About This Project
In 2017, out of a love for storytelling and teaching, and from a desire to have gainful employment, I began the process of obtaining a master’s degree in English Education to teach at the secondary grade level.
This page contains a history of this years-long endeavor.
Blog Posts
The following are blog posts discussing my progress towards this degree.
2024
Certification Update – April 27th
Certification Update – April 30th
Certification Update – May 3rd
Certification Update – May 6th
Certification Update – June 14th
Certification Update – July 18th
2025
Certification Update – January 1st
Overall Progress
The following is a checklist of all of the steps necessary to undertake to earn the certificate.
Prerequisites
Bachelor’s Degree
A teaching certificate requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
| Degree | Credits | Completed |
| Bachelor’s of Fine Arts: Illustration | 120+ | ✔ |
English Language Prerequisite Courses
Because my bachelor’s degree was not specifically in the English Language Arts, Western Governor’s University required that I complete a number of prerequisite courses.
| Requirement | Institution | Course | Credits | Complete |
| Linguistics | RSC | SLC201 | 3 | ✔ |
| Writing (1 of 2) | BYU | ENGL115 | 3 | ✔ |
| Writing (2 of 2) | BYU | ENGL311 | 3 | ✔ |
| Presentation | Straighter L. | COM101 | 3 | ✔ |
| Cultural Studies | BYU | MUS195 | 3 | ✔ |
| Literature (1 of 3) | BYU | REL121 | 2 | ✔ |
| Literature (2 of 3) | BYU | REL122 | 2 | ✔ |
| Literature (3 of 3) | BYU | REL211 | 2 | ✔ |
| Additional Engl. | BYU | ENGL218 | 3 | ✔ |
| Additional Engl. | BYU | ENGL291 | 3 | ✔ |
| Additional Engl. | BYU | ENGL292 | 3 | ✔ |
WGU Night Courses
The WGU MAT program in teaching English requires the following courses. Courses are administered online and can be completed at an essentially arbitrary pace.
| Course Name | Credits | Completed |
| Orientation | 0 | ✔ |
| Foundations of Education | 2 | ✔ |
| Educational Psychology and Human Development of Children and Adolescents | 4 | ✔ |
| Schools as Communities of Care | 2 | ✔ |
| Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment | 2 | ✔ |
| Assessing Student Learning | 2 | ✔ |
| Essential Practices for Supporting Diverse Learners | 3 | ✔ |
| Creating and Managing Engaging Learning Environments | 2 | ✔ |
| Using Educational Technology for Teaching and Learning | 2 | ✔ |
| Secondary Reading Instruction and Interventions | 2 | ✔ |
| Secondary Disciplinary Literacy | 2 | ✔ |
| English Pedagogy | 3 | ✔ |
| Professional Portfolio | 1 | (In progress) |
| Cohort Seminar | 1 | (In progress) |
On-the-job Coursework
As a part of the WGU master’s degree program, I am required to complete on-the-job clinical hours.
| Course Name | Credits | Completed |
| Preclinical Experiences in English | 2 | ✔ |
| Student Teaching I in Secondary Education | 4 | (In progress) |
| Student Teaching II in Secondary Education | 4 | |
| Teacher Performance Assessment in English | 1 | (In progress) |
State-Required Coursework
While the above courses are required by my master’s degree program, there are two other courses that the State of Alaska requires. A person can get an initial teaching certificate before completing these courses, but the courses must be completed within two years.
| Course | Credits | Completed |
| Alaska Studies Coursework | 3 | |
| Alaska Multicultural Coursework | 3 | (In progress) |
List of Exams
Here is a checklist of Praxis Exam requirements.
| Exam Name | Passed |
| Praxis – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing | ✔ |
| Praxis – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics | ✔ |
| Praxis – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading | ✔ |
| Praxis II English Language Arts: Content and Analysis 5039 | ✔ |