Which of these two options is better?

[janeng]

I see my fall semester being one of these two situations, and I would like feedback as to what others think is the more appealing choice.  I'm listing "positives" of each, but some things are just neutral details, or perhaps a con

Comments

[rotting_orange]

In many ways I'm faced with a similar dilemma, but am already embroiled in an English Master's program and need to make the decision to either graduate this spring or stay under the shelter of my school and get more University-related teaching jobs. I live in California, and the economy in education right now is so terrible that *not* graduating may be more advantageous right now (also just got laid off from univ. admin job due to state budget cuts). Basically with the economy right now I would suggest putting more effort into where you think you can really get hired right now. If by any chance you live in California, you may be screwed for opportunities on both counts. If not, you are probably better off

[roseofjuly]

I think you're going to get quite a few people biased towards Option B because of the nature of academia. True, you will be way more immersed in academia if you do Option B, so if your goal is to get a Ph.D in English literature (Not necessarily a good idea, but it's a possibility) and teach English lit even at the community college level -- or if you are unsure and want to leave your options open -- then Option B may be the best way for you to go. Teachers are always in demand and I don't think you'll have a hard time finding another teaching gig if you want want, but academia is a bit harder to break into without the right experiences early on

[freddie]

My question, regarding the teacher's salary, is what the actual net difference will be, considering she is paying for tuition if she takes Option A. If you make $80,000 grand in the two years working as a teacher, but pays $60,000 of it into tuition, it's not that great a break financially.

But yeah, it really depends on the endgame-- PhD, with the intent of getting a job in the academy, or not?

fgf

[janeng]

Thanks. I really appreciate your feedback and opinion. Yeah, I realize people are biased toward academia, but I don't blame them, really. Even I'm biased toward academia; hence, my conflicting feelings about the options. I don't want to sell myself short by not going into academia (or even just enjoying it for a couple more years

Re: fgf

[solipsismsaves]

I teach high school full time AND am working on a degree full-time (that's 4 night classes!) It's doable, trust me. And one really lends to the other.

[crazypumpkin]

I haven't read anyone else's responses, so please forgive me if I repeat

[crazypumpkin]

Ok, so I'll modify my answer slightly now that I've actually read the other responses and see that you're already teaching. I think the path you take would really depend on what you'd like to get out of all of this. If you'd like to continue to teach middle/high school afterwards, then to continue teaching and taking course work would probably be beneficial. I knew many people who were working on their masters when I was still teaching. It was rough, but they made it work. If you don't want to teach when you're done, then perhaps getting out of it and immersing yourself might "look" better. I'm in a completely different field, but the program I'm in now loved that I had teaching experience. They saw it as a real asset and I think it is a major reason I got in here. However, I still can't imagine trying to teach and do grad work at the same time. Then again, I highly value my sanity and I'm in a field that pays me a stipend :)

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[janeng]

I know. It's going to be hell. This is why I want a TAship. But if you see my thread a few posts below, I probably won't get one because someone else will get it!

Seriously, thanks for your honestly. I guess I am kidding myself that I can be a teacher and a grad student at the same time.

Re: -

[crazypumpkin]

I don't think you are kidding yourself, but I think you should know what you are getting yourself into before doing it. It will be challenging. If you are well organized and an efficient user of your time, it could work out perfectly fine. Then again, for some people, grad school itself is immensely challenging. I know some of my classmates struggle to keep up with things, but I'd say it's also because they lack life experience.

I know myself pretty well and know it's something I never could have done. I had to take two courses my first year teaching to finish up my certification and I found it hard. I couldn't imagine having to do it with courses that were actually challenging.