Teaching is a noble profession that contributes to society’s future by shaping the youth’s minds. There is high demand for quality teachers in America, as there are around 36,500 vacancies, with over 100,000 classrooms staffed with underqualified instructors.
In the U.S., it is estimated that its demand will rise more than its supply by 100,000 in 2025. Many teachers are burnt out by this extra responsibility, which is why 51% resign each year, with an annual labor turnover rate of 16% in America.
Because of the shortage of qualified teachers in the country, new teachers like you can take on influential roles. As an average teacher, you will impact the lives of more than 3,000 students throughout your career.
To ensure you’re doing justice to your role, you should consistently develop your skills and seek higher Education.
Earning a Master’s degree in Education will unlock your potential to enrich numerous young minds and make a lasting impact. Besides that, this degree also offers many advantages.
Reasons To Do Master’s Program in Education
- Career Advancement
- Specialization
- Evolve Teaching Style
- Increased Income
- Tuition Reimbursement Programs
- Personal Growth
Career Advancement
As the student-to-teacher ratio has risen from 15:9 to 15:1 between 2000 and 2023, the increased responsibility on teachers can pose challenges to those seeking to advance their education.
Despite the added pressures, obtaining a Master of Science in Education can serve as a crucial stepping stone toward a more fulfilling career in education. However, balancing these ambitions need not be an insurmountable challenge.
By enrolling in an online masters program in education, you can learn pivotal concepts like curriculum development and classroom management, all while maintaining your teaching responsibilities.
The real-time application further enhances the learning experience, allowing you to immediately implement what you’re studying into your teaching practices.
A master’s in education can equip you with a teaching license to take lessons outside the classroom. You can pursue jobs like a Curriculum Developer or Instructional Coordinator. An MSED program instills confidence in your abilities as a teacher. It readies you to step up the educational ladder and take on leadership roles.
Specialization
More than 50% of schools fill vacancies by hiring underqualified teachers. By pursuing an MSED degree, you can specialize in a specific area of your field to replace those underqualified teachers.
Whether you specialize in early childhood or special education, a master’s program allows you to explore the occupation that resonates with you. You can also teach specific age groups using certain teaching strategies to create your teaching niche.
Once you choose a specialty, you commit to an in-depth understanding of it. You should carefully consider your future and career goals when selecting a specialization.
Ask yourself if this field is what is most fulfilling to you. Once you develop a vocation, your market value significantly rises as you create a teaching niche.
You can contribute meaningfully to your students’ lives by imparting knowledge you are passionate about.
Evolve Teaching Style
An MSED degree teaches you about technology and the modern classroom, which equips you with the latest teaching strategies.
You can learn to incorporate technology into your lessons to enhance student learning and use various instruction techniques to make your classroom more inclusive.
You can leverage educational apps, online resources, and interactive platforms to make your lessons more interactive and immersive.
Pursuing an MSED degree keeps you updated on the latest educational trends. It helps you adapt your teaching style to them accordingly.
For example, there is more integration of robotics and coding in STEM. In that case, you can create lesson plans involving these topics and give fun assignments to your students, like building a robot to help them learn.
Technology is the future of education. Pursuing a Master’s will help you keep up with these emerging educational trends.
Increased Income
The average salary of a U.S. public school teacher is $65,090. However, an advanced degree can increase your income by $2,760-$7,358 more than a bachelor’s.
Furthermore, amongst the largest districts in America, 88% of schools offer an increase in salary to teachers who earn a master’s degree.
Higher education can help you advance your teaching career and infiltrate higher-paying leadership roles that pay better. You can join the administrative, educational sector and make more money.
According to the BLS, a school principal’s average salary is around $98,500 yearly. These significant differences in income can act as external motivators for you to pursue an MSED degree.
To truly get paid according to your skillset and effort, you need a master’s in education.
Tuition Reimbursement Programs
According to the TEACH-grant program, you can get up to $16,000 yearly grants for undergrad and post-baccalaureate study. At the same time, graduates can receive a maximum reward of $8,000.
To participate in this program, you must teach in underserved areas with low-income schools for at least four years. It would be best if you worked as a full-time teacher within the first eight years of graduating.
You must teach a high-need subject at an elementary school or any educational agency. These subjects may include:
- Math
- Science
- English Language Acquisition
- Special education
- Bilingual language
- Reading Specialist
You don’t have to pay back a TEACH grant. However, failure to serve the required hours will result in you having to pay back the grant with interest.
To check if you are eligible, you must first meet the basic requirements for federal financial aid and maintain at least a 3.25 GPA.
You should submit a free FAFSA application each year and enroll in a college participating in the TEACH grant system.
Personal Growth
Enrolling in a master’s program readies you to advance your skill set and learn about your personal goals and interests. You understand new theories, strategies, and specializations.
You collaborate and network with new people. Your master’s program teaches you to think critically and assess teaching theories more critically than your bachelor’s.
This in-depth learning enriches your understanding of your field and readies you for more complex challenges and roles.
You grow both professionally and emotionally while pursuing higher education. You develop a sense of purpose and clarity about your role as an educator and choose which specialization is the most beneficial for you. You establish a professional identity that builds your confidence in your skills.
Conclusion
Your skills as an educator affect your development and student growth. They rely on you to be a role model. As a teacher, you have a significant role in shaping the self-esteem and personality of students. It would be best to do them justice by becoming lifelong learners to ensure quality education.