When I was doing my observation on Monday, I was following an elementary school music teacher who makes his job full time by teaching supplemental math.
Which made me remember rather suddenly that my intention when I decided to be a music major was to also become certified either in a supplemental subject or in elementary education in general. It is my understanding that if I pass the Elementary Ed Praxis exam in NJ but have a degree in music ed, I am actually perfectly able to teach in a regular classroom setting.
I know that it is sometimes difficult to find full-time music positions in public elementary schools, and I don't want to be in the position of not being able to find a full-time job. It seems like a smart idea to have a back-up plan and other credentials to ensure a full-time job. I personally have no problem with the idea of teaching in supplemental areas - I think I might actually enjoy it.
So my questions are:
1. Does anyone (*coughespeciallyprofessorhaltmeier*) know anything about this?
2. Is anyone else interesting in pursuing the idea? Since our campus is almost exclusively music, it would probably be slightly tricky to take other kinds of classes. Strength in numbers!
-Deidre
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4 comments:
Music Ed is my "backup degree," and talking with my parents this weekend made it very clear that Im not allowed to drop it. Kinda like the No Child Left Behind act, I'll lose my funding if I do. Its not hard to find a music ed job- maybe it is where you want one (ie, nyc or other major cities), especially with the Westminster brand name behind you. We're cutting edge, but hopefully not in the same way as the Segway (http://www.segway.com/)
Oh, sorry, I realize that in no way adresses your question.
I'm not sure the job market for music ed is as dry as you think. More depends on the kind of job/location you are looking for. I do not know anyone who is dual certified in music and another subject area, although I do know people who were hired as music teachers and then asked to also teach other subjects. There are certainly questions of ethics (not to mention certification) here. It is also important to remember that in training to become a teacher in a discipline other than music, you would likely be expected to take a comparable course load to what you have now in music ed...this could mean 5-6 years for your degree. There is a growing trend in some subjects to become dual-certified in an academic subject as well as in a foreign language.
Ok...I didn't mean to sound really negative about music ed or anything. I've just met more than one music teacher in my area (and we do live in suburbia, so I figured it would be common to many areas, but maybe not) who were in this position and who make and keep their jobs with degrees other than music. ...I really do want to teach elementary school, so I just wanted to stay practical... Thanks for the comments!
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