Becoming an Art Teacher | Gina Plaitakis

It’s the end-of-the-semester craze. I now realize just how nice my life was before going back to school for my master’s. I had all the time in the world to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. For six years I didn’t have bosses or professors telling me what to do and I didn’t have to answer to co-op mentor teachers or supervisors or anyone else for that matter. I was the Lady of the House, I called the shots, I ran the show. Now of course, I am still Lady of the House, but that job has taken a far back seat to my new position as graduate student.

It’s been three weeks since I started school and my master’s in fine-art education. My Foundation of Graduate Study in Art Education class has met three times so far and I have already had to hand in two papers. I have a third paper due next week. It is definitely writing and reading intensive, so I’m glad that I only took four credits this semester. At this rate, I’ll probably be on the five-year program! Just kidding. The program normally takes two to three years.

The summer has flown by, and school is starting in a week for both my daughter and myself. Sophia will be entering the first grade. I will be entering a master’s program in fine arts education. How did I get here?

One great thing about substitute teaching is that you get to eat lunch in the teachers’ lounge. Besides the local gossip, there’s a wealth of information one can learn from the staff teachers, student teachers, aides and other substitutes. I had the opportunity to discuss at length the differences between taking the “alternate route” and going back to school to get a master’s degree in teaching. Both routes will give me the same end result of becoming a certified art teacher for grades K-12.

I substitute taught this past spring. It’s been a real learning experience for me. I got to witness a number of other substitutes and I have come to notice a few types of people doing this line of work.

For people like me who wish to become teachers in public schools but don’t have an education degree, there are programs called “alternate route.” The official definition on the New Jersey Department of Education website states, “The Alternate Route program is a non-traditional teacher preparation program designed for those individuals who have not completed a formal teacher preparation program at an accredited college or university, but wish to obtain the necessary training to become a NJ certified teacher.”

I had my daughter at age 37 and decided to stay home with her for the first couple years. After all, I had waited a long time to become a mother; I wanted to savor it. For years, while living in Park Slope, I had secretly envied the moms casually pushing their baby strollers while sipping their lattes. I was always running to catch a subway to work. I yearned for the idyllic life they appeared to have.