“I took my classes at County College of Morris in the evenings starting in July. By September, I was teaching at a middle school.”
Teresa Schuele
Class: 2008
Teacher Certification, Alternate Route
Teresa Schuele, ’08, always wanted to be a teacher, in high school and in college, but was talked out of that goal. She managed to continue with her passion of being an educator in other ways, however, such as teaching step aerobics and volunteering with the Girl Scouts, Vacation Bible School and a Confirmation Prep program. “In 2007, my husband was laid off and I decided was time,” she says.
With two degrees already in her pocket, a B.S. in Mathematics and an MBA in Marketing, it was time for Schuele to pursue her dream and go back to school to become a teacher. Schuele spent a full year as a substitute teacher and then formally entered the alternate route certification program at CCM’s Center for Workforce Development in 2008. This program, which is designed for individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education, provide a way for a career-changer to gain the necessary teaching skills and knowledge while working in the classroom.
“I took my classes at County College of Morris (CCM) in the evenings starting in July. By September, I was teaching at a middle school,” she says. “After four years as a middle school teacher, I moved on to teach high school, where I still am today.”
Schuele has taught all levels of algebra and geometry plus a few semester-long specialized classes. “I enjoy the students so much as we talk about academics and our lives.” She also finds her students, “fun, engaging, interesting, and entertaining,” and this is key to building positive relationships which is essential to creating a supportive and effective learning environment.
This educator admits she owes much of her success to her CCM teachers. “They encouraged us to stay in touch with our classmates,” she explains, to establish a network for resource sharing as each moved forward. “My first mentor and coworkers are still my friends,” says Schuele. “Each year you get to work with different colleagues, whether they are in your department or from a different curriculum.”