a Jesuit school, because it's, um, catholic in its admissions (though it helps to be on the ball). An analogous point can be made for Point Loma Nazarene University, http://www.pointloma.edu/SchoolofEducation.htm. If you're planning to get a credential in math, nobody's going to care very much that your college study didn't include teacher training - in fact, if you HAD had teacher training as an undergrad majoring in anything but liberal studies, you'd be decidedly in the minority.
May I also recommend the Intern program with San diego Unified... www.sandi.net/internprograms I'd take that over any other program in a heart beat
Thanks for all the links. Chapman does sound like a good program and I guess it has a good reputation.
I will be taking a course through National University online. I already have my ms credential and want to add a single subject. It seems like a very quick way to get a credential/degree although this format may not be the best route for some students.
