If you’re a teacher, you’ve already spent at least 17 years of your life as a student. You work in a school every day, even during parts of your breaks. That’s a lot of classroom time. So why would you want to go back to school for your Master’s of Education?
1. The networking
Going back to get your Master’s whether you do it online or on campus, will gain you instant access to a whole new network of professionals. You may end up paying a pretty penny to go back to school, but the connections you can gain from it can be priceless.
The next time you need ideas for differentiating a lesson, or when you get assigned to teach a social studies class even though your background is in math, it won’t be as stressful–send out a group message and the tips will come flooding in.
2. A Master’s looks great if you’re job hunting
Life doesn’t always happen in one city–sometimes you have to pick up and move. Finding new job could be easier if you have a Master’s in Education. The extra degree will put you ahead of the rest of the applicant pool.
Employers are always looking for who has the most experience or the most specialized background, a M. Ed. will give you that. And, if you’re moving across state lines, a Master’s might make switching your license simpler too.
3. Moving up the ladder
Getting your Master’s in Education is a great way to open doors to different positions in the school system.
You could get a job at the district level doing teacher leadership training. PLCs are all the rage right now, with a Master’s you could be on the team in charge of organizing and working with these leaders. Other things like program and curriculum evaluation, or working in the state department could be possibilities as well.
4. If administration sounds appealing
If you want to move out of the classroom there’s a Master’s in Education Administration for that. Some M. Ed. programs tack on Administration as a specialty area, others are separate degrees.
Keep in mind, there are quite a few teachers and school counselors who get their Master’s in Education Administration, but that doesn’t mean they have to get a job in that area. It will also get a you a pay bump, but we’ll save that for another article.
5. Evening, weekend, or summer job opportunities
Having a Master’s is all that’s required for teaching at the college level. This means that with a Master’s in Education you could teach at your local community college to earn some extra cash during your down time (not that teachers have a ton of that).
If spreading your love of education and teaching a class of lucky undergrads sounds fun, a Master’s will get you there.
Sometimes, when you live in the world of education, you miss being a student yourself. This can be easily rectified by going back to get your Master’s. You don’t have to be a full-time student–you can work at your own pace. And with the online or on-campus options, you really can make a unique plan of study to fit your needs.
