<p>We have applied to over 12 schools and had only one acceptance at this point in her MTA major. Our D has been accepted in a handful of other schools "academically" but not in her MTA major. As parents we are looking into the situation of going to those schools pursuing a school teaching major, so that our D can be in the NJ/NY area for MT and financially capable to be nearly debt free when graduating. During these years, having a vocal and acting coach and go to as many auditions as possible. Our concern is graduating out of a school, after 4 years, that will leave her with a $ 80-100K student loan, in a market that can not sustain that kind of monthly payment. Instead get the teaching degree but pursue singing and acting while in school.</p>
<p>Has anyone been in this situation and any input of outcomes would be helpful. We are hopeful for more responses but thinking ahead just in case.
thanks,
Dad in Training</p>
<p>Teaching is not a safety, in my opinion. My mom teaches in upstate NY and they have cut hundreds of jobs in the last couple of years with more on the way. Why not have your daughter apply to programs that have to deal with performing arts but are not as competitive. For example theatre design, production, management, or communications.</p>
<p>At Ball State (Muncie, IN – not near NY/NJ) it is possible to get a theatre education degree – if she wants to be in theatre and to teach, this gets her teaching credentials and theatre courses. I would imagine there are other schools that work together in this fashion, but it is a dedicated program at Ball State.</p>
<p>But as a 25-year veteran teacher myself (special education) – does your d WANT to teach, or is this a fallback? Teaching is hard work, and does not leave lots of time outside the classroom (especially in the first few years) to go to auditions/perform. Entry level teaching positions are not high-paying jobs (this is something you do because you love it). There have been programs in the past that will forgive some student loans with a dedicated, several-year commitment to teaching in an area of need (my sister, also a teacher, did several years of teaching in Appalachia to help with student loan forgiveness…but this was in the 70s). Again, it’s years required. In my state, teachers are required to have a Master’s Degree by their first renewal of their license – that’s in 5 years…so if there’s already undergrad debt, grad school debt can pile right on it. </p>
<p>So I suppose my question to you is does this student really want to be a teacher, really thought about teaching, have a passion for education? If not, then perhaps pursue other idea, such as the ones McKinster has mentioned above. Another thought is a gap year – let her do the voice training, etc. for another year, then re-audition – if MT is her true passion…</p>
<p>Teaching is not a fall back. It is a calling and a demanding one at that. The primary qualification is passion for kids and the subject matter (music? drama?) is secondary. Unless your daughter has always dreamed of being a teacher, please have her choose a different path for her steady income job. </p>
<p>Moreover, a teaching job is NOT flexible so it does not allow time for auditions (except perhaps in the summer). Students count on a teacher’s dedicated, focused presence every day.</p>
<p>Given the number of kids applying for the very limited number of spots I would celebrate the one program your D got into and let her attend that school for MT. Most kids I know have only gotten 1 or 2 acceptances, so it’s not at all uncommon. Plus as others have said getting a teaching job is not easy at all.8</p>
<p>My son attends Ball State also. One deciding factor in why he chose that school was that they require a University Core Curriculum which gives two advantages: a well-rounded education AND a head-start on a “second” career. While he does not consider teaching a “fall-back”…he does envision scenarios where he can be a high school teacher in a field that interests him (say, history or philosophy) and teach drama/show choir also.</p>
<p>We had originally explored the possibility of double-majoring in education, but with a BFA (as is discussed on countless threads in this forum) it is pretty unrealistic to meet the daily academic and rehearsal demands of MT and a double major. </p>
<p>However, I think he will pursue this path if he is not immediately picked up for something “Broadway” after graduation. Taking classes to finish his second degree (and perhaps using student teaching/long-term subbing as a “day job” while he auditions and pursues theater.) </p>
<p>I personally know a graduate who could have walked right in to a well-known high school musical theatre/show choir position had he had his teaching certificate. But the opportunity was missed because he did not pursue it.</p>
<p>If your student is interested in staying involved in theatre, a teaching degree may be very valuable and a great way to pass on skills to a new generation.</p>
<p>The most important question is: does your daughter want to teach? Like a life in the arts, teaching is a calling–as skewlcounselor points out in her post, it’s not a default job. Has she had a chance to work with kids (say, as a camp counselor) or even coach one of her peers? At most universities you can choose an education track after your freshman year, so it isn’t a decision she necessarily has to make now. If she thinks she might be interested, you can encourage her to find a way to work with kids, in a theater or music setting, during the summer. She’ll know if it suits, I bet. </p>
<p>There are many ways to teach without being a certified public school teacher. Don’t rule it out as an eventual direction even if she doesn’t start out in the field. I have made a career of teaching photography (public and private high schools and community college) and have a BA in American Literature from Middlebury (didn’t do the education minor there, either). </p>
<p>My son is interested in teaching eventually and hopes perhaps to create a niche in stage combat/fight choreography. He hopes to take some psych courses in college, loves working with younger kids, and is doing some monologue coaching at our high school as part of an independent study this spring. I’m in favor of helping your kids explore options and test their strengths–it won’t hurt to open a few of those non-BFA doors and see where they take you! But do let your daughter take the lead, and I hope she starts college with a sense of adventure, not a sense of resignation. :)</p>
<p>P.s. Saw the post pop up from nicksmtmom after I submitted mine. So I’m just chiming in with a quick ^^what she said!</p>
<p>Thank you for all your help. I think we are able to work it out with her in MT. Concerned about average rate of tuition increase each year and other things. Estimating at 5-6%. Also trying to find out are the “estimated living expenses” accurate and are there fees in the MT majors that I don’t see or run up against until the actual bill comes in the mail? I know that Voice lessons are part of the program outside of tuition, but other than that I’m not sure.
thx</p>
<p>Dadintraining you may want to ask this question starting a new thread. I think if you search you you may find a past discussion on this topic, as well.</p>
<p>Somewhere there is a thread from last year that talked about some of the “other things you ended up paying for”. That isn’t the title but I remember adding in that I ended up needing to buy an electric piano for my daughter because her dorm didn’t have a rehearsal room nor piano. Maybe that’s enough to help you search for it. I just can’t master the CC search engine nor do I know how to provide a link even if I find it but I know it is there. Otherwise KatMT is right, people will be more likely to chime in if it is its own thread.</p>
<p>In reply to the original question, I’m a public schoolteacher and I CANNOT recommend teaching as a ‘safety’ in any way, shape or form. There is a rising attack on teaching from multiple fronts and jobs are disappearing. What jobs that are left are increasingly bureaucratized and not at all how you probably imagine them to be. </p>
<p>I can’t tell you how many prospective teachers I know who have been unable to find jobs after three, four years of searching. They compete with thousands who are laid off after ‘downsizing.’ Contrary to the propaganda, teachers can and do get laid off after tenure. I am currently in a new job after having been laid off from my previous job; I am teaching next door to a Math/Special Ed teacher who was laid off from her district after 11 years of teaching, tenure, and rave observations.</p>
<p>Teaching is not at all how it’s portrayed in the media. </p>
<p>Finally, anything in the Arts - or any non core subject - is extremely, extremely risky. All across our nation, music and arts departments are being downsized or cut entirely.</p>
<p>The only reason I’d go into teaching is because I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Teaching is a calling like acting. It is most certainly not a safety, particularly in today’s economy.</p>
<p>A quick note for dadintraining:One interesting thing about room and board that I’ve found out: the "estimated room and board’ is not always as high as it will be for most of us. Colleges post the lowest possible price: cost of room with multiple students and lowest food plan, so that it can be tied in legally with the scholarships it provides and such. I don’t really understand it, but had to find it out due to wanting to pull money from my d’s 529 plan for her use in a dorm room with kitchen this year. 529’s allow you to use funds for grocery purposes IF they are not more than the college’s stated cost of room and board. Was I surprised to find an amount published that was way lower than my daughter’s freshman year cost of a double and 3 meals a day!</p>