<p>Son is currently a senior in college on track to graduate next Spring. Great GPA, great ECs with leadership positions, decent internship, volunteer work, and part time job. Majoring in bussiness with minor in communications. He has suddently decided he doesn't want a job in business. Says after taking business classes in high school and college, he is burnt out on business, although he wants to finish his current degree as planned since he is almost done. He now wants to become a high school teacher and figures he could teach business classes there. He has helped out at some area high schools as part of one of his clubs. (We also think part of it is that business people who guest lectured in some of his recent classes focused on how competitive and rough business is (working 18 hour days, etc.) which is steering him away from his original goals. Also wants to stay local and not be transferred around a lot.) Whatever, the reason, we aren't about to try to tell him what career he needs to go into. </p>
<p>However, if he goes this route, what is the best way to get there? A local college does offer a Masters in Education degree focused entirely on teacher certification for those who have bachelor's degrees in something else. This is in contrast to their Masters in Arts in Education degree which is focused on advanced teaching techniques (for existing teachers.) Would this be a good route to go, or would it be better to extend his time as an undergraduate and get teacher certification as part of his bachelor's degree? Probably roughly the same amount of time invested either way, but mainly wondering how this would play with potential employing school districts. </p>
<p>While schools around here do push their existing teachers to go part time to get Masters degrees, would having the higher degree (would have to pay him higher per school formula) hurt his chances in landing that first teaching job. For that matter, would schools count that at all since it isn't a Masters degree in advanced teaching? On the other hand, his bachelor's degree certainly goes into lot more depth in business, than does the straight bachelor's education degree with business teaching endorsement, so is that worth something? Also, if one option was considerably more expensive than the other, would that make a difference in which direction he should go to get teacher certification?</p>
<p>Find out what is needed in your state. How does the Masters Teaching Certificate affect that. How does that program differ from the undergrad teaching certificate in his case. </p>
<p>If he gets the Masters teaching Certificate would he still need a masters in something else. </p>
<p>He will have to do a semester of student teaching also. </p>
<p>I would suggest calling the Dept of Education in your state and also calling your local high school business dept for information in hiring and certification required for positions.</p>
<p>With a teaching certificate and Business backgound (BA) and Masters he may also be able to teach (part of full time) at your local community college.</p>
<p>I am considering getting my Masters in Teaching so that I can teach at a high school eventually. My undergrad degree will be in athletic training. Due to that program’s requirements, I could not do both the education and the ATEP. I have to have a Masters for nearly any job I intend to get and most don’t care what it’s in. Getting it in Teaching would allow me to get a Teaching Certificate so it might be the best route.</p>
<p>Your son may be very similar.. he may be best to get his Masters since he may need it later on anyway. While it could prevent him from getting that first job at some schools, I’m sure there will be others who will be excited to hire him with the experience he has.</p>
<p>One school near my hometown has a Masters in Teaching program that is night classes. This allows the student to work a full-time job in their field and then get their Teaching Degree at night. The only time that changes is during the student-teaching part.</p>
<p>In most states, teachers in certain fields have an easier time getting jobs, while others have a harder time. Science, math, special ed., ESL tend to be in demand. Business, health, PE, social studies tend to be in over-supply. That’s to preface the question he may get from every district to which he applies: “So, what can you coach?”.<br>
If they need a 9th grade volleyball coach or a debate coach or a flag-twirling coach or a robotics team coach and your son can also fill that need, getting that first job will be easier. You can make fun of that rubric if you want, but look at our kids here on this forum - we as parents want EC’s available at our schools.</p>
<p>One question to ask is: does he care which state he lives in when he becomes a teacher? If he wants to live in his home state, and his college is in a different state, check the licensing requirements. While many states have reciprocity (a license in State A is recognized in State B), other states do not. </p>
<p>When I went to school for teacher licensure, I stopped short of getting the masters degree. I think I needed 2 or 3 more classes plus writing a thesis. I was able to get a teacher’s license, though, and a job teaching. What’s nice about this approach is that his school district may pay the cost of the additional education needed to get the masters.</p>
<p>My friend when my son was thinking about teaching, discouraged him from getting a master’s first because she thought in our area, they would rather hire teachers with just BA’s first because of pay. (they also help pay for it later) In special ed, which she did, getting her masters didn’t effect her pay very much but she was with a private agency, not a public school.
I have noticed a lot of scholarships geared to students wanting to go into teaching.</p>
<p>If he is really interested in teaching, have him check out the Teaching Fellows program. My daughter is in the Philadelphia program, but they have them in bigger cities all over the country. It’s for recent graduates and professionals who don’t have a teaching background/certification, but who want to teach. In addition to teaching in a high-needs school (they’re given provisional certification), they enroll in a local master’s program for a greatly reduced or free tuition - after two years, they’re both certified <em>and</em> have a master’s degree.</p>
<p>Teach for America is another option, although I don’t think the master’s coursework is part of it.</p>
<p>Some colleges, like the one I work at, offer post-bac programs to get the teaching certificate. It’s a weekend program and takes about a year and a half, including student teaching. My H used it when he career-changed.</p>
<p>Depending on the state, his major might be a problem. In NJ, for instance, teachers must be “highly qualified” in a subject to teach it. As a business major, that might be the only subject he could teach. I’m not sure it would be acceptable for primary; our college does not allow that as a co-centration. Obviously, this is just one state–check the regs carefully for the state he wants to teach in, as others above suggest.</p>
<p>I have recently looked into this myself (I made the mistake of getting both a BA and MA without a teaching certificate. . .) Some states have programs that you can get hired for a full-time teaching job (restricted license) while working on your M.Ed. part-time (an evening or two a week/summers). Some school districts will even pay for your tuition if you’ll commit to working for them for a few years.
You’d be surprised to see how many teachers have higher degrees–it seems like most of them in the districts I’ve lived in do. There is a lot of incentive for them to get the degrees because then they can get paid more, but also the districts like to brag that “75% (or whatever) of our teachers have
higher degrees.”</p>
<p>There are many advantages to a teaching career. Of course the pay isn’t great, but you have stability and nice vacations, and feel like you’re helping young people to reach their goals.</p>
<p>I’m applying for Masters in Secondary Education programs to teach English (don’t know where yet).</p>
<p>Here are a list of schools that I’m looking at that have good programs:
Stanford STEP
UVA
UPenn
University of Maryland College Park MCERT
UNC Chapel Hill</p>
<p>I’ll add more as I find them, but that might not be for a while because I’m in Spain and not really worrying about this.</p>
<p>There are many advantages to a teaching career. Of course the pay isn’t great, but you have stability and nice vacations, and feel like you’re helping young people to reach their goals.</p>
<p>Agreed pay isn’t * fabulous* but local teachers recently rejected a 9.6% increase. </p>
<p>Our district is cutting college prep courses in order to add more career and technical classes. If you can teach computers in your business/marketing classes, you will find lots of work.</p>
<p>My advice as a parent who has been on several hiring committees for teachers/principals, which may be unique to that school- but perhaps not.
I was really disappointed in the process- and the primary focus of the committee seemed to be choosing someone who would not rock the boat, or make it look like the others were slackers. For instance at a school that had great need of qualified special education as well as math teachers, we turned down a woman who had written curriculum for NYC schools in both areas and had taught at Bank Street but was eager to relocate as she had family here. Two of the committee voted for her- which was all that was needed ( since only three were eligible to vote), but head of dept had veto power & decided not to hire.</p>
<p>Rather than get a masters degree for your first job- I would suggest getting the qualifying certificate- it will get your foot in the door, and it will be with less time and expense, in case in the classroom is not really where you want to be.</p>