Mike Vigilant

I saw this article from Consumer Reports today talking about the dwindling use of personal checks and how financial systems are trying to phase them out.  Don’t worry, we’ve still got at least 15 years of check-writing ahead of us, but I thought this could be a useful article for Personal Finance people out there.  I remember in my economics class in high school having to fill out fake checks and keep a register; maybe now we should create some fake debit cards and do the same thing?  Actually, that’s not a bad idea.  Maybe I’ll look into that!

I just wanted to share a great program I listened to today that I think anyone reading this might enjoy.  It’s from a radio series called “Speaking of Faith” which deals with a spectrum of issues, from religion to ethics and, in this case, education.  Last week’s episode:  “The Meaning of Intelligence” was a superb discussion about some of the ways we think about education and working, and I think it’s definitely worth listening to.  Overall, this is a great series and I enjoy updating my iTunes every week to download a new episode–it is definitely worth subscribing to.  You can also listen right off the website if you so choose.

There is another podcast from this show that relates to personal finance and I will dig that one up for a future post.  Enjoy!  I’d love to hear some feedback.

It did not take long at all!  Just out of the gate on my job search reboot and I discover this article about the state pushing back teacher contracts for next year until May 15.  Very disheartening to hear and it leaves a lot of people uncertain about their future–myself included.  Here’s hoping some counties are able to find out what they need sooner than that.

I am viewing February and March as get-ready months, preparing myself for April’s onslaught of teacher contract renewals, non-renewals, and new positions.  With the help of a good friend, I am reviewing my resumé:  updating, adding, deleting, changing, and rearranging.  I am also searching for the courage to go out there this spring and really impress some schools, get my name out there, and hopefully land that teaching position that has been so elusive for so long.  I could use your good thoughts.

If you had told me when I graduated from UGA in December of 2007 that I would be looking for a teaching position two years later, I would have laughed at you.  Sure, I talked to veteran teachers, teachers I had in high school, who all told me it took them longer than expected to break into the profession.  I had advisors, mentors, supervisors, everyone telling me to be patient, and I was.  Last year.  I have worked for years to build what I believe is an impressive and highly respectful list of certifications, and I have a certificate that is more extensive and has more fields than people who have taught their entire life.  I continue to add more fields regularly.

I want this to be my year.  I have worked to build my credentials as a teacher before stepping a foot inside my first classroom; I am ready to take myself to the next level.  I want to get out there and start meeting people, start getting inside schools, and do what I need to do to get myself where I want to go.  I am going to e-mail a few teachers I know an ask about volunteering in their classrooms.  Even if it’s just for one day a month, I figure it will help me get my name out there and give me a little classroom experience.

I am starting to look forward to it.  I know it will be tough; the economic downturn of late has led schools to increase class sizes, lay off teachers, and take other staff-cutting measures.  I know I’m up against a field that may still be crowded with veterans who were laid off or not renewed at their previous positions.  But I think I am lining things up nicely, and I and preparing for the competition that will begin this spring.

Wish me luck.

As most people who travel in social studies circles have heard by now, famous historian Howard Zinn died yesterday at the age of 87.

His passing has left a number of my friends, with whom I studied Social Science Education at UGA, numb, upset, and generally a little depressed.  More than one person mentioned that they considered Zinn a personal hero, and someone whom they strive to be like.  That’s heavy praise.  While I heard his name mentioned several times in my classes, as someone who was more interested in economics, I never really gave it much thought.  Just another history thing, I told myself.

I am willing to admit that I may have been wrong.  One particular feature of our class is that we were pretty diverse in thought; many students held particularly liberal views of teaching and social studies, but there were enough people in there with the opposite viewpoint that it made class interesting.  I’m proud of us for having such great discussions, and my handful of classes with these people are, to me, what I was hoping all of college would be like.

So when I saw—on Twitter, which is where I get a lot of breaking news, which is another story—that Zinn had died, I listened to what everyone had to say.  Twitter:  100% positive comments.  Facebook:  100% positive comments.  I know social networking is unreliable and unscientific, and I know how many of my friends lean politically, but for there to be near consensus on Zinn’s achievements is a strong statement in my book.

So I am letting the world know that Howard Zinn is on my radar now.  I may be behind the times, but I hope I am not too late.  I understand a little more about his background now, and that he was open about his liberal “People’s History of the United States” makes me respect it more, and I would like to read it sometime this year, if only to see what all the fuss was about.  I promise I’ll post a review when I do.

It’s been a long time since I updated last, and I apologize for that.  I’ve had a lot of things going on this month, but I’m looking forward to a somewhat quieter February and I have a lot of things on my to-do list for this site:  new pages, updated files, more postings.  I’d also like to look for a new theme, as I’ve had this one for almost a year and a half now.

While I’m working on that, if there’s something you’d like me to post about, discuss, change, remove, or add, I’d love to hear from you!  Let me know how I (and this website) can serve you, and I look forward to the discussions to come.

More soon.

I’m very excited that I have received my GACE scores from the last round and I passed both my tests!  This keeps my perfect streak of passing scores intact, and more importantly, gives me more valuable certifications.  I passed both Biology and Special Education Academic Content Concentrations, so my certificate looks like this now:

• Biology (6-12)
• Economics (6-12)
• Geography (6-12)
• Middle Grades (4-8)
• Middle Grades Social Science (4-8)
• Political Science (6-12)
• Special Education General Curriculum Consultative (P-12)
• Special Education Language Arts Cognitive Level (P-8)
• Special Education Math Cognitive Level (P-8)
• Special Education Reading Cognitive Level (P-8)
• Special Education Science Cognitive Level (P-8)
• Special Education Social Science Cognitive Level (P-8)

I typed that almost off the new certificate I received in the mail, and it’s almost half a page long on there.  I’m definitely proud and excited, and hopeful that all these certifications will make me look attractive and versatile as I continue to search for a teaching job.

The next GACE is after the holidays, and I’ve got a couple of weeks to determine what I’ll be taking.  Might be history, might be science, might be math!  We’ll just have to see.

I just registered this week for the next GACE administration, in October.  I decided to take Special Education Academic Content Concentrations, and for the first time so far, I decided to double down and take Biology as well.  I’m a little nervous about taking both tests at the same time, but I’ve got about a month to prepare, and I’m getting started now, so I am confident that I will pass both tests.

I chose the Special Education Academic Content Concentration tests because I already have Special Education General Curriculum on my certificate.  That means that I am certified to teach as a Special Ed inclusion teacher in any subject, and that I can be the content teacher in the areas I’m already certified in.  Passing this test will give me many, many additional certificates, and will allow me to teach the content in a Special Ed setting in every topic in elementary and middle school.

I have all the Social Studies certificates except History, so I decided to branch out and go for certificates in other areas.  Anecdotal evidence I’ve gathered from other teachers I’ve spoken with leads me to believe that science is another need area in Georgia, so I thought I would get a certificate there.  It was a toss-up between Biology and Chemistry, but Biology has less math, and there’s already math on the Special Ed test, so I thought I would spread it out a bit.  Chemistry might be next.

I’m also making a concerted effort to network more with teachers I’m friends with in my area.  This is giving me inside information and tips on getting started in teaching.  This information, I’ve come to learn, is critical to getting my foot in the door, so I’m trying to visit at least one friendly teacher a week.  So far it’s been productive, and besides that, fun, to catch up with friends.

I’ll be making my study plan for the GACEs this week since I’ve got to much to learn.

I found out yesterday that I passed both parts of the Behavioral Sciences GACE.  Once added to my certificate, I’ll be able to teach students in grades 6-12 a variety of topics such as Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology.  I’m thrilled to have passed and can’t wait to get my updated certificate in the mail.

Also this week, I need to decide on and register for the next GACE test in October, in support of my general strategy of taking GACE tests until I am able to find a teaching job.  I am already leaning towards Middle Grades Science, and I’ve even purchased the book, but a meeting with a teacher friend of mine has turned me on to another important test: Special Education Academic Content.  This test works with my existing Special Education certifications and will let me teach either content or inclusion for all grades through middle school and in all my co-certified high school areas.  It’s a big test, covering a little bit of everything, but I think it would be a big boost to my resume and I’m certainly considering it.

I’ll post again when I’ve made my final decisions, and when I get my new certificate!

I have decided that I am going to take the Middle Grades Science GACE exam at its next offering in October.  I am very excited about the opportunity to diversify my middle grades offerings; I am even more excited (and somewhat nervous) about branching out from social studies after all these years.  After reviewing the material and standards covered on the test, I am convinced that I can handle the preparation and refreshing myself on science material I haven’t looked at in a long time.

I’m leaning towards pursuing more science certifications in the future, as I find science  interesting.  I also know science is an area for which the demand for teachers in Georgia outpaces the supply, and it might be easier to get my foot in the door.  I haven’t decided which test I might be interested in taking besides Middle Grades Science, but I’m leaning towards Chemistry, as I have fond memories of being quite interested in that class.

I have a while before the registration deadline, so I’ll take my time, but since I’ve already purchased the Middle Grades Science study guide, I’ll start reading that soon.