Education

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Choosing which level to teach at early in a college career can make key differences in a professional one.
Here are some important factors to consider:

Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits for primary and secondary teachers is reported to start around $31,000 and the median salary is around $50,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10% earn on average between $75,000 and $80,000.

Postsecondary educators do see a small hike in median salary – it’s about $58,000 – but the scale is much wider. The middle 50% ranges from about $41,000 to almost $84,000. Rank, subject, and geographic location all influence these numbers, which are also factors to think about.

Credentials
Postsecondary teaching might come with slightly higher average salaries, but that’s because there is a distinction in the college investment. Primary and secondary schools typically call for a bachelor’s degree in education and in some cases a master’s.

College professors on the other hand are typically required to hold a doctoral degree, which can take anywhere from three to eight years of additional education, dependent on course study.

The important thing to consider here is not only what you’ll be paid after college, but the amount of time (and tuition) you’re going to spend getting there.

Job Scope
While there is no list long enough to describe exactly what teachers do every day, these are a few important pieces of the nature of their work that can help you in choosing which level to teach.

Primary Teachers (Kindergarten – elementary school)

• Work each day with young children
• Play a vital role in different stages of development
• Teach many subjects
• Teach one group of students each day

Secondary Teachers (middle school – high school)

• Work each day with teenagers
• Build upon foundational concepts and introduce more ideas
• Specialize in a single subject area
• Teach many different groups of students each day

Postsecondary Teachers (college)

• Work each day with young and middle aged adults
• Specialize in a single subject area
• Teach many different groups of students each day
• Can opt to work in research in addition to, or instead of teaching

The Classroom Ages
In addition to weighing the work environment, it’s important to consider the age of your future students. For example, working with young children can be extremely rewarding, but it also requires patience. If you have a desire to stimulate the minds of youth, remember that there will be minds on occasion that don’t want to be stimulated. As a college professor you won’t face these kinds of issues necessarily, but remember, in order to become one you must put forth the biggest initial investment.

These are all important aspects to teaching that should be weighed against each other. Ask yourself questions like “Do I want to work with kids every day?” and “Would I prefer teaching one subject or many?” Write down your answers – it will make you truly focus on what you’re thinking and reveal which factors are most important to you and your quest for choosing which level to teach.

Salary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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By Susan Ott
Many teachers who decide to go back to school for an advanced degree to move up the proverbial career ladder into a position as an administrator. Principals and vice principals form the largest group of administrators, but there are other senior jobs involved in the management of a school or district that involve dealing with organizational, procedural and financial decisions.

While not all teachers want to move into this type of work, there are benefits to a job as an administrator for those whose strengths fit the job description. Number one on the list of many who chose this career path is money. Administrators almost always make more money than teachers. Other benefits include: getting out of the classroom to make decisions that affect the whole school, having control over policies you see as beneficial based on your teaching experience, and, for some, getting away from constant interaction with students and becoming more of a business manager instead.

What Degree Do I Need?
Both a master’s degree can often qualify you for a position in administration, though some candidates also get a doctorate before trying this type of career move. It just depends on how much education you already have and how much more you want to earn. While the names of the degrees vary, most contain the words “administration,” “leadership” or “policy” within their descriptions.

Some common master’s and doctorate degrees that can qualify you for administration include:

• M.Ed. Administration
• M.Ed. Education & Public Policy
• M.Ed./Ph.D. Educational Leadership
• M.Ed. Instructional Leadership
• M.Ed. Teacher Leadership

What Courses Will I Take?
It’s important to be aware that almost all school administrators start out as teachers. That’s because it’s necessary to understand the unique challenges of the classroom before you take a position instituting policies that affect teachers and students. When you go through a graduate degree program for administration, however, the courses are usually a hybrid of educational policy & practice topics mixed with courses you’d find in a business management program.

Also be aware that most states require public school principals to have a school administrator license in addition to the proper degree(s). This is not something you earn during your master’s or doctoral program; rather, you must get tested separately by the state to earn your license. Some states require supervised on-the-job training as well. Private school principals usually do not have to meet this additional requirement. Even though it’s not a part of your coursework, your school advisor should be able to guide you through exactly which steps to take.

Your courses for this type of degree will most likely include variations of the following:

• School Leadership
• Educational Finance
• Education Law
• History of Education
• Curriculum Development and Improvement
• Educational Management (both business & financial)
• Cross Cultural/Racial Instructional Evaluation
• Educational Technology
• Instructional/Teacher Supervision

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The day to day demands of a career in teaching have evolved along with the rest of the world, in ways that can make the teacher’s life both more satisfying and more challenging. Many of the old-time learning methods of rote memorization and drills have given way to classroom and multimedia tools designed to help students think in abstract terms and develop critical through processes.

But for every teacher, career skills that have been used to centuries also remain important. It’s as important as ever that a teacher have a good knowledge of the subject or subjects being covered in class, an understanding of how children at different ages think and learn, strong communication skills both for dealing with students and their parents, and an ability to plan out a variety of engaging lesson plans.

“A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.”
– Patricia Neal

You can learn the basic tactics of how to work in a classroom environment, including student motivation, testing methods and dealing with learning disabilities, in an accredited teaching degree program. But intangibles like creativity and an enjoyment of getting up in front of a class and performing can also serve you well in a career in teaching. Finally, one thing that never changes is the need for a teaching professional to be able to control a large classroom.

Starting Out
Although many teachers change their specialties as they grow and advance, it can be helpful to start your journey in teaching by thinking about what level you want to teach at. The four key areas today are:

• Pre-school & kindergarten, where teachers use storytelling, games, arts and other somewhat less structured approaches to give young children their first exposure to basic concepts of vocabulary and mathematics, and a very important early understanding of getting along socially.
• Elementary school, where one teacher generally covers a variety of subjects (sometimes acting as a team mate with another teacher), and increases student’s ability to work and learn more rapidly as they move from one grade to another.

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“I touch the future. I teach.” – Christa McAuliffe

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• Middle school and high school, where the teacher will generally specialize in a single topic that he or she has an in-depth knowledge of. Teachers at this level begin to teach subjects that are career-oriented, or which will help students get into a college program. Middle school, in particular, is an area where a teacher who can effectively deal with teenagers is extremely valuable.
• Special education. Recent “No Child Left Behind” and other rules have put much more responsibility on schools to educate children effectively, regardless of whether they come with special challenges or special skills. As a result, special ed teachers are in demand to teach children with learning disabilities of many different types, and, at the other end of the spectrum, to provide advanced teaching for high-performing students.

Teacher Career Requirements
Every state in the U.S. requires public school teachers to have certification or a license to teach (private schools often do not require this). The rules differ from state to state, but generally speaking, to get started in your career in teaching, you need certification in the particular area you will be working in: elementary, early childhood, K–12 or special ed. A bachelors degree will, in most cases, provide you with certification upon graduating. Make sure, however, that you will be certified in the state you intend to teach in. If your school doesn’t give you a teaching certificate, you will probably be required to take a state certification test before you can even apply for a teaching job.

“To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching.” – George Bernard Shaw

Teaching certificates can be a complex matter, because pay scales are often tagged to the specific level of your certification. In New York State, for example, a new teacher out of school will receive an “initial certificate,” based on completing certain specific classes in a college bachelor degree program. (An associates degree can qualify you to teach certain career-skill classes in New York such as cosmetology and auto repair). Working teachers are then required to perform a certain number of paid teaching hours and take certain specific training courses within five years to receive the more advanced “professional certificate.” Failure to complete this work in five years can result in you losing your certification to teach, though it is possible to apply for a time extension. Finally, New York also issues temporary certificates to teachers who specialize in subjects it’s hard to find qualified teachers. Your state government can provide certification rules for your state.

Master’s in Education
A masters degree can be helpful in terms of distinguishing you from other teaching job applicants. It isn’t necessarily required for employment in many schools, but the school district may require you to be in the process of getting your masters degree to continue teaching there long term.

There are well over 4 million teachers in the U.S. today, and opportunities are expected to grow in the field as the population continues to grow. For the aspiring teacher, career opportunities should only get better in the coming decades.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

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By Susan Ott
Teaching college can be a fulfilling career step for current teachers who want a more flexible schedule and a new challenge in their work. College courses generally require teaching deeper subject matter than K-12, and draw on an individual’s expertise in a given field just as much as, if not more than, one’s teaching credentials and experience. For teachers who still enjoy teaching but feel they need a change, transitioning to teaching at the college level may be the right step.

College students are usually there by choice instead of obligation and a bit more mature and therefore easier to relate to. As a college professor, you’ll also have a flexible teaching schedule and be paid beyond your salary and benefits; professors are usually compensated for research and publication, as well as many times given travel allowances or other compensation as they learn more in their chosen fields. So even though they’re not unionized, they can negotiate for more attractive and flexible immediate pay packages than their K-12 counterparts (though unionized K-12 teachers usually have more comprehensive benefit and pension packages). There are, however, different qualifications one needs to teach college. Find out the steps you can take to transition into a new career teaching college.

Acquire Advanced Education
In order to teach at the college level, you’ll need a master’s degree; more prestigious institutions or those with a 4-year tenure track will require you to earn your PhD as well. Unlike getting your master’s to continue teaching at the elementary or secondary level, you shouldn’t get a master’s in education, but instead obtain a graduate degree in the field of study in which you want to teach (math, science, history, etc.) The caveat to this rule would exist, however, if you wish to teach in the education department at a college or university. Then, a master’s or PhD within the field of education would be appropriate. Most college professors are not even required to have a teaching certificate, so your teaching background can prove advantageous as you make this career switch, since you already have experience in the classroom.

Become a Specialist In Your Field
College professors are expected to possess a certain level of expertise in their field. Students (and their parents) are paying large sums of money for an education that will hopefully land them a job, so the stakes are high. Make sure that you have advanced knowledge in your field of study, as well as professional training and enrichment within that subject area. This could include: additional research, professional conferences, a side business, an official affiliation with a legitimate groups or organization within the field, or extensive teaching experience on the subject matter. If you feel you’re lacking in this area, use the time you’re going back to school to up your expertise. The more knowledge and experience you possess, the more attractive job candidate you are.

Complete Steady Research Work
One of the perks of being a college professor is that you are able to have a flexible schedule and teach fewer hours than a traditional K-12 teacher. However, one of the main reasons for this is that you are expected to continue to research and write about your subject area. Many professors pursue publication of their scholarly work quite regularly in journals and other academic periodicals. Staying current in your field through research and publication is an attractive quality for a postsecondary professional, and can lead to bigger and better job opportunities. (Though on-the-job experience is also quite attractive for certain fields, such as in the sciences.) If you find this intimidating, start practicing while you earn your master’s or PhD. Getting experience and practice helps build confidence and gives you more to show prospective employers upon graduation. Then, once you get a job, you won’t be so rusty. Another option is to teach at a 2-year community college where the mandate for continuing research isn’t nearly as high, yet you can still get tenure.

Become a Graduate TA
A great way to gain experience as a college professor is to get a position as a TA, or Teacher’s Assistant. TAs are graduate students who work part time teaching, grading, and assisting in lower level college classes, usually within the field from which they are earning their graduate degree. This can be an excellent way to gain experience from and rapport with your college or university while earning your graduate degree to further your career. You probably already have a solid foundation in teaching techniques, but college level teaching is a bit different, and this experience will show you that. While this is not a requirement to getting a job teaching at the college level, it’s certainly a boost on your resume.

Above all, make sure you really want to make the transition to teaching college before you begin your graduate program. Graduate programs for future professors usually have different classes—resulting in different majors—than graduate programs for K-12 teachers, so it’s important to solidify your plans before you start to save yourself time and money. Teaching at the college level can be a challenging, growing experience, perfect for teachers who are searching for something more. While it may seem intimidating at first, if you follow each step, you’ll learn as you go and potentially discover a better career for yourself in the process.