Michelle in MO Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 I've always been curious about this. I'm considering going back to school and getting a Master of Arts in Teaching, because my dh and I believe it's wise for me to think about the possibility of my going back to work. (This is due to health problems last year which are currently resolved; still, we want to be wise.) Anyway, I've always wondered---do degrees in teaching or education actually help you in any way with homeschooling, or not? How did those degrees help you in classroom situations? Would you recommend an MAT or a Master of Science in Education? I've had the former recommended to me because it's less theoretical, and I'm definitely leaning that way, but I'd like to get a broader picture of the possibilities and what they mean. Any advice appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy in Indy Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I have a Masters in Elementary Education and the short answer is...no, I don't think it's helped me be a better homeschooler. If anything, I've had a hard time breaking out of the "school" mentality and into "learning" mentality. I'm not so sure my degree actually made me a good classroom teacher, either. I think I learned more by actual experience in the classroom than from the coursework. It's been 20 years since I've taught in the public schools, and things have changed tremendously. Even though I have a lifetime teaching license in the state of IN, to actually teach again I would have to take some refresher courses. (Mostly to learn how the game is currently being played in the ps!) Given the state of public schools, I don't plan to teach again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I have a Master's Degree in Elementary Education myself, and I'd say the graduate degree program was absolutely worthless. I do think the undergrad work (specific methods classes) helped me to see how important it is to pay attention to children's learning styles and to use "real-life" type methods and activities rather than strictly paper and pencil stuff. You can absolutely learn these things yourself through research and practice with your own children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I asked this of my friend who has a Masters in Elementary ed. She said no. All it taught her was crowd control. She said the administrator tells you what you are to teach and you teach from the TM. She said being a homeschooler taught her alot more than what her own degree did. She said it did nothing! It actually hurt her more than helped. We discussed this over lunch one time. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 heard from other teachers, even from those who weren't exactly "pro" homeschooling! I've just always wanted to ask those same questions on these boards, as well. The main reason I'm considering getting a master's degree, and specifically a Master of Arts in Teaching, is that my husband believes (and I agree) that I should be in a better position to be employed, based upon some of the health issues he was struggling with last autumn. We don't want to be fearful, yet it's also a good idea to be wise and prepared. Janie was the one who recommended the Master of Arts in Teaching, because it is less theoretical and may be more applicable to what I'd eventually be interested in doing. In my dreams, I'd love to help teach at a classical Christian school. However, I realize that something like that may never happen in our small town. So, I need to have whatever credentials it takes to be able to teach either at the high school or at our local community college. Although I don't have a degree in teaching, either, I do agree 100% that I've learned so much more from homeschooling than I ever learned in high school! Thank you all for your answers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percytruffle Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I suppose I'll be the lone voice here and say yes. Learning to teach to different learning styles, learning to create lesson plans (not just "how-to" plans, but full blown plans "from motivation through closure plans"), and learning about child development and psychology have helped me in my homeschooling efforts, both with my own dc and with co-op classes. Conversely, the experiences I've had during homeschooling have enabled me to become a better classroom teacher as well. I do not think everyone needs teacher training in order to homeschool, but I do know that my training was a benefit to me personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I suppose I'll be the lone voice here and say yes. Learning to teach to different learning styles, learning to create lesson plans (not just "how-to" plans, but full blown plans "from motivation through closure plans"), and learning about child development and psychology have helped me in my homeschooling efforts, both with my own dc and with co-op classes. Conversely, the experiences I've had during homeschooling have enabled me to become a better classroom teacher as well. I do not think everyone needs teacher training in order to homeschool, but I do know that my training was a benefit to me personally. I have a bachelor's in middle grades & master's in early childhood, and my training has been invaluable to me. I agree with your comment that not everyone needs teacher training in order to homeschool, but it does help. Just knowing how to make a yearly plan has probably been one of the biggest pluses for me. Also, I learned various techniques for approaching a lesson to accomodate learning styles, attitudes, and kids who just didn't grasp a concept one way and needed a different perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 I can't say I write out a yearly plan or long-range goal; I guess I spend lots of time during the summers planning the next school year and evaluating what was a true success during the previous year and trying to learn from my mistakes during the previous year. I think one thing that would help me personally would be child development coursework. I have varying degrees of uncertainty, from year to year, on what I should be expecting of my girls----are my expectations realistic, based upon their age and maturity levels, or are they unrealistic and frustrating to them? Either way, I hope to get into some kind of a master's program and become certified to teach. If I did have to go back to work again, I think that's what I'd like to do, and qualifications do matter for employment in our area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I don't have a degree in education, but rather a degree in my area of specialization that included a number of required pedagogy classes and workshops taught by my department. At the time, I found the pedagogy classes beyond tedious, but in retrospect, I have gotten much more mileage out of them than out of my fascinating classes on gender constructs in the 17th-century German novel. ;) What was useful about these classes was that they were short on theory and long on practice. We did a few weeks on the various theories of language acquisition as they relate to foreign language instruction and then spent the rest of the class learning various practical techniques for teaching - different types of written and oral drills, how to write a good exam, rubrics for grading oral exams. I have used those techniques over and over, in classrooms, in small-group tutorials, and in our homeschool. On the other hand, I have many friends who are currently going through M.Ed. programs at our state university or have recently completed them. Without exception, they say that the student teaching experience was invaluable, but the classes were a tremendous waste of time and money. And, fwiw, those who started out with a degree in their subject area do far better on their state exams and in the classroom than those who majored in education as undergraduates. This is not to say that all education classes are bunkum, only that they do not necessarily lead to greater skill as a teacher. What does help, in my experience, is mentoring by a master teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hana Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Absolutely. Could I homeschool adequately without it? Yes. However, I am very glad I have the background I do in child development, pedagogy, and my subject area (English/language arts). I know that this knowledge makes a significant impact in the quality of my work with my children, and I think it also gives me confidence in my ability. (Um, or maybe just because we both teach teachers at university, no one else IRL has the nerve to question us.) I do think we all have life experience and, some of us, educational experiences that benefit our homeschooling, even if they are not in the education field. For example, my M.A. is in English, and my then-homeschooling daughter and I read my reading list together from Beowulf through the present. It was a beautiful experience to share with her when she was a young teen. My Ph.D. is in Composition/TESOL and I have learned so much about teaching writing that I know I will be a much stronger writing teacher to my younger children than I was to my older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I don't think it is a simple answer b/c I don't know the flip side of trying to teach w/o it!! I don't use my methodology courses, etc. But I have complete confidence in my ability to assess yearly objectives and how to meet them. I am able to create IEPs for my kids w/o trouble. I don't stress about what others are doing and could really careless what is happening in the local ps w/ the exception of high school grad requirements. I think my education, in general, has been invaluable. I had excellent courses in lit, history, science, and math. Just the experience of those classes has guided me in teaching my kids b/c I know what they are going to have to be able to achieve in order to succeed in similar scenerios. Ohhhhh, I will also add that my undergraduate research also formed my view of early childhood ed. I am completely against "school" for little ones. I am a firm believer in imaginative play forming higher cognitive skills vs academics. I don't do any "formal" ed until my kids are 5......hasn't been to any detriment. My kids all seem quite bright. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 The only teaching class that really helped me at all was Elementary Mathematics. It made me learn how little kids feel when they are trying to learn math. The student teaching could have been helpful, but my "mentor teacher" simply gave me the class and went to the teachers' lounge for the entire time. Basically, I gave her a lovely vacation. My first year of real teaching is when I had a great mentor. She was simply the teacher next door who took me under her wing. There was no official mentoring program involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnatbeach Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I love this question! I have a BS in Special Ed, along with lots of specialty certifications. I think what helped me the most is the strong foundation in child development, and appreciating and respecting different learning styles. When it came time to home school my dd, I needed to deschool myself. We don't have a classroom situation in the way we homeschool. Much of the elementary/secondary education college courses are indoctrination into government school teaching and have nothing to do with how children learn. If you decide to pursue a masters degree, you may want to consider focusing on a specialized area like Montessori, Dyslexia, and other alternative type schools that respect the way children learn. You can earn a living and make a difference in the way we teach our children! You could even join the home school circuit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I've always been curious about this. I'm considering going back to school and getting a Master of Arts in Teaching, because my dh and I believe it's wise for me to think about the possibility of my going back to work. (This is due to health problems last year which are currently resolved; still, we want to be wise.) Anyway, I've always wondered---do degrees in teaching or education actually help you in any way with homeschooling, or not? How did those degrees help you in classroom situations? Would you recommend an MAT or a Master of Science in Education? I've had the former recommended to me because it's less theoretical, and I'm definitely leaning that way, but I'd like to get a broader picture of the possibilities and what they mean. Any advice appreciated! I would also say that my education classes were unhelpful. My music education classes were much more helpful in a broad sense. They taught me how to isolate different skills and work skills separately. They also taught me to budget time for a goal accurately and carefully track time spent on separate goals. Music also taught me to think globally while thinking specifics (and vica versa) which is still something I have to work on. I'm kind of in a similar situation as you-do I go get a masters degree? I had to quit my goals so my dh could finish his education. I decided that what I really want (to become as accomplished a violinist as possible) is only going to be hampered by other classes and responsibilities I'd have with the Masters program. So, I'm studying violin and practicing a lot on my own (with a private teacher-but no degree). In your case, it makes sense to get the degree because of your goals. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 This is not to say that all education classes are bunkum, only that they do not necessarily lead to greater skill as a teacher. What does help, in my experience, is mentoring by a master teacher. I would love to be a student teacher in a classroom with a superb teacher----I can't think of any better experience! It wouldn't matter to me whether the teacher had a degree or not----just the experience would be invaluable! I love all the responses and feedback! Keep them coming, please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I don't stress about what others are doing and could really careless what is happening in the local ps .... I feel that the combination of training as an educator and my subsequent experience as a classroom teacher allowed me to develop the confidence that I can do a good job -- to know that I AM a GOOD teacher. I have a lot less self-doubt in this area than do most of my homeschooling-mom friends who do not have educator training/experience. Many of them feel the need to compare what they're doing with their own kids to what the ps kids are doing, and they seem to have a nagging concern about whether their kids measure up to their ps peers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in Central CA Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I have a Masters in Elementary Education and the short answer is...no, I don't think it's helped me be a better homeschooler. If anything, I've had a hard time breaking out of the "school" mentality and into "learning" mentality. I'm not so sure my degree actually made me a good classroom teacher, either. I think I learned more by actual experience in the classroom than from the coursework. It's been 20 years since I've taught in the public schools, and things have changed tremendously. Even though I have a lifetime teaching license in the state of IN, to actually teach again I would have to take some refresher courses. (Mostly to learn how the game is currently being played in the ps!) Given the state of public schools, I don't plan to teach again... I agree! My "teacher training" has done nothing to help me when it comes to homeschooling, and (like Sandy) I find myself slipping back to "school mentality." It's a constant battle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopers5 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 and has anyone heard this news today? about homeschoolers in CA? Take a look: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1720697,00.html Just thought those of you reading and responding to this thread might be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in Central CA Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 and has anyone heard this news today? about homeschoolers in CA?Take a look: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1720697,00.html Just thought those of you reading and responding to this thread might be interested. 14 years ago, I received a standard teaching credential from WY. (CA would call it a professional clear teaching credential) I moved to CA, received a (2yr) preliminary teaching credential, and taught in the CA public school system. During this time, I took and passed both Single subject and Multiple subject tests (required by the state for credential renewal). This was not enough, however, for the state to renew my teaching credential. Between the time I was issued the preliminary credential and the day I requested the renewal (less than 2yr later), the state had changed testing sources and my results would not be recognized. :mad: They also wanted me to take an additional year of course work (covering the same material I had taken in WY), get a formal recommendation from a college or university in CA (even though I have one from WY), and earn a certificate in Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (in order to teach non-English/limited English speaking students). After experiencing the "unwritten policies" of CA public schools, (A mentor teacher/union rep. once told me, "Don't worry about challenging the high-achievers they will learn no matter what...Focus on the low-achievers...that's where the money lies.") dh and I decided it would be best if I stayed home and taught our own children. If I was good enough to teach other peoples kids in CA public schools for two years, why am I not good enough to teach my own English speaking kids now? :mad: Sherri Homeschooling for nearly 9yr :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in Central CA Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I learned how to teach...from homeschooling! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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