Having a bachelor’s degree made the process of getting a teaching certificate easy at that time. When I started this process there was a shortage of teachers and going back for the need classes was a simple process. At that time the colleges would help with setting up these needed classes and helping you would get all the material you needed to pass the Teaching Certification test.  My bachelor’s degree from Temple was in Bible and History. My grades however were not the best. My class ranking was one hundred and seventy-seven out of one hundred and seventy-nine students. However, Temple did let me enter their master program after I finished college and I was able to add on one year of educational classes to my course of studies before I left school and went into management with Kroger. It amazing how that extra year of taking graduate classes in education save me from taking those classes to get my teaching certificate. In seven months, I had taken all the needed classes.

However, I also had to pass the Middle School Certification test given at that time to get the needed teacher certification needed for a career as an educator. This test was made easy by having as my last class a teacher who walked his class through every aspect that the test would cover. I also had a great teacher as a mentor as I did my student teaching at a local middle school. These two teachers really make me work hard in both the classwork, and the student teaching required classroom setting, but the information I gained made the Middle School Certification test easy. Passed with great scores.

Up to this time in my life school was just a hurdle that I had get pass to move to the next stage. But the process of getting my Middle School Certification to become an educator made the desire learn and enjoy the process of education take on a greater meaning in my live. I had said with my college degree that at least I knew more than two more students in my class and the problem with that was I accepted and was content with just getting a degree. However, that view point change by this time in my life. In the following years I added two master’s degrees and a specialist degree to my list of certifications. I graduated with honors with all these degrees and had one B to go along with the rest A’s with the specialist degree.

As we age, we must not stop learning. We must continue to grow mental, spiritual, emotional and as for the physical aging process we learn to deal with the physical limitations placed upon us. We must strive to constantly improve in these areas so that we can set the example for those around us. Staying in God’s Word is the greatest treasure we have to meet the goals of growing mental, emotional, and spirituality.