Whatever You're Experience With Education Professor

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Whatever you're experience with education professors—and not all of my experiences were negative—it is clear that professors of English education do have an important role to play in the system. They educate the next generation of English teachers. They support teachers currently in the field by offering Links Of London Charms graduate courses and conducting in-services. They help organize Writing Projects and professional associations such as NCTE and its state affiliates. Hopefully and there are many wonderful examples, they do research and write articles and books that have meaning for real teachers.

These professors will be far better professors if they themselves have been teachers. But let me say something about why it is hard, if not sometimes nearly impossible, for teachers to become professors. I go first to the ugly issue of expense and salary. Teachers who become professors may be able to take many of the graduate courses at night or during the summer while still teaching, but they are most likely going to have to leave their job at ...
... some point to devote themselves full-time to a PhD, maybe for two or three years or even longer. During this time as a doctoral student the university should provide them with a "teaching fellowship" where they teach one university course, have all tuition expenses paid, and receive a modest stipend to try to live on. This could be referred to as the "Top Ramen and oatmeal" phase. When these former established teachers get that PhD and begin the new job as professors, they start out again on the bottom of a salary scale. It may be an overall better scale than in the public school, but as one education professor once told me, "You never catch up."

Another reason that it is hard to transition from public school teaching to becoming a professor is that you usually have to move from wherever you have been living and teaching to wherever you find a job. There is a standing policy at most institutions that the university that grants you a PhD will not hire you; you must go elsewhere. To become a professor, a teacher needs to be poor for a while, start over on a new salary scale, and be able to relocate. This for a job that, despite what society thinks should not be seen as more prestigious or influential.

There are some positives. While a university professor may not quite recapture the powerful influence on young students they had as a classroom teacher, they are able to work with fine young people who themselves want to be teachers and, as well, with many outstanding teachers in the field. University Links Of London Bracelets professors have more freedom in deciding what they want to teach—college students have to buy whatever books they are assigned! And, let's be honest, speaking from my own experience, as a college professor I don't work as hard as I did when I was a high school teacher. I certainly keep myself plenty busy, but I am not overwhelmed with five classes a day, and I have more time to think about and plan my teaching. It is also true that a university provides a great environment for personal growth and to raise a family.