UMontanaGrad

UW is offering you a direct route to your end goal..... a PhD with funding. It's a great school; Seattle is a great place; I always suggest that everyone live in Northwest U.S. at least one time in their lives. Not to detract from Syracuse, but if you go for just an M.A., then you are repeating this application process all over again in just a year and a 1/2. just a thought.

Adjuncting was the best decision I made for my year off. Very little money, I wot lie, but very high in rewards. Teaching has kept me in the academic mode and allowed me to narrow my research interests; I feel like I'm going into my PhD with momentum and a clear direction of where my career is going to go.

Go for the TA, and not just because of the funding. Teaching is when you really start to learn. The experience is more valuable than prestige in the end. Washington State has a good Rhet and Comp program too.

The short answer is yes, but it's not necessary to have a full MA in ed. I was enrolled in both MAs as a grad student, and some of the education classes have helped me out immensely. Classes like Inclusion and Collaboration and Reading Strategies for Young Adults were big pluses when I interviewed for the job I have now. I'm only 9 credits away from finishing my secondary licensure to teach high school. Honestly, I think community colleges look for good teachers that have a specialty, like English, so if you go into dual MAs, make sure you design your Ed. classes it to focus on that level of education. One plan is to Finish your MA in English first while taking some Ed. classes. You can always finish the secondary licensure and ed classes later and still look for a job with your shiny new Masters Degree.

After graduating with an M.A. in English I found work as an adjunct instructor at a community college. Depending on the school, it can be a rewarding experience. I love it. One tip I can give you if you want to focus on teaching in two-year schools is to specialize in an area like developmental education or online instruction. There's a big move to improve retention rates at all colleges right now, at community colleges with open enrollment this means focusing on the students that are lacking even a basic education. Developmental education classes are those numbered 095, 080 and 070 that seem to draw a wide range people into them and have all scored low on the entrance test. These students are of all ages and educational levels and have different needs. It can be a challenge, but it's fun when you get it figured out. I teach writing 101, but I also have a developmental reading class where we just work on college level reading and study skills. A lot of community colleges are moving towards online or hybrid classes as well. Hybrid classes use a mix of online work and face to face class time; these types of classes seem to fit a community full of working parents. Another thing to focus on is to get tutoring center experience. Try to get work in a writing center, or teach college success courses. Also, if you are at a University with an education program, try to work on getting a Dual-Credit Licensure. It doesn't require being a fully licensed high school teacher, but it will allow you to teach college classes that allow advanced high school students into them for dual credit. They even have some of these classes at the high school. The opportunities to teach other classes will always be there at a community college when you get your foot in the door, but if you to get yourself there faster, focus on a speciality. The college I work at, and a few other community colleges around here, have all gone on a hiring spree looking for teachers with these specialities. They are in demand. I've had some great experiences over the last year, I could stay here and probably get a tenure track position in another year or so, but I got into my top choice of PhD programs for Rhetoric and Composition, so that's my journey. Who knows, I might be back at a two-year school someday. To recap: Developmental Education, Online/Hybrid Education, Tutoring Center & College Success Experiences, Dual-Credit Licensure. There's some pretty good jobs out there right now in two-year institutions if you are interested in these things, at least the two year schools I have looked for work at. Good Luck,

I entered grad school with a film and literature background. I was awarded a TA and ended up writing my whole master's thesis on implementing film into the composition classroom. You can totally do it.

Michel De Certeau: "Walking The City" & Henry Lefebvre: "Notes On The New Town"