Thread: Hello...any advice greatly appreciated...(read on)

I would say that you would be better off finding a teaching job and finishing up your masters as you're working. I don't know in what state you teach, but in many states, schools will be less willing to hire a teacher with no experience and a masters than a teacher with no experience and no masters. The basic reasoning behind this is that it is more cost effective for them. Also, I can completely understand getting out of a minimum wage job for something that will be your career. It could be benefitial to get out of school for a litte while and get a feel for the teachign profession in a way that student teaching won't show you.

Just some thoughts. Good luck!

Food for thought- your first year as a teacher is a busy time spent on assimilating many new things.....do you really want the added burden of graduate work on top of it?

After that, I will need to take three more 3-credit classes plus my master's thesis (which I will do last, in the summer) in order to get my EdM.

Sounds like you have most of it done already. Good job!

it looks like a position may be opening up, and I really like this school)

Apply if you think it likely you can get it. You can always turn them down if your student teaching turns out not to your liking.

Thanks for your rational advice and encouraging words, guys. I've decided that I'm going to try and get a job next year. I hope it happens...if not, I can always just finish the EdM right away, I guess!

I like this board. I'm glad it's here.

Hi Erin, after reading your message i couldn't figure out which option would be the best one. If you take up a teaching job while you are studying your masters the experience that you will be gaining through this employment will most likely be to your benefit and may even help you to get an even better job when you finish your study. Although on the other hand, if you are wanting to just concentrate on your studies perhaps you should stay with your min.wage job that you dont like! It's a tough one but i think that it is really important to get as much experience as you can! Hope i haven't confused you even more!

Good Luck!
Kathryn

I've been told that going for your master's without any teaching experience would be not as enriching as having some teaching experience (student teaching doesn't necessarily count).

I think you will learn more if you stretch the master's program over a longer period while you teach.

It will be a lot harder though managing time for yourself, grading papers, the stress of teaching, and then balancing a class or two.

I'm sure you are more than capable to be successful. Being young helps, definitely don't wait.