<p>My daughter is becoming more and more interested in teaching English as her future avocation. She is in high school presently. Now I know these teaching jobs are very hard to come by, especially in the Northeast where we live. I am wondering if there is a minor or any other certificate etc that she might add to the degree (assuming she sticks with that interest) to make her more marketable for that position.</p>
<p>I realize she might venture into other fields with an English degree or even change her mind on becoming an English teacher, but assuming she stays with it, what advice would you give?</p>
<p>Look up the teacher credentialing requirements in the regions she wants to teach. There may be supplemental undergraduate course work or a post-bachelor’s credential program that is required.</p>
<p>Teaching at what age/grade level? For middle and even high school one recommendation is to get certified in multiple subject areas (e.g. english and math) . It makes her more employable because she is a more flexible resource. Another rec (especially for high school) is to be able to direct/coach/sponsor extracurricular sports, music, theater, dance, clubs, etc by bringing a particular skill or expertise to the table.a new choreographer/director for one of the groups. Any special ed or ELL designations are also a plus. To teach at this level - at least in most public schools - she’ll need an education degree and certificate. Another road might be to go through Teach for America or a similar program which takes kids out of college (without the teaching degree). </p>
<p>If you are talking college - that is a whole different ballgame because universities are not adding tenured positions, particularly in the humanities, and many are sticking with only hiring part time and adjunct professors. </p>
<p>I’m getting my master’s in English teaching right now. Being able to speak another language fluently would be a big help. I wish I had taken my mom’s advice of double majoring in Spanish. Getting certified in Teaching English as a Second Language would also be extremely useful. Special Education tacked on is a huge plus, but isn’t for everyone. </p>
<p>Well she is interested in/involved in high school theater now so that might be a help. I was referring to high school teaching of English. She didn’t seem to have an interest in TESOL. She has taken Latin the past few years but Spanish is a good idea- I wish she had taken it earlier.</p>
<p>I have heard double-majoring is very difficult. I don’t know anyone who has done it so not sure what the success rate is on it.</p>
<p>In NY at least, my understanding was that a master’s degree (either in English, if you have an UG teaching degree, or vice versa) was necessary. Agree that if she has any facility with math, being dual certified would go a long way. </p>
<p>As you know, many change their majors and career plans in college. I would not worry too much about this. She can enter as a prospective English major or even undecided and figure it out from there. There will be plenty of advice available in the departments and through advising. I understand you want a road map and it is smart to find out, as you are, but as you say the map or even the terrain may end up very different from what she thinks it will be right now.</p>
<p>And many prospective teachers know at a young age that is what they want to do. I agree with the above to add other certifications. My D’s HS has block classes and combines Language Arts (English) with Social Studies and they are taught by someone certified in both. My niece is certified in HS math, French and Spanish, and reading, I think, in her 2nd Master’s. She also took the steps to be credentialed to teach community college level courses in math at her HS (small state, this is how it’s done where she lives). The more versatile you are, the more employable. My D is planning on teaching as well-good luck to yours!</p>
<p>And many prospective teachers know at a young age that is what they want to do. I agree with the above to add other certifications. My D’s HS has block classes and combines Language Arts (English) with Social Studies and they are taught by someone certified in both. My niece is certified in HS math, French and Spanish, and reading, I think, in her 2nd Master’s. She also took the steps to be credentialed to teach community college level courses in math at her HS (small state, this is how it’s done where she lives). The more versatile you are, the more employable. My D is planning on teaching as well-good luck to yours!</p>
<p>Have her talk to a few teachers to ask advice. In my area, one public university (NOT the state flagship) is well known as the university that has a close working relationship with the two most desirable counties in terms of employment. This university’s education department places most of its student teachers in schools in these two counties, which in turn often hire those student teachers. </p>
<p>If she wants to teach, those kinds of placements are important. It can be difficult to get hired in a particular geographical area if the student went to college in a different state.</p>
<p>She should look at the education requirements within the state/school districts where she would like to work. Many states and/or districts now require teachers to have Masters Degrees within a couple of years of employment. Some universities combine the two degrees into a five year program. </p>
<p>Please do not consider Teach For America as any kind of reasonable stepping stone to teaching. My son (who took a long route to teaching) put it this way, “How would you feel if our school district had placed me (as a child) in a class with the kids with the most problems, and then hired a 22 year old who had no education background or experience (aside from a month of lectures in classroom management and child development) to teach that class? How many days of classroom chaos would there have been before the (highly educated, extremely involved) parents in our community would have been at the principal’s office demanding something be done about the unqualified person in that classroom? Why is it OK to put TFA people in charge of the children who are the most in need of very skilled educators?” He feels it is insulting to the children and their families to put completely unprepared young adults in charge of classrooms full of the kids who are the most in need of highly skilled professionals. </p>
<p>(He is teaching in an inner city school, through the KIPP Foundation, which places first year “fellows” in a classroom with a highly skilled, experienced teacher for an entire year before assigning them to a classroom of their own. Also during that year and the following year the “fellows” take education, class management, psych, child development etc. classes through a local university. In the end they have several years of incredible teaching experience plus a Masters in Education.)</p>
<p>My S’s friend worked as a teacher aide and went for is masters degree after finishing his undergrad. That way he had some work experience and a masters when he applied for full time jobs. Still, he had to relocate out of his home state to find work.</p>
<p>I know she does need to have her Masters in this state so that’s a given.</p>
<p>sseamom- Any extra certification would require a dual major though to be well enough versed in the subjects to teach them though I would think. Is that not the case?</p>
<p>in NYS you must obtain a masters within 5 years of teaching to get your professional certification. SInce the NYCDOE pays on a tier system, there is an increase in pay once you obtain a masters and another increase once you obtain 30 credits above a masters. SInce there tends to be a glut of English & Social Studies teachers, your daughter would be best served to be dually certified in English/ESL/SPED/Foreign language/Mathematics/Science. A real shortage area is bilingual special education and currently arts education as NYC is Arts education and Pre-k</p>
<p>My sister went in to teaching as a career changer with a masters in American Studies (from Columbia), which allowed her to be certified in both English and Social Studies, she just had to take the teaching courses, which she did at her local CUNY (she picked up an additional certification in Special education as part of hr 30 credits above her masters). Once you get the course work out of the way, the certification process is pretty straight forward in NYS; you take the LAST, ATS-W and content speciality test in the subject that you are teaching.</p>