Hello fellow teachers,
I am currently a PE teacher and considering a Masters in Education. I would like to get an M.Ed for the following reasons:
1.) Become more competitive at the top schools
2.) Go up on the pay scale (I'm young and have about 30 more years left, so it will pay for itself)
3.) Teach another subject or move out of the classroom in the future (admin, C&I, etc.)
4.) And of course I'd like to learn and develop more as a teacher
I don't think it would be wise to pursue a master's in PE as that seems very limiting. I am very interested in teaching elementary. All I have to do is pass an exam to get an elementary license, though I'd have no education or experience in that subject area.
I'm currently looking at two programs: M.Ed in Elementary and the other is M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction (Specializing in elementary education). The M.Ed in C&I appears to be better as it provides an education in elementary teaching AND C&I which will be a great option as I get older and want to get out of the classroom. I'm certainly open to other specializations, such as Integrating Tech, so please send me your thoughts on which direction would be best given my goals.
Thanks a lot
PE teacher considering MEd
Response
The rule is a Masters should do more than just get you into a classroom, it should provide you an opportunity or option that wasnt previously available. Any Masters even a PHE Masters will accomplish 3 of your 4 goals (salary increase, marketability increase, and potentially learn something). Of the remaining factor of transitioning into alternative or additional roles. A Masters in C&I is probably the worst. A C&I Masters isnt an apprenticeship, its not going to make you a primary/elementary IT with the cool classroom and learning centers. Its going to give you the same warmed over introduction to edu meds/peds concepts. Its essentially going to be a lot of the same theory of edu you did for PHE. Take the exam, add the primary credential, get a primary classroom and then do an MA.T so that you have a classroom to use as your laboratory.
If leadership is your goal an Ed.Ld masters is the way to go, as lots of leadership do curriculum and they have leadership credentials to go with it. Anyone can do curriculum by just doing curriculum and being good at it. The other options for a Masters is counseling, technology or library.
If leadership is your goal an Ed.Ld masters is the way to go, as lots of leadership do curriculum and they have leadership credentials to go with it. Anyone can do curriculum by just doing curriculum and being good at it. The other options for a Masters is counseling, technology or library.
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shadowjack
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Re: PE teacher considering MEd
HighHo,
for C&I, my main question would be do you LIKE pedagogy? Do you LIKE the nuts and bolts of how subjects go together and the different levels of skills and content and how they align together, but how they are different? If you like connecting things like that, then go for it. At the same time, you will need to move out of PE into a role more central to C&I, such as classroom teacher at elementary level, or middle school level.
for C&I, my main question would be do you LIKE pedagogy? Do you LIKE the nuts and bolts of how subjects go together and the different levels of skills and content and how they align together, but how they are different? If you like connecting things like that, then go for it. At the same time, you will need to move out of PE into a role more central to C&I, such as classroom teacher at elementary level, or middle school level.
Re: PE teacher considering MEd
PsyGuy,
What you say makes a lot of sense. No point in spending 20k+ just to get into an elementary classroom when I can do that by simply passing an exam. I may have to start at a lower tier school (somewhere in an unstable nation like Libya, but I actually enjoy those experiences, I like to see the full spectrum of travel and life around the world. BTW, I've lived in many nations most would stay away from for fear of their safety, so I'm used to it. This seems logical to save money and time to pursue this route.
On the other hand I do believe C&I is interesting as I transition my experience out of the classroom. Another reason I do see myself getting out of the classroom at a later time (10 years or so) is because I would like to buy a house and have a good retirement plan. C&I would give me a better pay raise, but leadership is obviously the way to go if I want to make 75k+. This seems difficult to obtain, but I'm sure I could network over the years and probably invest in a leadership degree with credential.
I am very much interested in teaching PE and likely elementary, but in the long term, the pay just isn't there. C&I could be a good compromise, but like you said, why get a degree in that when I can simply just be good at the job and avoid schooling and costs.
Thanks for the interesting perspective. I gotta lot to think about before I go down a path I may regret.
Cheers
What you say makes a lot of sense. No point in spending 20k+ just to get into an elementary classroom when I can do that by simply passing an exam. I may have to start at a lower tier school (somewhere in an unstable nation like Libya, but I actually enjoy those experiences, I like to see the full spectrum of travel and life around the world. BTW, I've lived in many nations most would stay away from for fear of their safety, so I'm used to it. This seems logical to save money and time to pursue this route.
On the other hand I do believe C&I is interesting as I transition my experience out of the classroom. Another reason I do see myself getting out of the classroom at a later time (10 years or so) is because I would like to buy a house and have a good retirement plan. C&I would give me a better pay raise, but leadership is obviously the way to go if I want to make 75k+. This seems difficult to obtain, but I'm sure I could network over the years and probably invest in a leadership degree with credential.
I am very much interested in teaching PE and likely elementary, but in the long term, the pay just isn't there. C&I could be a good compromise, but like you said, why get a degree in that when I can simply just be good at the job and avoid schooling and costs.
Thanks for the interesting perspective. I gotta lot to think about before I go down a path I may regret.
Cheers
Last edited by HighHo on Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: PE teacher considering MEd
One more thing.....I'm still young and would really like to start a grad program soon. Doing a leadership degree, if I would actually get accepted with my limited lack of experience, would be great to start right away. Look like I'm gonna have to buckle down and get 5 years or so under my belt along with recommendations and possibly a mentor to get accepted into an Ed. Leadership program.
I'd just like to power through all optimal qualifications now while I'm young, even getting a doctorate, so I can be done with it and focus on teaching and rising up the ranks.
I'd just like to power through all optimal qualifications now while I'm young, even getting a doctorate, so I can be done with it and focus on teaching and rising up the ranks.
Re: PE teacher considering MEd
PsyGuy,
I respect your opinion a lot. You remind me of a no non-sense business man that tells it like it is and sees through all the bullshit**.
What's the best way of climbing to the top and actually becoming a good leader. I'd like to make a difference in the education and operational duties as I know what its like to work for horrible leaders. I'm ready to go back to school and put in the elbow grease. Just seems difficult and a lot of a** kissing to make it there. If I'm not cut out for leadership, I can accept that, but I can't accept not trying. No point in living if you don't shoot for your dreams.
Another thing is I'd like to have a family. Having a wife and possibly 2 kids would make me unemployable, unless of course I was in leadership (I think). This is all about planning, career wise, family wise, financially wise, and accomplishing big things in something I love (education).
I respect your opinion a lot. You remind me of a no non-sense business man that tells it like it is and sees through all the bullshit**.
What's the best way of climbing to the top and actually becoming a good leader. I'd like to make a difference in the education and operational duties as I know what its like to work for horrible leaders. I'm ready to go back to school and put in the elbow grease. Just seems difficult and a lot of a** kissing to make it there. If I'm not cut out for leadership, I can accept that, but I can't accept not trying. No point in living if you don't shoot for your dreams.
Another thing is I'd like to have a family. Having a wife and possibly 2 kids would make me unemployable, unless of course I was in leadership (I think). This is all about planning, career wise, family wise, financially wise, and accomplishing big things in something I love (education).
Reply
@HighHo
Having a Masters in C&I for primary isnt going to get you into a better tier of IS vs just having a credential.
If C&I is interesting too you, than pursue your interests, whatever makes you happy, but a C&I Masters doesnt have superior marketability or utility as far as IE is concerned, if a Masters in edu doesnt get your a credential that allows you to do something different in IE, than the Masters is a Masters is a Masters rule applies, and a C&I Masters at best is going to get you into a classroom.
Leadership, Technology, Counselor, Librarian, the real coin is in Leadership and then Technology, Counselor and Librarians are routes out of the classroom, though they typically dont have better salary scales than other ITs.
C&I might be a good compromise in terms of what your goals are, but its a really expensive compromise for hat amounts to benefits that are "Im interested in it" and getting a higher band on the salary scale. You could do ANY Masters in any field or subject and accomplish those goals.
Ed.Ld programs usually dont have restrictive admissions policies, they tend to be everywhere, you dont even need to be in edu or an IT/DT, there are plenty of corporate business types that get M.Eds in Ed.Ld as a management lite degree for career and professional advancement.
Having a trailing spouse and two kids is a very strong logistical barrier in IE, it can be done, everything happens, its even harder for a PHE/PSPE or primary IT. Both fields are highly saturated, so there are/would be a lot of less expensive candidates.
There are 3 general avenues into leadership:
1) Grow In: You start at an IS as an IT, you work well with leadership, parents and ownership, and then when there is an opening you get the job because ownership trusts you and leadership and parents like you. This pathway is faster at lower tier ISs, where there is a lot of turnover and longevity often means your only one of the few staff to renew.
2) Work In: You get a M.Ed in Ed.Ld, you add a credential, you build some leadership or management experience and you work your way up into leadership. This may and often requires some work in DE. This is the pathway that accounts for the majority of leadership. Candidates were leadership in DE, and they were hired as leadership in IE.
3) Edge In: You make friends and build a network, maybe you marry into, but someone in ownership likes you and gives you the job, or someone in leadership helps you get into the job. This is the least common path into leadership.
Leadership roles are defined by reports, peer deliverables, or resource budgeting and allocation.
Having a Masters in C&I for primary isnt going to get you into a better tier of IS vs just having a credential.
If C&I is interesting too you, than pursue your interests, whatever makes you happy, but a C&I Masters doesnt have superior marketability or utility as far as IE is concerned, if a Masters in edu doesnt get your a credential that allows you to do something different in IE, than the Masters is a Masters is a Masters rule applies, and a C&I Masters at best is going to get you into a classroom.
Leadership, Technology, Counselor, Librarian, the real coin is in Leadership and then Technology, Counselor and Librarians are routes out of the classroom, though they typically dont have better salary scales than other ITs.
C&I might be a good compromise in terms of what your goals are, but its a really expensive compromise for hat amounts to benefits that are "Im interested in it" and getting a higher band on the salary scale. You could do ANY Masters in any field or subject and accomplish those goals.
Ed.Ld programs usually dont have restrictive admissions policies, they tend to be everywhere, you dont even need to be in edu or an IT/DT, there are plenty of corporate business types that get M.Eds in Ed.Ld as a management lite degree for career and professional advancement.
Having a trailing spouse and two kids is a very strong logistical barrier in IE, it can be done, everything happens, its even harder for a PHE/PSPE or primary IT. Both fields are highly saturated, so there are/would be a lot of less expensive candidates.
There are 3 general avenues into leadership:
1) Grow In: You start at an IS as an IT, you work well with leadership, parents and ownership, and then when there is an opening you get the job because ownership trusts you and leadership and parents like you. This pathway is faster at lower tier ISs, where there is a lot of turnover and longevity often means your only one of the few staff to renew.
2) Work In: You get a M.Ed in Ed.Ld, you add a credential, you build some leadership or management experience and you work your way up into leadership. This may and often requires some work in DE. This is the pathway that accounts for the majority of leadership. Candidates were leadership in DE, and they were hired as leadership in IE.
3) Edge In: You make friends and build a network, maybe you marry into, but someone in ownership likes you and gives you the job, or someone in leadership helps you get into the job. This is the least common path into leadership.
Leadership roles are defined by reports, peer deliverables, or resource budgeting and allocation.