UNDERGRAD. EDUCATION MAJOR QUESTIONS

mikemac
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 19:56:46 +0000

“alternate certification” is not what you are looking for.

The State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing offers alternative pathways to teacher certification for those who already have specific skills and knowledge or for those who were in the Peace Corps. These are known respectively as the Early Completion Internship Option and the Peace Corps Teaching Experience. The Early Completion Internship Option is designed for those who already have experience teaching students.
Alternative Teaching Certification in California | Alternative teacher certification process in CA - Teaching Certification

Instead what you want is to attend an ordinary graduate program for training teachers, often taking just 1 year.

The State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing issues an Elementary Teaching Credential (Multiple Subject) and a Secondary Teaching Credential (Single Subject) to qualified applicants. To earn a Preliminary Credential, which is the first type of teaching credential available to new applicants and is valid for five years, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and complete an approved California teacher preparation program.
California Teaching Certification | Become a teacher in CA - Teaching Certification

Most of the CSU offer this training, as do many UCs. The web pages given above have useful information, as does the CA Teaching Commission at http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/approved-programs.html There is also a lot of info at http://www.teachcalifornia.org/

If you have any thought of being a HS teacher you should know that it requires what is known as “single-subject” teaching credential so you’d want to be sure you take all the required academic classes for your specialty subject while an undergrad. Of course there would be no harm in making sure you take all the right classes for single-subject, then decide later to teach elementary.

As a current UCLA student you should visit the Career Center to speak with a counselor for more personal help.