Working in Education on Many Levels - Personal Statement Example

? Education is a field of study that offers practitioners many opportunities for employment and professional growth. Working in Education is rewarding on many levels. Traditionally, the pay for educators has been lower than those working in other professions and this is unlikely to change any time in the near future for teachers, but many careers in Education are keeping pace with other industries. As the field of Education requires more data driven decision making, new opportunities for employment are opening for those that wish to seek employment beyond the classroom or the administrative office. Students interested working in Education usually begin by earning a teaching certification and a bachelors degree in Education. Education majors are essentially divided into two categories, Secondary Education and Elementary Education. Secondary Education programs are intended to equip teachers for educating young adolescent students up through graduation from high school. In most states, this involves instruction from sixth or seventh grade up through twelfth grade. Teachers are usually certified in an individual subject at the secondary level. So, a typical student will graduate with a B.S Ed. in Secondary Education with a certification to teach Chemistry, Geography, English, Foreign Language, etc. Elementary Education programs usually certify a teacher to teach from Kindergarten through sixth grade. In some states, this certification is broken into Primary (K-2) and Elementary (3-6) Education certifications. Most states avoid this, however, allowing teachers certified in Elementary Education to teach from Kindergarten through sixth grade. The coursework for Elementary and Secondary teachers is quite different. Both will receive instruction in Educational Psychology and Methods of Instruction. They will also complete classes on Assessment and Evaluation that are similar, but his is where most of the similarities end. Elementary Education programs are more intensive in instructing teachers in strategies for building basic literacy in math and reading (Cooper, 1993). They will receive coursework in reading strategies, phonics and computational instruction that Secondary Education students do not receive. Secondary students will focus more on learning directly related to their area of certification. For example, a student studying to be a Chemistry teacher will have a core of chemistry classes that will include classes such as Chemicals Engineering and Organic Chemistry. The capstone for most teaching programs, both Elementary and Secondary, is a semester of student teaching, where the student is assigned to a mentor and teaches, with guidance, in a live classroom with his or her mentor. This experience is vital, because it is the first time students really get to experience what a real teacher does day after day (Ryan, 1992). It is not uncommon for students to leave Education programs after student teaching because they find they do not enjoy the duties teachers are expected to do or they have trouble learning how to manage students. The field of education has bee viewed by some as a safe place to work in many ways. Traditionally, teachers do not need to worry about fluctuations in the economy because they rarely are retrenched, even when tax revenue declines. Teaching has been viewed as an easy job with lots of perks, such as summers off and a short workday. The one downside to teaching, in the traditional point of view, is the relatively low pay when compared to other professions that require a college degree (Students, 2012). This view of teaching and working in Education is still intact, but has become dated over the past several years. The first way this myth about working in Education has been shattered is a result of the recent economic depression. Education, as a sector of the economy, has lost a record number of jobs (Teachers, 2012). School districts all across America have been dismissing teacher as they try to make their precious tax dollars stretch farther. The result of this affects teachers and students. There are fewer teaching jobs available, so recent graduates are having a difficult time finding work in states that pay a decent wage to teachers. The students are affected because they now have larger class sizes and less educational services than in the past. The view of a job in Education being recession-proof has been broken by this last recession. Another challenge all people working as teachers and administrators in Education are facing is the increasing scrutiny and demands created by Federally and state imposed standardized tests. The No Child Left Behind statue required states to test all students and measure their progress from year to year. The results of these tests have been used to rank and label schools and teachers as failing if students do not score high enough on these tests. Teachers and school level administrators are under lots of pressure to get kids to do well on these tests. The problems created by standardized testing being used a this sort of measurement are many. Subjects such as Social Studies and Science, which are not covered by No Child Left Behind legislation often are ignored in Elementary schools. All time is spent preparing students for standardized tests in Math and Reading (French, 2012). The pressure caused by these tests has actually resulted in entire school and school districts engaging in mass cheating. Teachers and administrators actually went back and changed incorrect answers so their schools would look good on the tests. The stress caused by standardized testing has really changed the face of education. One positive shift for individuals that want to work in Education but do not really want to be teachers is the fact that standardized testing has opened an entirely new field of employment. Many Federal and state agencies, as well as wealthy local school districts, are hiring individuals that have experience in education to conduct school improvement initiatives. These individuals always have advanced degrees in some specialization within the field of Education. Often they have worked as administrators in failing schools that were able to show real improvement. These careers are not for new Education graduates, but they are something to consider in the long run. These jobs are among the best paying in Education right now. As more teachers are dismissed and class sizes swell, more and more consultants are being hired to tell teachers how to best teach their students. The field of Education is an exciting place that allows employees to work with children of all ages. There are many highly structured education programs at universities all over America that prepare students to enter the classroom. Federal and state legislation in recent years have significantly altered education. It still remains a rewarding and challenging career choice. Works Cited Cooper, J. David, and J. David Cooper. Literacy: Helping Children Construct Meaning. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print. "Mr. Godrick French-Science Teacher." Telephone interview. 13 Jan. 2012. Ryan, Kevin. The Roller Coaster Year: Essays by and for Beginning Teachers. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1992. Print. "Students in Education Program." Personal interview. 20 Jan. 2012. "Teacher Jobs At Risk." Teacher Jobs At Risk. Executive Office of the President, Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. . Read More