MENC Forums

No one is ready.  I think that's how it is for many careers.  You just get an introduction in college.  I'm not even sure if knowing a little about everything is a good idea or not.

Yes nervous.  Everyone feels that way.  You learn things on the job as you go along.

From what I can tell, at least in my area, there are always jobs available.  You might not want them, but they are always there.  Those are the crappy situations with low pay though so... There's a reason those jobs are always there.

I've heard a masters is good either way.  Later in a career it can recharge you and give you new ideas.  Early on, it gives you more background information to work with. 

As far as the teaching system, a masters is a masters is a masters.  Doesn't matter what field it's in.

I suppose another way of putting it though.  A masters won't make you anymore experienced.  You'll just know a little more and get paid a little more.  The stuff you can only learn from experience you get on the job and that's the stuff that will really give you peace of mind. 

Subbing also won't give you that experience, unless it's a longer term subbing gig.  But the crappy low paying jobs can give you that experience, although you're put in a more challenging position that a program that's already set up for success.

Of course I was nervous!  I was chock full of great ideas, but I knew that there had to be more to teaching than singing songs and learning about composers.  I floundered through a permanent sub job in which I realized that my classroom management could use some work, but the main idea was to get a full-time teaching job.  A couple years and three minor jobs later I landed in my present job:  my first year was pretty bad ... I had no idea how much I didn't know about organizing lessons, controlling behavior, varying activities and most of all classroom management.  But the year after was a complete 180 - I taught much more material in more effective ways, was calmer and more effective with the aforementioned challenges.  and -- I had FUN!!  ... moral of the story is I think it's just a matter of getting experiences; learning.
I've heard veteran teachers say that it takes 5 years for one to be a really good teacher.  5 years of trying different things, perfecting "the look" and learning -- and it doesn't end there! 

My choice to search for a job right after getting my BA was because I had heard from profs and other teachers that some districts in my area wouldn't hire candidates with a masters degree -- would have to pay them higher and that was unappealing.  I also thought I would get my feet wet before diving into another degree.  Doing so has given me more perspective on why I want my Masters in Elem. ed ... I have done enough music classes in "their rooms" so as to have seen some really amazing classroom organization.  Talked with the teachers about what they do, how much extra it takes beyond just grading papers and calling parents.  Really interesting - straight from the source I guess.

You might want to contact clinical psychologists in your area, explain your situation, and ask for a meeting with them to discuss what they do specifically.  I have observed teachers for college courses and they were more than willing to let me observe and ask questions after.   Worth a try, though.  Find out more about the areas in which you are interested before starting in a degree program.

I agree with those suggesting to hold off on your masters.  You will have a little bit better idea of what direction you'd like to go in with regards to your masters after you've done some teaching!  And, there's the more pay thing, that's not so attractive to districts hiring a first year teacher.  And, what I've found, is if you teach for a bit first, and then go back to school it really energizes you, gives you a boost!

Right after graduation I jumped right into teaching.  I had no student teaching experience, I got in as an intern.  I think that helped me in some ways because I was under a lot of pressure to get it right the first time.  In other ways it was a hindrance - there was a lot I didn't know...

Anyway, yeah I was nervous.  Scared s***less is more like it!  I was also ecstatic - after so many years of school and hard work and countless interviews I was finally starting my career.  That positive energy helped me get through what was a really tough first year.

The question about a MA making it harder to get hired came up a few times in my credentialing courses and the consensus (among the principals, deputy sups. and others teaching or speaking to the classes)  was that it's not usually a big factor.  It depends a lot on who is interviewing you and making the selection.  Principals are the ones usually selecting teachers and since teacher pay doesn't come out of their site money they don't usually take into account how much you'll make.  Sometimes District "mucky-mucks" are part of the hiring process and they sometimes look a little more closely at the bottom line, but your qualifications usually outweigh that.  Private schools will look more at what you cost than public ones, because they're spending their own money.  I think most schools want the most qualified person they can get, and education goes a long way. 

Education does not equal experience though, and that's what really gets you a job.  No matter what your education, you'll likely get your first job in a struggling program that you'll have to build from the ground up.  If you're lucky, you might get an assistant position in an established program, but you usually have to be pretty well-connected.

I say if you can get your MA now, go for it.  I waited, and it's REALLY hard to go back to school once you're out and working.

Last edited by Tim (2008-11-05 12:32:53)

I was a performance major, not music ed.  I had had some bad experiences in college when trying to major in music ed, so I had switched my major.  I didn't find out how much I really loved teaching until spending some time in another field and then doing some substitute teaching.  I did alternate route certification after having been out of school for a couple of years.  So I was VERY rusty and had no student teaching experience.   

On the morning of the first day of school in my first year of teaching, I was so nervous I almost couldn't get out of bed.  I thought I was going to throw up.  (For about 5 seconds I toyed with the idea of calling in sick!)  But I made myself get up and go in, and when I got there, I found just ordinary kids - nobody too scary - who assumed that I knew what I was doing.  (Of course, that was at an elementary school.  At a MS or HS, you could be Mozart come back from the dead, and they would assume that you don't have a clue, just because you're an adult.  LOL)  But the point is that things turned out ok.  I had a great mentor music teacher to work with, and I think that was the key.  She had been teaching longer than I had been alive, and she taught me so much that I still use today.   

Regardless of your background, you're going to spend your first year - in ANY field - just learning the ropes. You're NOT expected to be a seasoned veteran as a first-year graduate, no matter where you went to school or who your professors were.

One more point... while it is easier to just keep going through school than to go back years later, I still would advise that you wait.  How can you know which graduate degree you want to spend thousands of dollars and a couple years of your life on until you get out there and experience what those fields are really like?  It would be one thing if you were 100% sold on a particular field, but since you're not sure, it might be best to get some experience and find out for sure.  Also, when you're a little older and haven't been in school a while, you tend to appreciate and get more out of the classes than when you've been in school nonstop your entire life.

Last edited by choirteacher (2009-04-13 13:06:10)

I was soooo nervous when I had to start teaching 3 years ago. I thought that I was going to do everything wrong! What helped me a little bit was subbing beforehand. Especially if you can get a long-term subbing gig. I subbed for a teacher who went on maternity leave, and it worked out nicely, because I could still talk to her for advice and she told me what she wanted me to cover. So if you can sub, I would say go for that, first.

Was I ready?  Probably not, but the only way to really learn how to do the job is to actually do it.  The first year was hard, and I still felt like I was masquerading as a teacher for a few years after that.  But, it's definitely worth the trial by fire.

Was I nervous?  How about terrified!  While it may be possible to bluff your way through some college coursework (not that I did, of course!), but there's no bluffing the kids.  They see through you in a heartbeat.  After nearly 18 years, I still get nervous for the first day of school, and every concert.

As for masters programs - I ignored the advice I received, and completed an MA full time in 3 semesters before entering the teaching field.  This definitely worked for me.  There is no way I could have handled the stress of beginning teaching while simultaneously completing coursework.  I also think that it would have been difficult to be patient with the sometimes "ivory tower" approach of grad school while struggling to survive the realities of inner-city teaching.

However - regardless of all the well-meaning advice, you have to do what you feel is best for you and your situation.

Best of luck with your decision, and your first year of teaching, whenever that may be.
Elizabeth

I was not ready at all for two reasons...

#1 - I am teaching in a 6-8 school with some real hero and talented players - and some instrument holders and honkers.  I have kids who can read through everything first shot and kids who can't play a lick.  I started out very gung-ho with some advanced MS level charts and I had to hammer every rehearsal to make them work.  The pieces clicked the day of the concert but I was going nuts for about 4 months.  And I did it all over again for Spring.

#2 - I was not ready for the "You're not my old teacher" syndrome.  I was in a constant struggle with last year's 8th graders.  I was not their old teacher and I was doing things differently.  This year has been a complete turn around.  First day of band I said "Seventh period ends at 1:31, Eighth starts at 1:34.  We will be sitting and ready to play by 1:40 every day.  When my baton goes up, your lips close".  One month of school down and I've had no bad days so far and actually many of my 8th graders are saying "This band is so much better than last year's!"

So my recommendation?  Keep the drive, but don't go into overdrive otherwise you might run over some people.  Set the rules and stick to them from day 1.