Job Discussion Forums

[MattElz]

Here's what I am considering:

1. Getting a Master's in TESOL with the K-12 Certification

2. Getting a Master's in Teaching English (lit) with the K-12 Certification.

3. Getting a Master's in School Counseling (guidance)

Here's why, with application deadlines looming, I'm unsure which to choose:

I have taught ESL in Japan but have no formal qualifications. I have tutored here a bit as well, and I know it's a marketable area for credentialed teachers, but as interesting as I find the students and I believe in the importance of it, I find the material rather dry and I'm not a "games"/"performer kind of guy"

I'm a writer, love books, reading, and I tutor charter school kids (6th-8th) in a program where the curriculum is short fiction and I enjoy it.
I am uncertain, however, how marketable (i.e. how many jobs there are for English teachers) it is, and how transferrable it would be if I wanted to go back to Asia or somewhere else and do ESL without having to go through the McEnglish grind.

Finally, I thought that guidance was a good fit because I'm a better tutor than teacher (I'm more introverted and am better at one-on-one stuff, and would like to avoid being a babysitter/drill sgt. if I can.) But I imagine the market for guidance counselors isn't that great because there are only so many in a given school. And also I wonder how transferrable if I wanted to move overseas again and get a good job (ESL at a university, probably). And also I wonder if guidance counselors also get the summers off (sorry do-gooders, but as much as I care it is a major incentive since I need time to write, and want time to travel and study.)

And for all of these I wonder if there'd be any difference in terms of the time and energy they'd leave me for writing.

Anyone in the know about this stuff? Thanks.

[MattElz]

I was also thinking of getting the English lit thing and then getting a CELTA or SIT TEFL over a vacation or something.

[15yearsinQ8]

many k-12 schools world wide use the counsellor as a substitute teacher
i'd say you would be very marketable
the ma tesol would get you to uni level where the pay is twice it at private schools

[flutterbayou]

My MA in literature never stopped me from getting excellent EFL assignments.

If I were you, I'd do what I enjoy most (literature and writing) and get the K-12 certificate.

If you have the degree in English and the cert., you can teach anywhere in the world.

However, if you prefer to work with adults, you can add the CELTA later.

Go lit - we need more thinkers in this money-motivated world

[melirae]

Another couple to consider are an M.Ed. or M.A.T in Reading, Language and Literacy. There is program at Georgia State University in Atlanta and you can get P-12 certification with a TESOL endorsement. I did my MA in Applied Linguistics there and many of my linguistics classes had students from those programs. I just chose the AL degree because my preference is working with adults and I knew I would go abroad and certification wouldn't be important for the jobs I would want.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

I'd like to say that I think you should go with with one that you are most interested in (English lit) but I think the reality is that you basically have to make a pretty serious decision. It's true that an MA in English isn't really a BARRIER to getting the jobs (university and college levels) teaching English oveseas. BUT, if you look at want ads, you'll see more and more asking for Applied Linguistics or MA TESOL degrees. So I think if it's SPECIFICALLY Asia that you would be teaching English as a Foreign Language then probably an MA in English Lit will be fine (but possibly not in Japan, for example). Like with anything else, the competition will dictate what employers can and cannot get away with (and the competition in Japan is tough).

I think if you do go the MA in English Literature route, and get yourself a CELTA then that would be a lot better. Also, if you decide that you want to teach EFL as your career, then don't forget that distance Master's degrees are very common in this area. There is a HUGE difference between literature and linguistics, so if you aren't into theory of languge acquisition (and this includes CHARTs.... wooo wooo! CHARTS!!!) then English literature or the councilling degree would be better.

Lastly, have you read Stephen Kings book On Writing? The ONLY time he ever wondered if he would make it as a writer was when he was a teacher, and it was because of the lack of energy left at the end of the day (OTOH, at the end of my BA in English, the English professors were actually telling students not to get their MAs in English Literature because it wasn't worth it- but in Ontario, an MA in English literature ONLY qualifies you to teach at the university or college level, and with only an MA, you aren't actually going to be able to be a professor, so it's actually very different than what you're talking about).

[Chancellor]

[Tiger Beer]

[bdbarnett1]