I started teaching back in the dinosaur era before NCLB, as an alternatively certified teacher.  Heck, I had an emergency credential in social studies. Which meant I had a degree, had passed a drug test, a content test and had breathed on a mirror.  Frankly, I was a bit disturbed at how easy it was to get that certificate. The next thing I know, I was teaching algebra to special ed kids.  Which is why Michele’s post on alternative certification made me laugh.

One of the raps on traditional certification is that it freezes out people like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and whoever else you might want to see teaching your kid. It's true the fact that Bill Gates’ lack of BA would be an issue. So perhaps he was that grumply looking guy I saw outside the old 110 Livingston Street building. Otherwise, I can note for the record that I didn’t see any other famous people taking advantage of the low entry standards to get in on the ground floor of  teaching algebra to Modified Instructional Setting I and II students in Queens.  

The other lesson I learned is that a focus on pedagogy is really useful in alternative certification systems. My dad is a teacher, but as a concerned parent he focused his discussions with me on classroom management and dealing with assistant principals. I found the discussions useful and they helped put his mind at ease that I wasn't going to injure myself or others. But they didn't get to helping me deliver lessons. Nor was that the focus of my experience as a mentee. Which leads me to my other alternative certification pet peeve: the idea held by many that content alone will carry you through. I love content. I'm a frequent user of content. But there is more to teaching than that.