Opinions Requested

I know; here I go again, but my situation has changed somewhat. Since I lost my Ashford TA job, I have found employment as a special ed inclusion teacher in a public elementary school. I last did this seven years ago. Seven years older now, this job is not only stressful, it is physically demanding in a way that didn't bother me years ago but does now. Nine hours of standing and walking on concrete floors is tearing my back, feet, and ankles up. I just last week had to go to a doctor and get on a strong pain medicine - tramadol.

I need to get into some other work. I am 58 and will be 59 in February. My main goal now is getting out of the public school classroom for whatever amount of time I may yet have to work. My question: What degree would be best for this, a master's in school counseling, or an MFA in creative writing? I have narrowed it to those two options. Which would be best for getting me a job?

Thanks for all opinions and feedback.

 

I really can't see a creative writing degree leading to a career change for you. I love writing and do a fair bit of it myself but you don't need a degree in this field to write. And honestly, I've never seen a job advertisement looking for someone with a creative writing degree. I'm sure colleges that teach creative writing advertise for such positions, but that's probably about it.

A degree in school counseling makes sense only if you think there will be positions open when you complete your degree. If you intend to stay in your current school system, it's a bit of a gamble. If you are open to relocating, your chances go up quite a bit.

 

I can't offer you help with the degree, but may be a suggestion for the feet. SOLE heat moldable insoles (yoursole.com) can make a world of difference in how the ankles and feet feel. Pricey but worth it for me.

DISCLAIMER: I have no financial or other interest in my recommendation.

 

Stepping back, remember that the MFA is an outsized master's degree – usually 60 semester hours – and it seems that master's in school counseling today are often, maybe always, outsized as well. From a quick web search my first page of hits shows master's in school counseling in a range from 42 (Missou) to 63 (Track II at George Fox) semester hours.

Even if there are currently (still) master's in school counseling in the 30-36 semester hour neighbourhood, they might not qualify for licensure in any given state. Even if they did might leave their graduates at some competitive disadvantage against applicants with these heftier degrees.

Either of these options represents 1.5 to 2 academic years at a traditional full-time course load. Often DL and short-residency programs assume a lighter course load; some make it difficult or impossible to proceed at a full-time pace by distance. If towards the end everything waits for a thesis or a major creative project, this could also increase time to completion. In school counseling programs, I expect serious internship/practicum requirements, scheduled at participating schools, almost certainly during school hours, and probably, my guess is, usually unpaid.

If I were in your position I'd reconsider (a) job or career changes that didn't require a degree, (b) a second bachelor's degree (typically about 30 sh), or (c) a shorter master's degree (30-39 sh).

For something you could approach through doors (a), (b), and/or (c) alike, that would generally put you at a desk, and that's reasonably close to one of the two fields you mentioned, technical writing/technical communication comes to mind.

I've been happy with Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics recommended by a kiosk in a pharmacy. The kiosk is free to use. Regular retail price for the orthotics it recommended for me was about $50. There's currently a $10 printable coupon, and a U.S. location finder, at the link.

 

The first criterion used by the vast majority of institutions when hiring a teacher of creative writing is "What has he/she published?" The degree is secondary. The MFA may be a "terminal degree in the field", but it is publication that attracts students who want to work with a "known author" and puts butts in the seats to pay the bills. The MFA alone is unlikely to get you a job teaching anything but informal community classes, unless you can also show a body of work.

The school counseling track sounds like a more direct route to professional employment, but I agree with AV8R that it would be wise to explore your local employment prospects in that field before committing to the degree.

I would also look for options within your current field of teaching. I can't think of many more physically-demanding teaching assignments than teaching special-ed students of elementary age. You are definitely on "Insane" difficulty mode with that gig. There are many teaching opportunities that do not require that extreme of physical engagement, and I am hopeful that you will be able to secure one without having to reorient yourself with a new degree.

 

I agree with other posters that while school counseling would seem like the logical choice, I'm not sure if the time and effort put into it would be worth it. There was a M.A. in Counseling program in my community that I was really interested in getting into. However, the internships and practicums are really lengthy and it's unpaid meaning you would need to leave your job or maybe take time off through personal leave or something. How about something administrative wise such as a M.P.A? or non profit management?

 

Thanks, Steve.

I'm not looking for lucrative, just livable. With 14 years teaching experience, I make $37,000 yearly where I live, so anything close to that would be okay with me.

Yes, my "universe" seems quite restrictive, atm.

 

Thanks for your reply.

Living in a rural area, I've always had to drive at least 30 minutes to work and often farther.

 

Thanks for the website reference. I'll check it out.

 

Thanks, Jonathan.

I already have 9 grad hours in English/writing from Adams State College, so at the schools I'm considering for the MFA -- Arkansas-Monticello and Lindenwood - I'd need 39 more hours.

The school I'm looking at for counseling is Lamar University; they offer a 36 semester hour master's.

I have some Dr. Scholl's insoles; they help only somewhat. I'll check your link.

 

Yes, the internships might be a problem, but I noticed at Lamar this requires 160 clock hours, shorter than I've seen at other schools.

What can you do with an MPA?

 

A footnote: I had also considered librarian and gifted teacher but eliminated those.

 

The MPA will give you exposure to the management and oversight of resources, similar to a MBA but designed more for those in the public/non-profit sectors. This could open you to careers like in program management, development, analyst type jobs. I'm just thinking it might be "less taxing" on the body. But hey 160 hours from Lamar sounds like awesome.

 

Would the Lamar degree on its own, plus what you have already, e.g. teaching certification and experience, fully qualify you for certification in school counseling in your state or target state(s)? Here's a digest of state requirements from the American School Counselor Association (a first check; not comprehensive and not guaranteed to be current). MA requires 450 clock hours in practicum. CA requires 48 semester hours in graduate preparation with 600 clock hours in internship including at least two school levels (out of elementary, middle, and high).

What would your career plan be with an MFA in creative writing?

 

Se first bolded part: I don't know, and that's what I must find out. I just talked to the Lamar chairperson, and he said they would soon be requiring 48 hours, to match up with national standards, but that I could still enroll in the 36-hour program, get Texas-certified, and see if my state would accept it. Of course, I want to know that before I start.

About the MFA, my plan and hope would be to teach in a college, but I was hoping a writing degree would qualify me in several areas.

 

Thanks for the information; yes, that would probably be less physically taxing.

 

Here's my two cents, and it may not even be worth that much: You are 59 and sound like you're pretty much ready to be out of the public school system - and rightfully so, headaches abound I'm sure. Do you really want to spend another say 3 years of coursework for a MFA or counseling degree? Also, in the case of the counseling degree, you may end up spending 1000s of hours (paid/unpaid) just to get certified to use your degree, only to end up in the same public school system. Unfortunately, neither route sounds very attractive to me. Personally, I would find a different job, or teach online, and do something that was less stressful. With all your experience and years of teaching, another degree might not be worth it, or a fix-all for your problems. That's just my opinion.

 

In a spirit of forewarning being forearming…

What Becomes of an M.F.A.? (Daniel Grant, The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 26, 1999; I believe there's been a large increase in the number of creative-writing MFA programs and seats since)

I have read elsewhere that for hiring teachers of composition, graduate training in rhetoric or technical writing is sometimes significantly favored over creative writing. This said, of course there are some places for MFAs. For an MFA designed to produce writing teachers, I like the Solistice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing from Pine Manor College with its applied track in pedagogy.

 

What about educational administration?