One of the things I love about partnering with God is that even when I don’t know how things will turn out or how in the world they’re going to come together, He does. As I believer, I know I can and should trust Him completely. But because I’m also human, I must admit that there have been times when I’ve worried about the outcome of things. Especially regarding passing my Praxis test to obtain and fulfill my licensure requirements to continue teaching English at the secondary level.
I’m happy to report that after a lot of preparation, late nights, hard work, and completion of additional graduate coursework at Old Dominion University, I’ve officially taken and successfully passed my Praxis test! Though I’m excited, relieved, and abundantly grateful for God and my amazing support system that helped encourage and motivate me through this journey, I also want to share that the test wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be and it took more than a few attempts for me to pass it.
I took it three times – and my third attempt was when I passed it. Let me explain…
Before preparing for the Praxis, I’d heard a lot of different things about how hard it was to pass. I’d talked to different teachers and colleagues in the education field who explained that it wasn’t easy to pass, and I’d heard from a few others who shared that they’d passed it the first time they took it. So I knew I needed to prepare. As a provisionally licensed teacher, I was informed that I had a timeline of three years to complete my licensure requirements. So about a year after my first year of teaching, I continued taking my required graduate courses and began studying for the Praxis English Language Arts: Content Knowledge 5038 test.
To my surprise, the graduate coursework wasn’t as hard as I imagined it would be. I maintained a solid GPA and was even initiated into the International Honor Society in Education. The most challenging thing though was finding a balance between taking classes and teaching full-time. Fortunately, I had incredible professors and peers (many of whom were provisionally teaching too), who were kind, helpful, supportive, and understanding as we all navigated the journey to becoming better educators together. However, the Praxis still needed to be done.
So at the end of last year, I took Praxis practice tests every other weekend to prepare. I also reviewed different Quizlet flashcards that covered material likely to be on the test. And when I took the test the first time, I didn’t pass it by exactly eight points. I was disappointed but thought, “I’ll get it next time.” As I reflected, I realized that I panicked when I kept looking at the timer as I answered each question, and I ended up guessing on questions I didn’t know the answers to. As an English major, I underestimated how challenging the content would be and I also didn’t have formal training or full knowledge of classroom teaching content before taking the test, so I needed to try again.
As I continued studying and preparing, I waited four months to retest to give myself more time to prepare – when I probably should have retested sooner. When I took it the second time, I felt confident going in. However, my overthinking got the best of me, and once I finished the test and realized I had time to go back and review my answers, I started changing my original answer choices to questions I’d already answered. During my second attempt, I didn’t pass the test by exactly one point. And I was really upset. I felt discouraged, humiliated, and unqualified to continue teaching. I cried a lot when I got home too. As I reflected, I understood that when I changed my original answers, I probably changed some that were already correct. So I learned what not to do moving forward.
Before I began preparing to take the test a third time, I asked other colleagues I knew about how they prepared, and I even did some homework on how other new teachers with non-traditional teaching backgrounds prepared for their tests. And one resource that was a gamechanger for me was a Praxis 5038 test prep book by Kathleen Jasper that helped me understand different content I wasn’t as familiar with and better strategies to prepare for the test. The link for the book can be found here should you ever need a quality resource to help you if you’re seeking licensure as a secondary English teacher.
When I tell you I was studying and regularly preparing every week leading up to my third attempt? I was all in, and I wasn’t messing around. I’d be up reviewing content in the mornings before work, during my lunch breaks at work, and for hours after work during the evening. All while teaching full-time. There were honestly nights when I was in tears like, “God, are you sure I’m supposed to be a teacher?”
But I pushed past my feelings and kept preparing. And when the day arrived to retest, I went into it with a spirit of calmness, confidence, and faith. I’d prepared, I’d prayed, and I was ready. And as I took my time and answered each question, I felt like I was going to be okay no matter how things turned out. When the test ended, I saw my score and knew that I passed. I wanted to shout, dance, and cry out to God at that very moment (but that kind of behavior isn’t prohibited in a silent testing area) so, my praises to Him would have to wait until I left the building.
And man, did I praise and thank Him. God is so good.
I wanted to share this story to be transparent about how many times it took for me to pass this test, specifically because there are a lot of teachers who don’t share how challenging obtaining licensure can be – especially for new educators. A lot of teachers will never share that they didn’t always know what they know now, and I believe it’s important to share your challenges, setbacks, and even your failures, no matter how seasoned you are, because they can help someone who may end up on a similar journey. Initially, I was embarrassed about not passing the test when I took it, but what matters is that I did pass. And I learned so much along the way that I didn’t know about my content area, secondary learning, and myself.
When I was searching for new career opportunities a little over a year ago, I never imagined that being an English teacher was what God had in mind. It certainly wasn’t a profession I had in mind for myself. And there were plenty of other teachers, peers, and different colleagues who had a lot to say about my new career path too:
“You look too young to be an English teacher,” they said.
“You don’t have any teaching experience,” they said.
“You don’t have enough teaching experience, they said.”
“You won’t be able to handle a classroom full of students,” they said.
“You’re not really qualified,” they said.
“You’re just a writer and an English major,” they said.
“You can just work on the warm ups and APKs and let the more seasoned teachers focus on the planning,” they said.
“You shouldn’t have your students read an entire chapter book. They should read excerpts like everyone else since they’re not going to read anyway,” they said.
“I’m surprised you even got that teaching position,” they said.
“Teaching is not for everyone,” they said.
“What’s your end game if your contract doesn’t get renewed?” they said.
“What if you don’t pass your Praxis? I wouldn’t take a job based on whether I passed a test or not,” they said.
And on and on it went. However, once my students exceptional test scores and academics began to speak and show, the new question became, “What’s your secret?”
One of my biggest takeaways from this experience has been that there will always be doubters, discouragers, and haters no matter what you’re trying to do. My advice is to do your best to ignore them, tune them out, and allow the work to speak for itself.
Although going back to school and taking tests to obtain licensure (while working full-time) wasn't always fun, convenient, or easy, I'm glad I stepped out on faith and stayed the course. When God has a plan for you and for your career, be obedient and trust Him. He knows what He's doing and what's best for you. Plus, your steps are already ordered (Psalm 37:23). Connect with Him and allow Him to take the lead. You've got this.