Colleges for a future teacher?

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61

I meant that if you double major in anything (math, economics, English, history international studies…) and a foreign language, you can go teach in a foreign country. You could be a fullbright fellow, a German or French government ‘assistant’. You could teach English in Chinese elementary schools or in Korean schools.
(Foreign countries don’t recognize us certification). You can obviously use elective credit to take casses related to schools (development psychology, history of education, youth literature, technology applied to education…)
There are lots pathways.

In addition, I was saying that if the issue really, honestly, matters to you, then learning about your state’s education funding and teachers’ pay not just in your district but elsewhere, then founding a group that works toward improving things, you’d have a very original EC to present to the selective universities you’re aiming for. Seeing a problem and trying to fix it is a good thing.

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OP, I would do a lot of research about teaching before going down that path. Teaching truly is one career where nobody cares where you went to school (seriously). Once you get licensed you’ll never discuss your education again unless you opt to get a graduate degree to be an administrator or to even go into a different career field. The only advantage of a school for a teaching job is the connections it might give you which is why it’s important to go to a school in a state where you want to live and teach. Salaries and benefits vary widely which is why there have been recent protests. In high-paying states it’s hard to get a job if you don’t have connections or student teaching experience in a school.

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You do not need to major in a foreign language to get a teaching job overseas. If you are interested in teaching ESL, you can major in that. There are interesting jobs overseas as ESL teachers. Many don’t require any familiarity eith the local language at all.

And truly, all of this converation is moot until you know what your parents can pay, and what the colleges and inversities would expect them to pay.

64

I want to be a teacher. That’s what I’m really passionate about. I’m stressed since this seems like it should be such one of the simplest career paths, but apparently it’s not.

Do you think my best option is applying to my safeties (Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, and/or others), going to the cheapest one, and majoring in elementary ed with a minor in a foreign language? Would that make sense or am I still thinking about this the wrong way?

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Becoming a teacher is easy if you stay in the state you are in and go to college where education is a big program. You have complicated it by wanting to go to a big out of state flagship. This introduces both the location issue (you should go to school In the state where you want to teach) and the fact that you aren’t necessarily picking a school that is strong in training teachers. Do you want to teach in Illinois, Alabama or Georgia? Can you afford the out of state tuition without loans? Then make sure those schools have the programs you need to become certified, and go to one of them.

66

A lot of my current teachers didn’t go to school in the state I live in and I don’t think even one of them majored in education. Is it really that different between elementary and high school?

I still don’t know where I want to teach. I think I’d be willing to teach in any state if I had to honestly at this point, and I’m kind of interested in the idea of teaching esl in another country too.

I haven’t really looked at tuition yet. My parents tell me that we can afford any college though, so I think we can afford the oos tuition.

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You haven’t looked at tuition yet? That is the limiting factor for many people. Total cost at out of state public schools can be $50k/yr. Most don’t give any financial aid to out of state students, though some like Alabama do give merit. Make sure your parents can afford these schools before spending any more time thinking about them.

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I told my parents how much college could cost for oos, and they said we can afford it.

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OP, I missed where you said you are from IL. That opens up so many options because of the Midwest Student Exchange tuition program, or whatever it’s called (something like that). I’m a fan of the Wisconsin state colleges, and recommend you consider Wisconsin-Oshkosh or Wisconsin-Whitewater (or any of the Wisconsin-states aside from the flagship in Madison). It seems something of a waste to spend Madison money on a teaching degree you can easily and far less expensively obtain elsewhere. Both Oshkosh and Whitewater have big time successful sports programs, albeit D3. Both have good teaching programs, are easy to get into, and are about $20-22K all-in per year. You could probably find similar programs in MN and IA (someplace like St.Cloud State comes to mind). Warm weather is highly overrated.

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Speaking only for CA here…high school teachers usually have majored in the subject they teach. Then they get a single subject teaching credential. Elementary teachers major in liberal studies (or similar) because they will be teaching all subjects. The credential they earn is a multiple subject credential vs. a single subject credential for the high school teachers. So yes, it’s very different between elementary and high school.

However you can major in something other than liberal studies and teach elementary in CA, as long as you can pass all sections of the credential exam.

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I’ll consider the Wisconsin colleges, but I think that if I go to a Midwest college it’ll probably be UIUC. I’d rather go to a college in the south or maybe even northeast anyways though.

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It makes me upset to read posts like “why waste higher tuition money at a much better school if it’s to become a teacher”. Seriously. High quality education is never wasted. The fact @extra21 wants to become an elementary school teacher doesn’t mean s/he wants a bargain education. S/he has stated, numerous times, that s/he wants an excellent, prestigious college. S/he wants to learn as much as s/he can, with academic peers that will push him/her, in an environment where being an overachiever is the norm.
To me, being an overachiever and teaching aren’t antinomic. They shouldn’t be.
Sure, in education nobody will care where the degree’s from. But @extra21 does. And I posit that his/her students will benefit from his/her having received the very best education they can.

If op’s parents could not afford the costs it’s be another matter, but since they can* the goal should be to help him/her find the best colleges academically that also offer education.

In addition, I actually think the states that require a subject- bachelor’s degree followed by a one-year, skills-based certificate or professional master’s, are in the right. There are only so many credits you can take - general education and a strong major m, perhaps with a minor in education studies to give interested students an overview, should be the focus of the undergraduate years.
Being immersed in knowledge at the highest level they can handle should be considered good for teachers, not a waste. I do think pedagogy, understanding students, managing a classroom, etc, are important, but not at the expense of acquiring knowledge broadly as well as in depth, drawing epistemological links between fieds of knowledge, thinking of the ways knowledge is built (historically, culturally, psychologically), plus history of the educational system works comparative education, policy… They could meet teachers, observe classroom to see if the job is for them. That is plenty to fill a bachelor’s degree with a major of their choice and a minor in education studies. Then only should the graduates make the decision whether they’re going into education and learn classroom skills and teaching. If they chose not to continue they can use their education studies minor to inform their view on teachers and schools, or in their job. (It could be an integrated 5-year master’s.)

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Thank you @MYOS1634! I agree with everything that you said. I was starting to feel really bad for wanting to go to a good college, which I don’t think is fair. (And it’s she by the way).

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Public school salary scales are indeed public. So you can pull up the chart pretty easily for most districts you are interested in. Pay increases with degrees (in some scales there are increases for number of credits earned after a degree), and with years of service. If you switch achool districts, you might need to negotiate the number of years of seniority that you can be hired in with. One reason to start a first job with a masters is that you would automatically start further up the pay scale. Granted, you would jump onto the masters scale as soon as you have earned one.

The cheap/expensive debate has to do with the presumed return on investment. If you and your parents would struggle to pay for Expensive U and you would graduate with a lot of debt, then it makes more sense to graduate debt free from Cheap U, provided Cheap U has a strong teacher-training program that will get you your first job. A beginning teacher salary is going to be the same in that school district whether you graduated from EU or from CU, and the EU/CU choice and potential debt load can truly affect the quality of your life.

If you and your parents can afford to be full pay, and you won’t be graduating with debt other than the federal student loans, then things are different. You have the freedom to choose the best place for your interests. @MYOS1634 is absolutely correct in that a strong undergraduate program is never wasted. All of that will go into the classroom with you every day.

When you are comparing programs, look closely at what is indicated about how soon you will be required to be observing classrooms and completing teaching practicums in classrooms. The sooner you are in the classroom, and the more time you spend there, the better. You really will learn so much more from carefully observing, and then trying things out yourself.

I think it is terrific that you want to teach elementary ed! We need good people in those classrooms. I teach pre-GED math and English to adults in night school. Many of my students are there because they didn’t have good elementary and middle school educations, and consequently couldn’t make it through high school.

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Thanks! When you put it that way, of course it seems like the obvious answer is to go to the cheap college. My problem is that I’m worried about having to choose between being happy at Expensive U and receiving a great education vs receiving an only average education and being in a setting I hate at Cheap U. Instead of focusing on the economic aspect, I’m really trying to think about how I’ll be spending the next 4 or more years of my life.

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I agree with MYOS. Education is a personal journey and assuming it is easily affordable, should stand independently from all other consideration. Extra has already stated that the overall quality and reputation of the university matters, which is why I recommended Michigan, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin, universities that not only have excellent education programs, but are also excellent overall academic institutions.

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You DO need to know the exact range that your parents mean. NOT a vague assurance they can afford it. 50-70K a year ok? Or 50-55K? Would 45K be better? (UIUC is about 40K instate, I think)

Another issue is that having a good life as an elementary school teacher and living in the South are two things that are almost antinomic… :(. You’ll need to research carefully.

Since you wanted top-level schools, all of these (below) would be hard to get into, but the ones with * are “reach for everyone regardless of stats” so they should be the last added after you have found to affordable safeties you like, and 3-5 matches.

Vanderbilt is the obvious one but it’s “dream school” category.

*Davidson has an Education Studies minor that you add to your major of choice. Professors advise you to be recruited by TeachForAmerica or TeachCharlotte or independent/private schools. (They’d clearly heard about the horrible conditions in public schools in NC).) Davidson is smaller than what you want but it’s the most prestigious southern LAC, it’s very jockey, it’s near a thriving city, it’s southern, and it’s as elite as you can imagine. :slight_smile:
https://www.davidson.edu/

Elon has a 4-year certification. Its atmosphere and vibe sounds exactly as what you’re looking for.
https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/education/

Rhodes has three tracks for education
https://www.rhodes.edu/education

*Rice has a “make your own minor” education studies program, or you can get your Bachelor’s+ MAT in 5 years.
https://ga.rice.edu/programs-study/departments-programs/continuing-studies/teacher-education

*UT offers everything but it’d be a definite reach since there are so few spots for OOS applicants.
https://www.utexas.edu/academics/college-of-education

Trinity TX has a minor you can add to your major, which leads to a 1-year MAT.
https://new.trinity.edu/academics/departments/education/master-arts-teaching/minor-teaching

*In cold climes, but worth checking out: Brown
https://www.brown.edu/academics/education/

UF (Florida) has everything
https://education.ufl.edu/

8 Tracks at Florida State, including accelerated BS/MAT program
https://education.fsu.edu/degrees-and-programs/undergraduate-programs

Rollins offers Elementary Ed certification&licensure (BS only)
http://www.rollins.edu/academics/areas-of-study/undergraduate/education.html

UMiami has a special program where you get both Elementary and Exceptional education, which can include TESOL
http://sites.education.miami.edu/elementary-education/

At UGA, some education majors are “selective access”, meaning that unless you’re interested Math&Science education, you may not get into the education major you want… The *Honors college DOES allow you to “build your own major” but you will need 1430+ on the SAT plus excellent course rigor in order to get into Honors.
https://coe.uga.edu/directory/departments/math-science-education
https://coe.uga.edu/

Agnes Scott does let you have an Education minor and support to get into a GA “fast track” program
https://www.agnesscott.edu/education/majors-minors.html
https://www.gapsc.com/EducatorPreparation/GaTAPP/GaTAPP.aspx

USC Columbia has one of the top *Honors colleges in the country but South Carolina is pretty bad in the way it treats its teachers. One program for K-4, one program for 5-8.
http://www.sc.edu/study/majors_and_degrees/middle_level_education.php
http://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/honors_college/

*UVA offers a very interesting program on top of a Certification or major, Global Studies in Education.
https://curry.virginia.edu/academics/undergraduate

*William&Mary has TESOL
https://www.wm.edu/as/modernlanguages/minorinteachingenglish/index.php

Virginia Tech has “education pre-major”
https://vt.edu/academics/majors/pre-education-and-human-sciences-undecided.html

In California,
UCSC has a minor (or a “science education” concentration) - California requires you get a MAT.
https://education.ucsc.edu/
SDSU has two options, one where you can teach 4-6 or one where you can teach 4-8.
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/admissions/majors/liberalstudies.htm
UC Davis (North) only has Physical Education
https://ls.ucdavis.edu/interdisciplinary-programs
Sonoma State has the Hutchins Program, a sort of interdisciplinary Honors Program that is especially well-suited for teachers. Would be a safety for you.
http://web.sonoma.edu/hutchins/
UC Santa Barbara has a minor for Teaching English to Speakers of Another Language
https://my.sa.ucsb.edu/catalog/Current/Documents/2017_Majors/LS/Ling/Minor_TESOL_2017.pdf
Cal Poly SLO has an Elementary School preparation program (+1-year MAT)
http://catalog.calpoly.edu/collegesandprograms/collegeofsciencemathematics/liberalstudiesanundergraduateteacherpreparationprogram/

UIUC Elementary Ed is likely a safety but you need to find another one.
Add a few good flagships - perhaps pick 1-2 from these: UVermont, UWisconsin, Indiana U, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State… and pick others from the non starred universities above.
Always apply to the honors college.

78

If I am correct, employers of teachers care more about your character and ability to teach than what school you attended in undergrad? I am pretty sure, unless you are going to teach at a prive school, you are going to get paid pretty much the same amount of someone who attended Otterbein, even if you went to, for example, UVA.

79

In-state safety possibilities could be Western Illinois and Northern Illinois. See what they offer. University of Northern Iowa could be your adjacent-state safety.

Your stats qualify you for some of the auto-admit full tuition and full-ride scholarships in the thread on that topic at the top of the Financial Aid Forum. So check those as well to see which have strong elementary ed programs. The good thing about the auto-admits is that if you have the stats, you are in. As soon as the apps open this summer, five minutes online can lock in an admission acceptance that can serve as your if-everything-else-goes-wrong back-up plan.

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@MYOS1634 Thank you SO much for that list! You have no idea how helpful it is!