My Journey To Becoming A Fully Certified Teacher

Before I came to Guam in late 2016, I had been working in the Middle East for more than a decade as a Chemical Engineer. Throughout my career, I worked in the manufacturing industry, both in the Philippines and the Middle East. Upon arriving in Guam, I realized there were no industrial plants where I could apply my expertise, particularly in metal surface treatment and painting. After several months of searching for a job that matched my experience, I ended up working as a Front Desk staff at a hotel. This was a challenging shift in my career, as I had no prior experience in the hospitality field.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in mid-2020, the influx of hotel guests dropped, and eventually, the hotel closed. I was fortunate to avail myself of the pandemic employment subsidy provided by the government. When the GDOE announced a Job Fair sometime in June 2021, I tried my luck and applied to be a Substitute Teacher, marking the beginning of my journey as a teacher.

One of the challenges I encountered during my year as a substitute teacher was being in different classrooms and subjects every day. I experienced being in front of all grade levels, overseeing and executing the assignments left by the absent teachers. During this time, I observed various student behaviors. The teachers I met encouraged me to take the Praxis Core exams to apply for a temporary teaching certificate. This encouragement, along with my observations in school, led me to believe that I could teach. I took the exams and was fortunate to obtain the temporary certification. Subsequently, I took and passed the content area exam in science. Unaware of the next steps for teacher certification, I hurried to the Guam Education Certification Commission (GECC) to present my Praxis content results- an amusing experience in hindsight. It was only then that I learned I needed to complete the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) course to become fully certified.

I followed the GECC’s suggestions. At this moment, I have nearly completed 27 of the 36 credit units required for the MAT. The MAT program has provided me with valuable insights into classroom management and strategies, various educational philosophies and theories, assessment methods, and has especially helped me become tech-savvy. Being more literate in modern technology has had a significant impact on my teaching career. I can utilize all the knowledge and strategies I have learned in the program to continuously enhance my students’ learning experiences this coming school year, and eventually in the years to come.

    

    According to Sal Khan’s podcast with WBEZ Chicago on May 20, 2021, education lever is an under levered lever in our society, metaphorically means education is not being leveraged as much as it could be. The podcast highlighted the big difference between depression model of learning (traditional model) and Sal Khan’s model of learning. In the depression or traditional model, it doesn’t matter whether you master a specific lesson or not; you move to the next stage with your age group, causing the learning gap to widen, whereas Khan’s model “ uses  21^st century technology so students can take the lectures at their own pace, on their own time, and then come together in a school classroom that is lecture free and very social”.

    Upon listening to the podcast, I was struck by the depth of discussion on Sal Khan’s ideas about personalized learning, especially his mission to accelerate learning for students of all ages. One of the most important points was the discussion on how technology can revolutionize education. The topic discussed challenged my previous understanding of online learning and made me reconsider my stance on this. I acknowledge Khan’s belief that augmenting traditional classroom education with the technology being offered by Khan Academy can improve the effectiveness of teachers by giving them more time for instruction specific to individual students’ necessity.

    I experienced a blend of optimism and concern. Optimism is due to technology’s potential to revolutionize education, making it more accessible and effective. Concern arose from digital divide that still exists, where unequal access to educational resources remains a big issue. This podcast was eye-opening and highlighted the transformative power of technology in education. It reinforces the need for a collective effort to bridge the digital divide and ensure all students benefit from these advancements.