How the GED Could Be a Path to Success | Episode 94

Educational expert Tauanja Kittrell and host, TD Flenaugh, discuss the General Educational Development (GED) test, explaining its history, purpose, and structure. The GED, developed in the 1940s, is a four-subject test (English, science, math, social studies) that can lead to a high school equivalency. Flenaugh highlights the financial benefits of obtaining a GED, noting an average income increase of $9,000 annually. 

Contact Tauanja Kittrell for GED Prep - pursuingpossibleprllc@gmail.com
She is a premier GED Prep coach. Kittrell emphasizes the importance of vocational training and entrepreneurship. She shares her extensive background in STEM education and nonprofit work, advocating for well-rounded education that includes vocational skills and community service.

Episode Highlights:

0:00:00 Introduction of the GED (General Educational Development Test)
0:06:04 Tauanja Kittrell's Professional Background: Kittrell introduces herself as a GED educational facilitator.
0:12:34 GED as an Educational Alternative: Kittrell discusses how the GED can be a valuable option for students who may not thrive in traditional school settings and who are homeschooling.
0:17:27 Vocational Opportunities: Kittrell highlights various trade careers that individuals can pursue with a GED.

Transcript

TD Flenaugh: 0:00

The G E, D. Now many of us have a negative idea about this, but many of us don't even know what it means. So it is according to G, E, D.com, it stands for the general educational development test. So what is it? Why might it be something that you need to consider? And you know, how can you study for it? What do you need to study these? All these topics are going to be covered in our episode coming up today. Tune in. Subscribe, relax. Listen in. Hi. Thank you so much for joining the following for learning podcast. We have this podcast to help parents and caregivers with having the resources, strategies and tools needed to make sure that their children are on track for learning and to stay on track for success. So today we're going to bring in an expert about this topic. But before that, we're going to dive into some basics about the general education test. General Education Development test. So it was, it was developed in the 1940s for soldiers who ended up leaving high school to join the military, and so they had this general education development test so that they can get jobs after they get out of the military. That did that required a college a high school diploma. Now obviously high school diploma usually takes four years. And the general education development test, or the GED, is four different tests, has four different subjects. They have, obviously, the English, the science, the math and the social studies. So those core topics or subject areas that are in high school, same thing in the general education, development, developmental test. So you do need to study and make sure you have those basic skills. On average, they're saying that you can make at least $9,000 more a year if you were not able to finish your high school diploma in a traditional setting, just going through that process and actually finishing something, finishing that test, studying for it, getting your skill level up to the level that it needs to be to pass the test, is something that is a worthy cause, and it's something that is going to help propel you further. Now, because you're going, if you're a child or even you're listening to this and have decided to take this route, or maybe need to take that route because of some different turns in your life, you can also be thinking about a trade or a business, and our guest Today will talk more about that as well. So all is not lost if you have to leave high school, or, for example, if you're homeschooling, and you know, you're maybe not sure how to end it for your child, or like to help, you know, pass certain qualifications, because depending on where you are homeschooling, there's different qualifications, different things that you have to do. You may or may not meet those, but your child can still get their general educational development equivalency or their GED right. So let's dive into it. We're going to welcome our guest today and really talk about what we need to know as as all this shifting is going on in the world of education, with funding of public schools, as well as a rise in the amount of people that have decided to homeschool their children, you TD, today, we have a wonderful guest by the name of Tauanja Kittrell. This is our second time having her on the show, one of my very good friends and education experts is going to talk to you about the GED now, getting your kids on track for learning and staying on track for success may be an alternative path in your particular case, and if that is true and. You want to know more tune. Okay, so please make sure you stay tuned for this episode. Like and subscribe. Hi. Thank you so much for joining the Falling for Learning Podcast. I am TD Flenaugh. We have this podcast to help parents and caregivers with having the resources, strategies and tools needed to make sure that their children are on track for learning and to stay on track for success. Hello, how are you doing? Ms. Kittrell, I'm good. How you doing? How you doing? Doing? Great. Okay, so let's talk about the GED. And now sometimes people are going to be very like, taken aback by that, but get into Can you tell us about your expertise in this area?

Unknown: 6:04

Currently, right now, I am a GED educational facilitator. I work in the Department of Corrections. So I work with adults, primarily helping them to get prepared for the GED so that they can get their diploma. It is a very lengthy process, however, I don't really look at it as lengthiness. I look at it as being able to help them to make that connection with themselves and where they are with their learning, so that they can get through.

TD Flenaugh: 6:35

Okay, all right, so tell us about your education background. So, and you know what really helped you to gain the expertise that you have?

Unknown: 6:48

Well, I have a I have a very heavy STEM background. So my background is STEM related, very heavy in sciences. So with science, you know, it also comes math. Last year, had the opportunity of actually teaching AP biology. I also did intro to robotics, and I also did physical science as well, but primarily, my education background doesn't just stem from the classroom. Um, I also have non profit experience as well, where I've also helped support non profits, who are also in the educational space. So I did a very long stint with girls in technology. So with that in mind, I was able to mentor and also have, you know, the ability to make a difference with that program at Johns Hopkins University. And then I also helped to facilitate the DC get program. I also worked with a nonprofit called Word beats in life, which primarily deals with arts and helping individuals look at their creativity and their creative side as it relates to art, DJing spoken word and also enhancing themselves in the classroom. So it's I'm very diverse when it comes to education. And also had an opportunity to work in PG County for a number of years, also serving as a educator in PG County for PG County's public schools. So also did math.

TD Flenaugh: 8:19

Can you pause for one second. Can you tell us? Because we have people from all over what is PG County and where it's located and all of that,

Unknown: 8:28

of course. So PG County stands for Prince George's County, Maryland. So, so I work with them for a number of years because I was a uniform employee in DC, so that there wasn't any conflict. I would work in PG County on my off days to support education. So I've always been in public service, but I did divide myself equally to both education and also serving on the front line as well. Wonderful.

TD Flenaugh: 8:55

Okay, so it is our second time having you on the show. But we want to also always go back to what is that thing that sparked your love for learning? You know you're really desire to continue to learn and develop yourself as a child, as a teenager, and keeps you going as an adult.

Unknown: 9:20

Well, for me, learning has always been, how can I say has always been part of me. I was an honor student from a very young age. I was also an honors student through high school, and then even in college. Always felt myself being that person that most people could come to to kind of help get them through. So when you look at the mentoring and the nurturing aspect of you know, the things that I do you know personally. But then there's other people who know me on a personal matter, but also from the professional world that's always been a part of me. Education has always been a very big piece. And our family alone, and my grandfather pretty much set that foundation. So I. From a young age, I was always taught that people can take a title away, but nobody can ever take the education and the knowledge that you acquire. So it's important for you, it's important for you as a young person, to just make sure that you always strive to stay knowledgeable about different things and also have that diverse aspect of what knowledge looks like, because that's how you build wisdom, and that's also how you grow and develop. So I've pretty much done that from a younger age, and cultivate the same practices even now. Where I stand even as an educator, you know it's important for you to stay connected, yes, make sure that you also continuously learn, because you're only as good as the things that you also acquire. So it's it's been continuous for me,

TD Flenaugh: 10:48

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Unknown: 11:41

Well, the GED program is pretty much you acquiring your high school diploma. I think that sometimes, when people hear the GED, they're kind of, it kind of comes with a stigma. Sometimes it doesn't mean that it's a bad thing at all. What it means is that it's an opportunity for you to take advantage of your education for whatever circumstance that may come your way. Now, some people have to go the GD route because of whatever circumstances they may have met at that time. So school is not always a good fit for everybody, but getting into a GD program, which will help you pretty much acquire the same thing, like I said, that you would normally do in high school, except that you're not in a school setting, per se, but you are in a educational program which still gives you the same educational requirements so that you can get that diploma. So

TD Flenaugh: 12:35

what can you tell us about? You know, possibly with some changes in funding to public schools. Why might GED be an option that people may consider in the future?

Unknown: 12:49

Well, we know that right now, education is a very big topic. It is going to continue to be a very big topic. So I just want to make sure that people stay. How can I say optimistic and also hopeful. Again, it does not matter what you decide to do and what avenue that you take, because at the end of the day, whatever is going to be for you is going to be for you. Now, let's look at where some people may live. The GD program may also be an option for them. Again, it just depends on your circumstance, because we do know that there's going to be a big shift, if it hasn't already taken place in some places where some people will have to do homeschooling. Yeah, so with homeschooling, you know, there's, that's a whole another, different type of, you know, system itself, and again, it's still educational, but it just depends on what's going to be a good fit for you. Now, again, education and the school setting is not always a good fit for everybody. So if you do have a child who may have had to pivot when the regular school system and is deciding whether or not they want to still continue school, I would say that the GD program does offer you the ability for you to still be able to acquire that diploma, but it's a different fit for you. Yeah, now, just so I can give some background about what it's entailed with the GD program. It is subject based, so you will still have your math, you still have your reading, your language, you still have your social studies component, and then you also have your science component. So it's no different from you actually being in school. You just have to make sure that you set up a system for yourself so that you can definitely study and prepare so that you can take that examination.

TD Flenaugh: 14:36

Okay, so thank you for giving us that insight, because I don't know if everyone knows that, like it's, we know it's like a general education diploma, but do, we may not know that you have to show proficiency in these different subject areas. And that even brings me to the topic that you don't you, you're one of the things that you do offer is. The GED prep services yourself, so we'll put your information in the show notes. So in case you need that kind of support, Miss Cottrell definitely can provide that. And so when we're thinking about going that route with the GED, one thing that you that stood out to me when we were talking about this is that you don't want to just have as the G D, you also need to consider other career aspects. And can you tell us more about that?

Unknown: 15:32

Well, I'm always telling, you know, students not to just put everything just in. One thing, you know, I think it's important that we look at where we are right now with the world, and we also look at what is going to be beneficial, not just for self, but also beneficial for community and also family. Again, I know that I've spoken about this in many aspects, and even on my platform before that we have to really look at the big picture things. Education is the foundation for life. It is going to help you to navigate in many different aspects in your life. But I also think that it's important as well that we also have education as the forefront when it relates to family and also advancement. So it's important to be able to one build that family structure. Because again, if you're getting your education and you also seek vocation, okay, those are two separate things which will help to build you. Vocation is very important. And so what does vocation look like? That means you can look at a trade, you can look at other aspects. It could be a pipeline to building something that you and your family can grow with, and or it can also help you to pivot into a business. So I think that the language, when we look at education, it does have to change in that aspect, because I think that sometimes we just filter one thing, and that's books, books, books. No, it should be very well rounded when we have service. And with that service piece, it also comes vocation. So

TD Flenaugh: 17:05

can I just say, like, get more information about vocation. So can you give us an example of like, What do you mean by vocation? Like, one career path, you know you're you had to pivot, get your G T, get your GED. And so what is one, like career aspect related to the vocation that you could do? Well,

Unknown: 17:28

when I say vocation, I mean trades. So there's a number of trades where I think that individuals should look at it could be electrical. It can also be plumbing. You have solar, you have transportation, you also have health related fields. And like I said, the transportation industry is definitely a big one, because we know that there's been a lot of money that has been put into the infrastructure to building more railroads and then also improving other city services. So again, that trade piece is going to be very big. So again, I think that sometimes, you know, we limit the mindset, instead of just looking at it as an aspect of, okay, let me acquire this, but you still need to have a trade. So I'm going to say that I think that both, especially during these times, is something that I would recommend that everybody, if not everybody, but at least with our kids, we get them into the mainstream of what vocation really looks like, so that they can also have an opportunity to put their stamp in the community and also in the household. I

TD Flenaugh: 18:33

like that what you're saying, because we do need people to take every you know everyone, no matter what your particular career is even doctors need someone to fix their plumbing, to do their electrician, you know, or you may not have time if you're in a career. And another part I really want you to highlight, I mean that you highlighted already was getting business. You know, get your own business. So can you give us an example of a business someone might start, they have their GED and what is some type of business they could start that they don't have to have, like, an extra like, you know, because you were saying earlier, we really talk about books or going into higher education, but we don't talk about vocation or even entrepreneurship that much. So, can you give an example of a business someone may start that doesn't require a lot of education?

Unknown: 19:22

Well, let me say this. I'm not going to say that everybody has to have a diploma, so let me just make sure that I put that on the table, because education is not always for everybody. But what I am going to say is that the more education that you have, or the exposure to education that you have, it's going to help you, because when it's time for you to be able to communicate when it's time for you to be able to operate different transactions. You want to be able to stand on your own. You want to be able to have the understanding of what is happening. Because we know that literacy is an issue when we look at education. And I'm not speaking bad on anybody, but the literacy rates are not where they need to be. Um, also the financial aspect and understanding what finances looks like. It's not where it needs to be across the board. So when I speak about education, I am talking about education as the aspect of having those tools that is going to help build you and develop you so that you have a clear understanding, so that if you do want to start a business again, it's going to take partners. It's not going to always just be you. At some point you're going to have to scale. So with that being said, you want to have an opportunity to understand what's happening from the beginning to the end and in the middle. That's how you're going to continue to grow. That's how you're going to be able to make a difference. Okay, so education is going to always be something that you're going to need. Now, funny aspect of entrepreneurship. There are many different businesses out here, and I think that when we talk about businesses, we have to just make sure that when we are looking to do that, it is about solutions, it is about community. It is about serving something so that it is solving something. Um, it's okay to like and love certain things, but I think right now, especially in the times that we're in, we just want to make sure that we're doing something that's going to benefit somebody outside of ourselves. How are we solving a problem?

TD Flenaugh: 21:17

Thanks again for supporting the falling for learning. Podcast. New episodes go live every Saturday at 5pm you can watch us on youtube.com. At falling for learning.