Think about which subject you like, rather than which subject you’re best at. Be ready to 'learn by doing' in classrooms outside your university. Teaching courses involve a lot of 'learning by doing' through on-site training in actual education institutions. Teacher training courses (the courses that you have to take to get a teaching license) are more about 'learning to do' rather than 'learning to know'.
You will also eventually need to decide whether you want to work at a public school, a private school, or a charter school. Consider the differences in what worker's rights you'd have, union protection, tenure, and pension between the different school types. Either way, it's best to get a full time job and clear your credential as soon as possible. The time it takes to clear your preliminary credential will vary depending on your location.
Consider these job factors when deciding on a teaching degree:
The cost of living and average salary in the location you want to live and work in
The demand for multi subject or single subject teachers in different locations
The demand for specific subjects in different locations (subjects like Math and Science might be easier to get a job in than English, Physical Education, or History)
You can test different types of classrooms by becoming a substitute teacher before you commit to a specific degree or certification. Figure out who you are as a teacher to set yourself up for success. You might think you want to be a secondary school teacher now, but substitute teaching could show you that you actually prefer primary school.
Keep in mind that it's an emotionally taxing thing to get a credential and to go through your first year or so of teaching. Keep your head down, work hard, and document everything you do. Our insights from recent teaching graduates tell us that everything starts to feel much easier after the third year. From then, you'll know who you are in a classroom and what you should be teaching at which grade level, and everything feels like it fits.
Some students might be wondering, what is an education degree useful for? Why study education if you don't want to become a teacher? Beyond becoming a university professor or lecturer, there are plenty of jobs in education that are not teaching.
Here are some potential jobs in education that are not teaching:
Tons of career paths focus on supporting students and educators, managing education systems, researching facets of education, mentoring and coaching, and designing education itself. Think of modern schools and universities. Everyone from your school principal to the admissions officers approving your university application is a professional in the field of education. Academia is another option for those who want to exclusively research education.
Outside of educational institutions, career paths in education only seem to be growing. There are more and more professionals involved in designing educational material used in professional development training, educational textbooks, and gamification, referring to the application of game design elements to education. The surge in online learning has also brought a high demand for the development of new technologies that could be used to enhance learning.
The field of international education is another huge area of opportunity. You can use your educational expertise in a variety of organizations that focus on international standardized testing, educational system management, and international development.
EAIE (European Association for International Education)
If you'd like to take your education degree back home, look into local NGOs or government education agencies. There are many national and regional organizations that work with education in ways that are closely related to skills in communications, community building, development, and project management. For example a career in your national government's education department could be ideal if you're interested in improving public school programs.
What are salaries for graduates of an education degree?
Expected salaries for careers stemming from a degree in education vary widely. We’ll provide some expected salaries of a few of the most popular career choices and the average salary for bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Do some self-reflection on your own goals and priorities before you start looking for a program. Once you have a better idea of what kind of program to study and where, you’ll be able to choose an education degree more easily, whether that be an online program, an undergraduate degree abroad, or a graduate program at home.
A bachelor’s degree will be less specialized than a master’s degree, but that doesn’t mean you can’t specialize in a particular area. Check out our degree guides to learn more about the requirements and benefits of different degrees, and consider your career goals in the process. Match different programs to what your dream job may require. While education and teaching jobs require a university degree, the requirements will change significantly according to your specific role and location.
Nigeria's best law programWe talked with some graduate students who had recently completed their programs in education or are currently undertaking it to see what they thought about their program and if they have any advice to share with you.
Try to get an internship or volunteer experience that is related to the area of education you want to work in. Network with your professors and attend research group meetings in your education department to learn about the most pressing issues in the field. These connections and the insight they can give you will be pivotal for your future career path in international education.
Become a substitute teacher first to figure out who you are in a classroom, what subject(s) you’d be open to teaching, and what grade level you’d want to work with. You can either get a multi-subject credential (grades K-5) or a single subject credential (grades 6-12) that focuses on one thing. I knew I wanted to teach high school history, so I have a single subject social science credential. And subbing is what proved me right.
When deciding on a subject you want to teach, don’t care too much about how good you were (are) at the subject. This is simply because you are not necessarily best at teaching your best subject. If you teach a subject that you like but are not so good at, you would more easily understand how your students are feeling, what problems they may be facing, how they can be motivated in their process of learning that subject, etc. This makes you a better teacher, meaning that someone who is most knowledgeable in a subject is not necessarily the best teacher in that subject.
- Yuto, BA in Education from University of Tsukuba; National Teaching License in Foreign Language (English) for Lower and Upper Secondary School; MS in International Education from Stockholm University
A PGCE is a great way to, within one year, go from being a graduate in a particular field to teaching it to children in schools (in the UK). You learn both the theory of education and gain lots of experience of actually teaching in schools.
What questions should you ask a university to find the right education program?
What questions should you ask a university to find the right education program?
We also asked graduate students if there were any questions they asked or wished they had asked during the research and application process to determine which program was right for them. Here were the most common and helpful questions they think you should be asking universities before you apply.
What connections do the professors have to potential employers?
Does the program actively connect students with job opportunities?
Where do the program alumni currently work?
Are there opportunities or support for publishing your own educational research during the program?
How diverse are the staff and students in the program?
Does the program balance theoretical and practical knowledge?
What are the expected goals and outcomes of the programs upon graduation?
Is a mandatory teaching internship included as a part of the program curriculum, and is there an established framework for it?
