Why is it so hard to become a teacher? Aside from having a Bachelor's degree, they want you to have taken these damnable tests. Does anyone know of a place in the U.S where you can be a teacher with only having a Bachelor's degree? I wouldn't mind making a move to one of these places.

I believe that you need a credential anywhere which is something above and beyond your bachelors. Although I think there are those who would be innately good at being a teacher (I would suck as a teacher), I believe the credential program helps prepare you for that.

The only exception would possibly be where teachers are in high demand and they would waive the credential requirement for a few years, although you'd still have to pursue it. I know low income areas are definitely in need of teachers. Also, I believe there are programs that have loan forgiveness if you work as a teacher in certain high need areas.

Thanks Nelie. I don't mind eventually pursuing the credentials, just don't want to do it right off the bat. Where are these places that have teaching shortages?

I am not sure about PA but here is a website with the information. http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teac...efault.asp?g=0

Hey FOOD ~ My wife, son and daughter in law are all teachers here in southern California...my wife at middle school, my son and daughter in law at a new high school...they all had to go through the credential program and give a year...for free...of student teaching...after they earned the B.A.'s...my wife has a Master's and the kids are working on theirs.

I think you can teach at a private...as in religious school...without a "credential"...but you still have certain state requirements.

Good luck.

Thanks Ezmoney. I have a Bachelor's already. I'm now working as a substitute teacher.

I'm a certified special education teacher. I don't know about your state, but in Texas, I had to get a Bachelor's, devote one year to unpaid student teaching, and take several certification tests. The results of those tests, for any teacher, are posted online where all parents can find them. Also, each new teacher must complete about 150 professional development hours within the first few years of teaching.
While it is possible to have only a bachelor's degree and teach, I can honestly tell you that most principals in Texas schools will almost always pick the job applicant who has gone through the bachelor's program for teaching, and passed all of his/her exams.
If you teach special education, in any grade, or secondary math or science, AND teach in a Title 1 (low socioeconomic school) for 5 years, the government will pay of $17,500 of your student loans.
Is teaching something you feel passionate about? I wouldn't ask, but you seem pretty nervous about the exams. Maybe you can enroll in tutorials or test prep classes.
I hope this helps--I'm sure you'll be great!! What grade do you want to teach?

Im from california, and some of our counties will offer emergency credentials. You do have to eventually pursue your credentials. also, the emergency credentials are offered in schools that are low income, and have high demand, so the pay isnt always the greatest. Im looking into teaching after I graduate nxt yr. we have loan forgiveness out here too

Ditto on the California info. DIL was hired from her phone interview. She was given 2 years to obtain her credentials in CA after graduating in MI.

Due to NCLB "highly qualified" requirements, in addition to existing state requirements, finding states that will waive certification will be difficult. Good luck!

Have you taken the tests? They're actually really easy, at least they were about four years ago when I took them, and I believe my state (Virginia) has some of the highest requirements for passing scores. Honestly, the Praxis shocked me -- I thought: This is all there is to it? I did prepare a little for the math part because I hadn't done any math in ages, but it didn't really go beyond an 8th grade level. The reading/writing part was quite easy.

I had trouble getting into teaching because I had never done my student teaching and couldn't afford to quit my job to do so. I ended up teaching part-time at night and using that experience to convince a school system to hire me. It was frustrating at first when I wasn't getting hired even though I had lots of part-time experience, but I finally got hired and they let my first year of teaching count as student teaching, so now I'm certified.

As for the tests, don't let them stress you out. Besides, I wouldn't want people teaching my kids, personally, if they couldn't pass those tests!

Thanks all for your responses. I would like to teach English for second graders.