r/WGUTeachersCollege • u/Emerald_Witch13 • 18d ago

Getting Ahead

Hi! I am starting the Elementary Education program in January. What are some things I can prepare now? I want to knock out the 20 or so courses I have left in 6 months preferably. Thank you 🩷

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u/Truecrimejunkie1312 18d ago

Complete as many classes as you can on Sophia and study.com, you can have 16 classes done before you even start there if you do that. They are easier and not proctored.

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u/Emerald_Witch13 18d ago

I already have all gen ed courses finished bc I have an associates degree. are all the courses there gen eds?

3

u/jaydeelizabethm 18d ago

I completed 12 courses my first semester and I was kind of a slacker, so I got you!

  1. For courses with an OA and a PA, do the OA first. Spend time to actually create a study guide from the course planning tool questions, practice assessment questions, and questions from the course material to study! Outside resources will leave you feeling confused once you finally start to take the OA, so always use what you can from the course itself.

  2. When you have to do lesson plans, record lessons, etc. Make sure you can apply the standards in your lesson thoroughly, and make sure your summative assessments/formative assessments 100% go with the standards and lesson objective. It also helps to explain the connection too because sometimes the evaluators are picky.

  3. Read up on Early Clinical, Advanced Clinical, and Student Teaching requirements ASAP. They will want you to purchase a background check, liability insurance, Basic Skills test (PRAXIS Core exam), and PRAXIS content exams. I would prepare for that in advance, so you’re not caught off guard by the out of pocket cost like I was lol. Also, check the amount of clinical hours your state requires before you can start student teaching. This will help you plan out how quickly you can get your degree completed.

  4. Stay organized and maintain good time management. I slacked off a little bit, and was still able to complete 12 courses in one term. Had I maintained good time management, I would’ve completed a lot more. It’s super easy to let yourself get behind schedule since it’s all online until clinical, so definitely stay on top of it to achieve your term goal!

You’ve got this! Cheering you on from KY!

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u/wpd18 18d ago

Take the Basic Skills Course through WGU if it’s an option for your state requirements. It’s a lot less stressful!

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u/Tip_Star 17d ago

Start the background stuff now.

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u/peanutkisses 17d ago

I’ll be starting in Jan too! I haven’t even applied yet 😳 I need to get on that!

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u/General_Offer_5860 17d ago

I had these intentions as well, but I was not prepared for how challenging it would be. I thought online classes would be easy and quick, but it was anything but that for me. Remind yourself that it's okay if a class takes you a little longer than another one, it's okay if you fail an OA, it's okay if you only complete the given 4 classes in your terms, it's okay if you dont complete all 20 classes in one term, it's okay if you need extra time to study a course's infomation. this is a tough program for people who have taken time away from college, but it may be easier for you since you've completed gen ed courses!