Future Plans

Since I obviously didn't get hired over the summer (boo), I've had to re-evaluate my plans because, as I'm sure you can understand, I don't want to remain a sub forever. 

Initially I considered giving up teaching and earning my Master's in Library and Information Science.  I've worked in libraries before, and I love reading.  So why not?  So I applied and was accepted into an American Library Associated accredited program.  However, I didn't get any funding, and after completing an internship at a local historical library, I realized I wasn't ready to give up teaching.

My licensure is 7-12 History and Earth Science.  It's weird, I know, but after some drama early in college and switching my major, I decided to study the two subjects I loved most.  Unfortunately for me, Small State U didn't tell me I would be very unlikely to get a job in either of those.  Schools are looking for Integrated Social Studies and Integrated Science, which allows more flexibility in teaching assignments and covers high qualified status requirements from NCLB.  Plus, it is the sad state that most schools, when hiring social studies positions, are actually looking for coaches for their major sports, thus fulfilling the horrible stereotype of the football coach history teacher. 

So I decided that I needed to expand my certification.  However, the only way to become certified in mainstream subject areas is to go through a teacher education program in my undergraduate, so despite having all ready done that at Small State U, I'm going to have to go through another teacher education program.  This time, however, it will be a M. Ed. graduate program at Big State U. 

The idea of the M. Ed. (Master's in Education) program is that students complete all their content courses in their undergraduate program and then complete their teacher education program as part of a graduate program.  This is a foreign concept is certain states such as Michigan, where teacher education programs are integrated into the undergraduate degree.  There are arguments for and against the M. Ed. program.  The main agrument against the M. Ed. program is that students don't receive enough exposure to education classes and concepts, so they can get to the M. Ed. program only to discover that they really aren't cut out for teaching.  However, by having students focus on content in their undergraduate, they can become "experts" in their field and then focus on methods and education theory in their graduate.  My personal opinion, and the opinion of Hub and friends in the M.A. and Ph.D. education programs at Big State U, is that the M. Ed. is a joke and most M. Ed. students have inflated egos.  Earning a M. Ed. is not a true statement of "mastery" as those graduates are on the same experience level as the lowly bachelor's degree yet receive a pay raise. 

In any event, it works in my favor.  Although I will had to complete a second student teaching experience, I get a Master's for an eventual pay raise and increased certification.  Plus, additional methods and pedagogy classes can never hurt.

I am currently enrolled at Local Community College to earn the few content classes I need while I wait for my (potential) acceptance letter.  So that's the plan right now.  Hopefully by Fall 2011, I will have my own classroom and finally join the ranks of "real" teachers and bade farewell to my "sub" status.