Taking the Dreaded Praxis II

by Krystle Wiggins (senior)

In order to graduate from college as a licensed elementary or special education teacher, one must to take the Praxis II. These tests are subject based, and are very different for each licensure area. For instance, in art, you are required to produce actual drawings and samples of your work, while to gain licensure in secondary social studies you are required to plan a unit and a lesson. It is important to ensure that you know what is required of your subject area in order to become licensed. I am currently completing my Senior II internship in elementary education, and I took the Praxis II in November. When I started school, I didn't realize what all I would have to do to become a teacher, but along the way I learned first hand, and this is my personal experience of obtaining my licensure in elementary education.

Personally, I feel that most people entering college and pursuing a teaching career think that all they have to do is complete four years of college and they are a teacher. This is not correct! As a sophomore elementary education major you are required to take the Praxis I, which is about your basic knowledge of reading, writing, and math. This test is taken to get into Upper Division in the College of Education at ECU. As a senior, you are required to take the Praxis II which puts everything that you have learned in college to work. For me, I think the best way to describe the Praxis II experience is, intense. I concentrated on studying for over a week with books and materials that were to be used as practice for the test. There are two parts for the Praxis II, the first portion takes two hours and consists of 110 multiple choice questions, and the second part is also two hours and consists of four essays. So, just to recap, graduating with a degree in education does not qualify you to teach, you must take and pass the Praxis II, then you are a certified TEACHER!!!!!