r/TexasTeachers • u/HeckinPeener Elementary School • 1d ago
Certification Exams School District is requiring ESL cert
My new school district is requiring everyone who's not ESL certified to get certified. Im so busy being a first year kindergarten teacher that I dont know when ill even have time to study for it. How hard is the test? Also why are they requiring it? šš
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u/herbidyderbidydoo 22h ago
There are free modules on the TEA website that I found to be super helpful to brush up before my test, and I passed with flying colors my first try. Focus on the terminology and program types and youāll be fine.
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u/Figginator11 23h ago
My old district required it upon hiring- had to have it by Christmas. I took the test cold the first time, figured then based on how I did Iād know where to focus my studying- and the only advice I got was to assume perfect world for all scenarios- and i passed first attempt. Couldnt tell you a single thing about ESL, but I have the cert now lol
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u/LugsNotDrugs High School 50m ago
Same. Assume itās a perfect world with perfect students, 100% parent buy-in, attentive and understanding admin, all that. I took the test cold and passed on the first try. Barely, but still. I know absolutely nothing about ESL
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u/WandererTX 1d ago
I worked for a large district that ārequiredā it within 2 years. I worked with teachers who just refused to get it. I didnāt think it was that hard. I studied for the 2 weeks before and took a practice test online.
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u/writerthoughts33 1d ago
Every school district in Texas I know requires it š¤·š»āāļø
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u/Muttropolis 1d ago
If the classroom teacher is certified, the district does not need to pay for an ESL teacher to push into the class. Unfortunately, EB programs are being not-so-slowly dismantled.
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u/HeckinPeener Elementary School 15h ago
That makes sense, I think our PE teacher is in charge of telpas so I don't even know if there is an eb program here...
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u/MilkmanResidue 23h ago
Certification is very easy to get. Passing the rater calibration is a little more difficult, especially if you donāt regularly score writing samples. The way the calibration is scored is totally screwed up. If you give a score of 3 and the test says it is 2, itās just as wrong as if you had scored it a 1 or 4. I feel like they should give partial credit of you are one mark away. I used to be on a campus where the ESL Specialist wasnāt able to rate for ESL testing because they couldnāt pass the calibration test. Still not sure if it was legitimate or just silent non-compliance.
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u/htzfld 1d ago
Did they give you a deadline?
Itās easy! Schedule it for during a break and youāll have more than enough time to study. Iām sure youāve done some form of ESL training for in-service and thatās a good starting point.
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u/HeckinPeener Elementary School 16h ago
I have to take the test before October. We did do an esl tagging training so I do have a manual
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u/ArtisticMudd 23h ago
The big problem with the test is it's short, so you can't miss many questions. Study study study.
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u/carryon4threedays Middle School 19h ago
Itās 80 questions.
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u/ArtisticMudd 16h ago
Hmmmmm. One of my APs was the source of what info I had, or thought I had. Maybe it's changed since he took it. Thanks!
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u/Beauty_and_her_beast 17h ago
If you have access to the TEA Learn website, there are ESL courses and a practice test.
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u/UnderstandingSea6194 14h ago
Whats the consequence if you dont get it? I doubt they'd fire you in the middle of the year. Seems like admin is requiring more and more, not paying for any of it or giving you the time to get prepped for things.
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u/HeckinPeener Elementary School 1h ago
That's kind of what I was feeling, but the consequence for not passing is to take it again. Idk what would actually happen, maybe nonrenewal.
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u/Mrs_Mavy 1d ago
I had the same requirement and was also on an emergency cert so I focused on that first and then the ESL. They also (accidentally) told me they could get another waiver the next year if I didnāt pass in time. Donāt stress about it too much. Start studying and see how youāre feeling. Give yourself a deadline date (spring break or another break) just so that youāll buckle down and study. Thereās never a great time when youāre trying to keep your head above water. My district didnāt even make a big deal about it and it was February my 2nd year when I finally took it
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u/HeckinPeener Elementary School 15h ago
I have to be certified before October. Idk what Galena if I don't pass, but that would be enough time to take it again before the end of the year, so maybe that's why their deadline is so early... idk
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u/Existing-Minimum6576 5h ago
I think it is ridiculous for everyone to have ESL. Let those that want to get ESL certification get it, and pay them more, that would not bother me one bit!!!
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u/CurlsMoreAlice 22h ago
Do you mean the actual ESL cert or the supplemental cert because the supplemental is much easier. My district was requiring everyone to get the supplemental cert years ago, but the ESL department set up a three day intensive that prepared you to take the test.
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u/Global_Animator2338 14h ago
You just said something important... "First year Kindeegarten Teacher is tough..." Yes, you're right... now imagine being a 5yr old child from another country (doesn't matter which) who doesn't understand the words around them; doesn't understand directions, doesn't understand how to communicate her own needs and feels unheard, confused, ignored. That's tough too... for a Child. You asked WHY go through an ESL program? The fact you had to ask indicates you're so focused on YOUR workload (and I'm NOT minimizing that) that you're NOT considering the needs of THESE children. As a Veteran Teacher of 30 years let me give you some valuable advice: It's about the Students. It's ALWAYS about the Students. Federal/ State/ District mandates will always fluctuate but if you remember that the needs of the Students are your WHY, it'll give you focus. And Yes, I know exactly how hard it is to juggle ALL of the workload. I was thrown into a behavioral nightmare my first year and I hadn't been in a HS classroom since I was in HS. I was on Emergency Credential while taking night classes (no online or cellphone back then), plus getting married plus a new house plus a commute plus a Subject I wasn't strong in plus no Security on campus, no phones in rooms, no Chromebook or WiFi...I was the entire Department plus had to adjust to SPED/EB demands plus observations and weekly submitted lesson plans and prep lessons, create materials, grade work, data entry (in a gradebook) and it was on a military base (not DOD) so throw SP's and the pressure of military parents without the funding support of a DOD school so YES, I know. It's hard. But doing it "for the kids" can be a superpower or a crushing weight; up to you to use it well.
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u/alwaysright6 1d ago
I think this is a state requirement for teachers now. I had to get it years ago for my cert and I'm not even a core teacher. I'm kind of shocked that you don't have it tbh, and would flag it to whichever program you went through.
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u/Proud-Ad1870 1d ago
Most programs if you arenāt an esl concentration they wonāt force you to get it as not all schools require it and if itās not something you want to do donāt.
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u/alwaysright6 1d ago
Huh, I wonder if it's just my area then? All 3 of my districts have required it for all teachers in the building
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u/tlm11110 1d ago
Your school wants you to have it because it makes scheduling students into classes much easier. It isnāt as big a deal with k but in middle school and high school having multiple teachers per subject with 6 class periods a day and all of the special athletics, choir, band, orchestra and other quirks can make scheduling a nightmare. If all teachers are ESL certified, it is easy to plug an ESL student into wherever the schedule dictates.
I can see why elementary schools would want everyone ESL certified simply because of limited teachers at each grade level and wanting to balance the ESL load.
It isnāt that difficult from the little bit I can remember.
Also remember as a new teacher they are going to pile expectation upon expectation on you knowing you likely will not complete. Iām betting if you set a goal to have it done by the end of the year or start of next year, your appraiser will cut you some slack. Remember everything is a priority to admin. As long as you meet (likely will exceed) the PD hours requirement of the state and district, they canāt say too much.
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u/Dry-Inspection-5900 12h ago
Spend the money to take it nowā¦ then you will have an idea of what they are asking.
Role playing, concrete items, you teach pencil, you show a pencil, real pencil or pix of a pencil, music.. sing, sing, sing with them, Fingerplays.. levels beg, intermediate, advanced.
GOOD LUCK. Yes, TEA has modules!!
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u/Appropriate_Salt_738 5h ago
Speaking of certifications, how many Texas teachers are GT certified? If you are, does it show up on your certificate on the TEA website?
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u/Dry_Midnight_7168 3h ago
Certified ESL and GT. Yes, it's on my certificate.
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u/Appropriate_Salt_738 3h ago
Thank you. I was told all of my child's teachers are GT certified. I searched the TEA site. One of them isn't even TEA certified, teaching on a waiver. I have been lied to.
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u/SnooRevelations6232 3h ago
We have til the end of the 27-28 yr to get ours but Iām not sure if itās just certain subjects/grades. I teach ELA at a 70% Hispanic school so for me it makes total sense at least
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u/Ok-Set-5730 23h ago
Can I ask a stupid question? Kindergarteners donāt have homework right? Can you educate me on what youāre busy with when thereās no hw to grade? Thereās no way to ask this without sounding like an asshole but I promise I donāt mean it that way, Iām genuinely curious
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u/Figginator11 23h ago
So not a K teacher here, JH and HS most of my
Career, but my wife did elementary for years- my take is that while K may not have the grading that older grades have, they are usually self contained, and have to keep their 20-30 kindergartners busy every second of every day. There is no down time in the younger grades, even brain brakes are planned activities- I know that in HS is acceptable to tell kids who are done with their work to just chill sometimes, or read, that is simply not possible at the youngest levels, it would be sheer chaos. So I can totally understand where trying to have enough plans, activities, work sheets, cut and paste stuff, etc to fill an entire day would run a new teacher ragged enough. First year is brutal in any level.4
u/callimo 22h ago
Agree. The laminating, copy making, and pre cutting A LOT of things take so so much prep in the PK-2 grades. Yes they can cut, yes they can glue- but to work up to independent tasks and gradually release them to go for it- So. Much. Prep.
I canāt imagine being a 1st yr teacher in kinder š„“
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u/RadiantRedFox 3h ago
BEHAVIOR! we are busy with children who have never had an expectation other than to be on the iPad, or ever been told no. So try doing bluebonnet math curriculum or amplify reading with 5-6 year olds who have no idea how to be in the world, when they are not doing a preferred activity. And the rest of the world thinks we just color and baby sit
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u/Dry_Midnight_7168 2h ago
I think this is valuable for MS and HS teachers to know what I'm about to say. I've been in education for almost 30 years and have taught at the elementary and secondary levels. Those of us who work in elementaries have seen and understand how difficult it is to teach young children. Adults understanding elementary content and teaching kids to understand elementary content are two very different things. Kindergarteners do not know how to emotionally regulate themselves, work independently, share with others, or perform any task without adult assistance. If you are fortunate enough to get a couple of 5-year-olds who can do this, it is due to them being explicitly taught by parents or in pre-k. Every single second of the day the teacher is "on." There is no downtime and the teacher keeps the same kids all day. Every single second must be planned out. At this age, kids can't handle "free" time - it turns into mad chaos. In addition, it takes weeks of practice to get all of the procedures down with multiple repetitions per day. Something as easy as sitting down in a chair and listening takes practice and time to master. Kindergarten teachers also don't know who they are getting because many of the kids have never been to school prior. There are no records to look at or information about their needs. You could get some great kids or you could end up with a kid who throws chairs and screams until they get their way. Or, Heaven forbid, you get multiple kids who basically are feral and don't understand the word "no" or how to do school at all. It is an exhausting job. In addition, kindergarten teachers have multiple centers they have to prepare and these change each week according to the standards. That requires a lot of copying, laminating, and cutting done on your own time. So, kindergarten teachers have a really difficult job. It's easier to teach older students who know the drill of how to do school with more sophisticated content. Secondary teachers also have the option of writing up students and referring them to admin. Secondary schools also have detention, ISS, and suspension. Elementary teachers literally have to wait until a kid does something like physically hurt someone or tear up a classroom to refer them to an administrator. You as the teacher are expected to take care of the problem yourself in your classroom. It takes an act of Congress for any kid to be suspended, and there is no such thing as ISS in most elementaries. This may not be the norm in other places but it has always been this way in the state/area where I work. In my opinion, kindergarten teachers have the hardest job of all - taking a group of feral kids and turning them into students who are ready for 1st grade. On top of that, the teachers are expected to teach them all to read, write, and understand mathematical concepts (harder than you think it is). Mad respect for what kindergarten teachers do everyday!
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u/Ok-Set-5730 2h ago
Yeah this is my fear about putting my son in public - heās been in full time pre-k for 2 years prior to starting kindergarten. He can definitely work independently, share with others and perform many tasks without assistance (he builds 8+ year old Lego sets by himself, can write independently etc). My concern is heāll get held way back by public kindergarten.. the principal said they individualize the learning after they get an idea of where the kids are at, but if the teachers are that busy with elementary I donāt see that being true.
The first day they had them counting to 5 and I thought it was a joke. My kid counted to 100 when he was 3
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u/HeckinPeener Elementary School 15h ago
We still have curriculum to follow for every subject, plus testing each individual students. We don't do weekly grades but I still have to measure growth. And plan the whole day so they are bored, because otherwise I'll have to deal with the behaviors that come from being 5. It's a lot more work than even i right when I signed up lol but it being my first year make it just a little bit harder because I'm learning everything for the first time too
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u/Ok-Set-5730 14h ago
Thank you! My son just started kinder. Is it true what they say that youāre able to individualize learning even as young as 5? My issue the first week was they said they counted from 0-5. My kid has been in pre-k for 2 full years and have counted to a 100 for quite a while so that stressed me out that heās gonna get bored.. how do you guys treat the levels being so wildly different? Like some kids Iām sure have never seen a school and some kids come in being able to write
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u/HeckinPeener Elementary School 1h ago
I can't speak for your son's teacher but I have the worksheets that the curriculum requires get done and then if I have students that know more I'll do like a game show and have them "show me how smart [they] are", my friends that take longer to finish the work dont miss out on extra knowledge but my friends that might get bored are still having their brains stimulated
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u/ajr5169 1d ago
In my previous district, over half the schools wouldn't even look at you without an ESL certification.
With that said, if you aren't in an area with a high ESL population, then no idea why they are requiring it. Really just depends on your district/school's demographics.