Mike Vigilant

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!

Made it safely through another GACE Exam this past weekend.  I’ll get my results in a month, but I’m hopeful I did just fine.

In the meantime, I’m trying to plan out my testing strategy for the rest of the academic year.  I am hoping to attain as many additional certifications as possible in the hopes of making myself the best candidate in town for the next hiring season.  While I don’t know the exact details yet, let’s just say there is a good chance I will break out of my comfort zone and try something different.

Also on my radar this academic year is the GRE.  I’m looking forward to going to graduate school when I am settled in a teaching position, and I’d like to go ahead and get the GRE behind me.  I’ve got the book and really all I need to do is schedule a time in the future to take the test.  The results are accepted by most colleges for five years–that should give me plenty of time!

This weekend, I’ll be taking the GACE in Behavioral Sciences.  It was a rather last-minute decision, and I”m studying pretty hard, but my goal is to make it to every GACE examination this academic year, and truly have a certification in just about everything.  It’s Saturday morning, and luckily, it’s right up the road from me, since I’m working Friday night until midnight.  Wish me luck!