I will be graduating with a bachelors in Psychology in a few weeks and just recently decided that I want to become a special education teacher. It's too late to apply to teaching credential programs for this fall and I think some time off of school would be a good idea for me anyway. So, I'm applying to teaching credential programs for next fall.

Anyway, up until now I wasn't really planning on going on in school after getting my bachelors and stupidly didn't get to know my professors well enough. Now I need letters of recommendation for teaching credential programs and I really don't know of any of my professors who could write me good recommendations. The schools that I'm applying to state the recommendations must be written by a "current professional acquaintance or educator" The letters of recommendation for these schools are not technically "letters" but they are forms that ask the person filling it out to rate my ability to be a teacher and write comments on their ratings. Because these forms are specifically asking the person to rate my personal qualities I am worried that since my professors don't really know me beyond my test grades, papers and attendance that they won't be able to answer these questions about my character.

I have been volunteering with an organization (through my university) for the past 9 months that is involved with educating preschool aged children in the classroom setting and I am going to ask a supervisor from that organization who knows me well to fill out a recommendation form for me.

I am planning on taking some classes at a university this fall as a "non-matriculated" student (not accepted to the university) and am hoping that I could get to know the professors in those classes and have them fill out the recommendation forms for me. (I want to take classes as a non-matriculated student because if not I'd have to apply to the school--hence needing letters of recommendation which is already a problem)

I also need to get some experience working in the classroom setting at the elementary level (since that is the level I want to teach in) before I can apply to teaching credential programs and am hoping that when I do that I could get letters of rec from that as well.

Anyway, sorry this is so long but I want to explain my whole situation in order to get more specific feedback. If anybody has advice on what I should do I would appreciate it. Will it look bad that I don't have letters of rec from professors from the school I am getting my undergrad degree at or does it not matter?

I figure that I shouldn't just have any professor fill out the recommendation form for me because I want it to be a good recommendation not just a mediocre one because they can't adequately evaluate my character.

Also if anybody knows of any tips on how to get involved in getting some volunteer experience in the classroom level (for special education) I would love to hear them.

Wondergirl

The cert program wants letters from "current professional acquaintance or educator." The acquaintance part doesn't mean professors and covers a lot of territory. Any volunteer teaching work, working with elem students, should fill the bill. Plus, get to know a couple of profs in that non-matric program.

sunshine304

I was just going over the application to the program again and it requires that I list three academic references (must be faculty members) Man I really screwed myself over not getting to know my professors during my undergrad. Hopefully I can take some classes relevant to what I want to do in a non matriculated program and include them as references.

Wondergirl

Is there a class you did especially well in and the prof would write a letter?

LuisV714

In all honesty, just ask any professor that you think may slightly remember you. Not all professors are as strict with these things, you may get lucky and have some give you a recommendation without knowing you very well. Others may be more hesitant, just give it a shot.

I don't know about your university but for me I was required to get two from my major and one from the education department.