Greetings, all. I was referred to this forum by one of my teacher friends. I am a licensed high school English teacher from New Jersey. I got my license through New Jersey's Alternate Route program, which was kind of a mistake for me. I'm thinking of going back to school for education. I went to college for English Literature only. I then got my master's in humanities. I initially had my heart set on a PhD, but I decided against it. I found that I actually enjoy working with high school students as opposed to college students. I applied for a long-term subbing job in 2014, and for some reason, I got the job with no teaching or classroom experience. It was mostly trial by fire. I had no idea what I was doing, nor could I control the classroom. I did that job for two years before I landed my first contracted job. Still, at my contracted job, I knew very little about lesson planning and classroom management. It wasn't the right fit of a school; the teachers were a bit narcissistic and did not want to help a new teacher, so I kind of kept to myself and tried to learn everything on my own. I really feel that the NJ Alternate Route program did nothing to help me. I am thinking about going back to school for a master's degree in English Education. I just want to learn more about this field, if that makes sense. Would a master's degree in education be beneficial, or should I go for a master of arts in teaching? My goal is to be a high school English teacher, because I really do enjoy it. I might go for a doctorate at some point.
My MA in Secondary English Education was far more valuable than my credential program, for what it’s worth.
Thank you. I guess I was a bit hesitant about getting a second master’s degree, but I think it’ll help me.
I do think that the second master's degree will become a barrier to being hired. Yes, I'm in NJ too. A better scenario would be taking classes once hired so that you can avail yourself of tuition reimbursement. It is easy to take one class a semester, and double down on the course work, if possible, during the summer semester. Honestly, NJ Alternate Route program is geared for the self starters, the ones who are not afraid of work they have never done, but they are game to learn even while they are also teaching. I don't know how you took the program - there are varied programs out there. I took my courses through Rutgers. I worked hard but felt fine about my decision. Are you planning to go about earning a second master's degree full time, therefore not actually working, or is it going to be neatly couched between getting your lesson plans turned in, and the quiz you are going to share with your classes in the morning? In my own experience, I have found that the things I remember most are those times when I didn't have the answer, or, it felt, the time. However, it is by testing ourselves and learning how to master classroom management, write really good lesson plans, and a thousand little things - this is where you have need of being a self starter, I'm now well over a decade in the profession, and I still love it. I was fortunate to earn 2 master's degrees for very little money. I have a master's in ESL, and a second in SPED. I'm almost finished with the third masters, which is in reproductive physiology. This third master's is strictly for me - I have wanted to finish it for quite a while. I will give you a little advice, which you are free to take or not. You are 30 years old, and if you find/create the right job, and the right school, teaching something you love, you will have a life so full that time will seem to fly. You will feel fulfilled and at the top of your game. Conversely, if you don't slow down a little and master all of the basics, each day will be filled with dread. The job will be an albatross around your neck, holding you back and making you grow more dissatisfied with each passing semester. As your mind set sours, so will your ability to challenge and teach students who are watching this all play out. They will be able to see that you are not happy, they just may not know why. When they act out, they will disrupt your class and that will make you feel less than stellar. Not sure where you will be taking classes, but I would hope you get a very wise advisor to mentor you. You will benefit from having someone who will keep an eye on you as you move through the course work. Best of luck - I have loved every minute I am in the classroom, but I have put in a lot of hard work make myself better, constantly learning in the process. I have worked with people who just see the job as a paycheck, and they seem to dread every single day, which the students and administration will quickly pick up on.
My BA is secondary English teaching. My teaching program was pretty worthless. I’m not sure I learned anything that was actually beneficial in the real world of teaching. I learned way more about teaching by doing two long-term subbing positions. The uselessness of my undergrad teaching program is what led me to get my MA in American and British literature. That’s what I was teaching at the time.
Thanks for your feedback, everyone. In all honesty, I do think I want to go for it. I would love the experience and the ability to learn more about the field, something I never got a chance to do.
Do you think I should go for the MA in English Education or the Ed.M? I’m so confused between the two. I guess I should choose based on my goals. I just want to learn how to structure my class, classroom management, differentiation, lesson planning, etc. Which degree would be best?
It's a bit tricky. Both the Ed.M and the MA offer the opportunity to student teach if you want to get licensed, but I'm already licensed. I think I'm leaning towards the Ed.M.
