Dear Lydia:

All graduate programs look at college grades. They do this because they want to be sure that you can handle the academic work. There are some teachers who are wonderful with kids, classrooms and colleagues, but are not able to perform well in academia. You have to show them that you are not one of those teachers. Here's how:

Take a graduate course or two and do well. (Many colleges let students take these courses even if they are not formally in a program through continuing education or other non-matriculated study opportunities.) This will prove that you have the ability to do well in a Master's program.

By the way, before you enroll in a Master's in Psychology program, make sure that you will be able to use it. By that I mean, will it enhance your standing or salary as a teacher? Will it give you skills you can really use? I would ask any graduate program what kinds of jobs their graduates got. Many people who get Master's in Psychology degrees find they are not usable because graduates can not call themselves a psychologist or practice with "just" a Master's degree, and it is very difficult to get accepted into a doctoral program even if you have earned a Master's degree.

The Career Doctor