Master’s degree in education programs typically offer a few possible majors/specialties: curriculum and instruction, counselor education, educational administration, leadership/administration, educational technology, special education or teaching English-language learners. get a masters in educational leadership, as Econteacher said. The MAT degree is meant to broaden and deepen teachers' knowledge and instructional skills. If increasing your teacher salary is your biggest motivation, you should know that chances are good that you’ll increase earning potential with a masters degree — but it’s not guaranteed. 46 Articles, By The real question is-what makes a good teacher? Arguments are made that the Education colleges do not focus enough on experiential instruction, which makes a difference for the success of beginning teachers. I can't really recommend the masters in curriculum unless you have some experience. These opportunists are very rare for teaching degrees, which is a bit ironic. You're correct that you would be much better off either getting a content Master's or some sort of education degree like in curriculum/instruction or even admin if that is a path you are interested in. Currently, a MAT degree, or Masters of Arts in Teaching, will bump up your prospects as a teacher-increasing your opportunities for leadership positions in your school, and most likely raising your pay at least eleven thousand dollars. I don't have personal experience with these degrees however, I know many people that have gone that route and they're pretty blunt when they talk about it. © 2020 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide, Comparing and Contrasting in Classroom Instruction to Online Instruction! Getting a masters or doctorate in education cannot inherently make a teacher better, but it can give them the opportunity and knowledge to work towards their goals. "Training and experience factors, by themselves, turn out to be fairly weak predictors of effectiveness," he said. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. There’s no getting around the fact that doing so takes time and money. These programs typically offer a handful of core courses that are supplemented by classes that focus on an individual’s specialty concentration, such as curriculum, leadership or counseling. Right now, if you are a classroom teacher, your primary peers are those who also teach at your school. Teachers with a masters in content are extremely rare in my experience but that may be a regional issue. The foundation of most master’s in teaching programs is pedagogical theory and its application to K-12 classrooms. Faculty is often composed of practicing professionals, in addition to those wi… http://www.360-edu.com, Article Source: And if you're just graduating (which your post suggests is the case), you may not 100% know what path you'll take in education. McGuire also points out that it is important to make a distinction between the credentials used in selecting and hiring a teacher, and the information or criteria used to reward performance. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, read on to help you decide whether a Master of Arts in teaching is worth it. I know the American College of Education has affordable master degree programs online (I think under $10k for the entire program), and there's many other universities that have similar programs. Pursuing a Master’s is a great way to potentially earn more money as a teacher, as well as establish yourself as a highly qualified expert. This is a real risk. So is it worth it? He sites personal examples he has seen of teachers or administrators without credentials that were better at their job than others with them. We will never sell or rent your email address. Once you’ve gotten a job and started your career, settled into an apartment and had to deal with real-world living expenses, it can be difficult to take the downsizing in salary that going back to school may entail. Obtaining a master’s in counseling can help you transition to a new position outside of the classroom but still in a school setting. If you're considering leadership positions someday, a master in Educational Leadership could be an excellent option as well. If you think you might want to move into k-12 administration at some point (vice principal, principal, etc.) I'm graduating with my bachelor's in Secondary Education with a concentration in Social Studies. There is greater freedom of credit selection and the choice spans over the different schools of a university. In addition to increasing confidence and knowledge in the classroom, a teaching master’s may give you access to positions that offer greater benefits than typical teaching jobs do. 360 Education Solutions is your advocate in the search for quality online teaching degree programs. When you get a job at your school, you may want to look and see if they offer cohort programs or tuition reimbursement. | The current conversation about education reform is to link teacher's pay to performance and not to credentials. You may obtain a bigger frame of reference for your teaching, and the increased knowledge can benefit you for the rest of your career. As a previous poster said, it's mostly a transition degree for non-certified people. You could also be considered more seriously for school principal or school administrator positions, now or in the future. If your primary desire is to expand your understanding of and expertise in the education world, the decision is a no-brainer. If you want to open the option to pick up an adjunct position at the local community college in the summer or night courses a masters in content is the way to go. Here’s a list of master’s degree possibilities that may suit those who have a specific focus they want to pursue: Master of Science in teaching programs focus on prospective teachers seeking initial teacher certification and on current teachers looking to expand their teaching skills with some hands-on field-based experiences. If you enjoy working with students but want to get out of the classroom and into a more guiding role, you may consider a master’s degree in school counseling. In other words, you will study the ideas behind different models of instruction, and analyze their impact on students. An MAT made sense for me because, as you said, it is centered around basic pedagogy and (should) get you certified. 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Then, check to see what the requirements are for that incentive. Powered by Invision Community. Basic PLUS Author Make sure it meets the requirements of your state to hold an administrative position. Cost is another important factor. Earn an alternative certification while you teach. If that's what you really want, maybe try out teaching first to see how you like it. Even still, teachers and administrators continue to advocate for the MAT and often agree that it is worth the investment because of the incentives and because they believe that it can make a difference. In your case it doesn't sound like a MAT is the right call. A master’s degree in teaching allows for more exploration of education theory, classroom practices, education policy and management, field research on particular topics of interest, leadership opportunities and technological innovations. I would not recommend taking out more than $20k in debt for an education degree due to the starting salary ranges. This doctorate can be completed in as little as three years, which is just one year longer than a typical Master of Arts in teaching degree. While not all teaching positions require a master’s degree, some do. The answer depends on your own idea of what the future holds for you, and whether you are willing to put in the effort to make it worth your experience. Knowledge is an opportunity to expand on creative and innovative thinking and to always work towards improvement. The district I taught in had an agreement with a local university for cheaper tuition for those interested in getting a Master's in School Leadership, for example. Studies show no correlation between advanced degrees and student performance. Since you have your undergraduate degree in secondary ed, an MAT most likely does very little for you. If you're seriously considering a masters in special ed, please understand this the hardest job in the whole system. Many teaching students who intend to do this never end up going back. April 20, 2017 in Education. On 4/20/2017 at 5:03 PM, jaaaayciee said. Janel N Spencer | Some high end private schools will not consider any candidates without a master in CONTENT but there aren't many schools of this caliber. jaaaayciee, One such preference is that MAT graduates have studied at research institutions. If you can’t wait to get into the classroom but have … Research professor Dan Goldhaber explains that research dating back to 1997 has shown that the students of teachers with master degrees show no better progress than students taught by teachers without advanced degrees.