Many teachers will tell you that they always knew teaching was their life’s calling. They lined up their Barbies and stuffed animals, created pretend class rosters, and taught their hearts out in front of a room full of pretend students who all were fully engaged in the learning. Some teachers, though, come to teaching after decades-long careers in other fields and a wide array of life experiences. Maybe they’d sworn they’d NEVER be a teacher, maybe they’d never even given teaching any consideration, but somehow, they found themselves wondering what it would be like to work in education, one of the hardest, most rewarding, most frustrating, most impactful jobs in existence.
For those whose college degrees do not match their heart’s desire to teach, it might seem that their chance has passed them. It might seem impossible to add going back to college to all of life’s other responsibilities. In Georgia, these individuals have a wonderful opportunity to make their teaching dreams a reality through a program called the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy, or GaTAPP.
GaTAPP is a classroom-based teacher preparation option for individuals who have the basic qualifications to teach in most fields of education but have not completed a teacher preparation program. The two-year program is not intended to replace regular college teacher education programs, but for those who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher but did not complete teacher education requirements as part of their degree programs, it provides a pathway to becoming certified while actively teaching. GaTAPP equips teacher candidates with the skills to ensure a reasonable expectation of success in their classrooms and puts in place a supervised candidateship/induction program to help them move toward subsequent mastery of teaching.
Since the beginning of Metro RESA’s GaTAPP program, over 2,000 people have successfully become a Georgia teacher. With slightly over 40% of the total student population in a Metro RESA district, the need for highly qualified teachers just keeps growing. To join the Metro RESA GaTAPP program, the applicant must have a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university; must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA on the bachelor’s degree (2.75 if applying and not currently teaching is required for pre-approval); must have a certificate of completion for the GACE Ethics examination; must have a provisional teaching certificate (requested by the employing district and is good for three years); and must have a teaching contract from a district served by our RESA. (Programs are unique in their requirements, so it’s important to check with your TAPP provider to learn more about specific requirements.) Teachers who are employed in public schools, charter schools, and private schools with COGNIA accreditation are eligible.
Once a teacher begins the program, they attend the 80-hour Essentials of Effective Teaching course in the summer. This intense immersion into pedagogy is fast-paced, fun, high-energy, and engaging. Deemed “boot camp for teachers”, it is a resource-rich start to the two year program. Once the school year begins, teachers attend blended classes while also working with a team for support in their building. They are surrounded by a Candidate Support Team which includes the candidate, a mentor, a school administrator, and a field supervisor from Metro RESA. This team meets three times per year to discuss program progress. The candidate also has at least sixteen classroom observations throughout the course of the program. Program classwork is completed in Year One of the program, and the EPiC assessment and a portfolio are completed in year two of the program. Once all program requirements have been met, the candidate is recommended for professional certification.
Metro RESA is proud of the opportunities provided to those who didn’t start their professional lives as teachers but have recognized the wonderful impact teaching can have on the community and the lives of children. To learn more about the program, visit us at www.mresa.org/gatapp.
