MA or MAT to become a Latin teacher?

[Philomeides]

Hey y'all!

I'm trying to pick from my acceptances, and I keep coming back to this question: would it be better to get an M.A.T. or an M.A.?

I also have another dilemma. A couple of my MA/MAT programs are offered through education departments, so I would take more education and less classics courses. My other programs are offered through classics departments, so I would take more classics and less education courses.

Any advice or opinions? I'm ready to become a high school Latin teacher, but this April 15 deadline is making me nervous!

Gratias,

Philomeides

[Frostfire]

First, congrats on having places to choose from!

My only advice on the MA vs MAT issue depends entirely on location. If you're aiming to teach in the same state as the program you go to, and you like the particulars of the program, the MAT may be the best way to go. But if your aim is to attend the program, and then end up in a different state, I'd suggest sticking with the MA. As I understand it, the process and requirements for teaching credentials vary by state. Any MAT is likely to be geared for meeting the requirements in that particular state, and may not be as useful anywhere else. Also, since you want to teach Latin, it might be better to stick to Classics departments. Unless the Classics department directs applicants who want to teach Latin to the Education school/department (I know of some that do so, possibly for funding reasons?).

So, anyway, that's my 2 cents.

deeply annoyed that I can't find the "cent" symbol anywhere ...

[ArthurEvans]

States do have varying requirements but the variation usually comes from the exams, not the content area (30 credits) or the pedagogy requirement (education courses and student teaching). I have a friend who did her MAT in one state but has easily gotten certified in 3 additional states. She only had to pay for new certification and take the state exams and any other requirements (for example, a state may require a health and hygeine exam). If you at all want to teach public school, I would go for the MAT. Just make sure you end up with 30 Classics credits (between your BA and your MA) and you take a world language or Latin teaching methodology course. If you don't go the MAT route, and you do want to teach public school, where the money is usually better, you will have to hope the state has an alternate route program or you will have to go back to school to make up the required pedagogy coursework.

[Philomeides]

Thanks to both of you! The MA programs I'm considering include some pedagogical training because they give you an MA plus licensure. As long as I get some real world teaching experience with the program, I think I should be ok . . . Thanks for the tip, ArthurEvans, about getting in some methodology.

By the way, Frostfire, I see your location is SFSU. Did you consider their Classics grad program? Or maybe you studied there for undergrad? Honestly, I don't know anything about SFSU's program, but I a couple SFSU students at the last AIA/APA joint annual meeting. Thoughts on the classics graduate program? Just curious -- thanks!

[Frostfire]

Thanks to both of you! The MA programs I'm considering include some pedagogical training because they give you an MA plus licensure. As long as I get some real world teaching experience with the program, I think I should be ok . . . Thanks for the tip, ArthurEvans, about getting in some methodology.

By the way, Frostfire, I see your location is SFSU. Did you consider their Classics grad program? Or maybe you studied there for undergrad? Honestly, I don't know anything about SFSU's program, but I a couple SFSU students at the last AIA/APA joint annual meeting. Thoughts on the classics graduate program? Just curious -- thanks!

I'm actually wrapping up the master's program in classics right now. My current thought on the program are ... less than charitable. I'm having a frustrating semester, as a Romanist stuck in a graduate seminar on Plato. (Also, it should be noted that I despise philosophy with the fire of a thousand suns and reading it, even in translation, makes me want to gauge my eyes out with a spork. So, yeah, most hated semester in ages.)

That said, you can get some pretty serious language strengthening in this program. And if you're a Hellenist, there's all sorts of great/interesting/Greek things going on. Including the recent hiring of another Hellenist professor. If you're a Romanist ... let's just say that in six semesters there's been only one Latin seminar, compared to four Greek seminars and one offering of the Proseminar. On the other hand, there is Latin teaching credential available here, so that's a good point.

Another down side (depending on your focus) is that the department is very philology heavy. There IS a classical archaeology specialty, but it's been terribly frustrating. On the other hand, they just made some changes to the master's program that should make it a little less stupid (but obviously that doesn't help me much). Of course, it also might get balanced out somewhat with the new hire, since (if I remember correctly) she's a bit more on the material culture side. It's a pretty small department, and right now there's really only one "real" archaeologist around. So ... if you're wanting to do classical archaeology, it's pretty frustrating.

But you can't get anywhere in classics without all that language stuff, so it's hard to say how much room they really have to change it. At least, if they want people to be able to go on to PhD programs. Not that it's looking that great on that front this year ...

Bleh. Don't mind me, I'm just bitter and hating this semester. It's really coloring my judgment about the entire experience.