What I Did with My English Education Degree

When I went to college, I changed my major three times before deciding on an English Education degree. I knew that I loved English literature and writing and that I was a good teacher and was passionate about education, so after much searching, this major seemed like the perfect fit. I enjoyed all of my classes, and when it came time to student teach, I did well and had fun. When I graduated, I thought my path was all planned out for me. A degree in English Education is pretty specific; I was trained in English literature and writing and also held a teaching certificate, so right away I chose to pursue a job in teaching. There are many different opportunities for jobs for an English major, but the traditional route seemed the best for my degree.

I landed my first teaching job right out of college, teaching 9^th grade English and Creative Writing and also working as a co-advisor of the drama club. While I loved planning my lessons, I was not that much older than my students, and as a first year teacher I was stuck with all of the tough kids and repeats. There are many teachers who thrive in this type of environment, but I found it extremely difficult and stifling. I wanted to get creative and scratch beneath the surface of my literature lessons, but I was stuck teaching the basics to students who were far behind or even repeating the 9^th grade for the second or third time. I didn't even have a classroom, so I had to move to different rooms for each class armed with nothing but an AV cart with my supplies on it. I lasted one year, left my job to follow my husband's career to a different state and decided that teaching high school was not for me.

After my first son was born, I needed to work part time to make some extra money but wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. Using my teaching credentials and passion for English, I landed a job as a part time teacher and tutor for a national company, teaching SAT, GRE and GMAT verbal and writing prep. This job allowed me to set my own hours, work only nights and weekends and stay at home during the day with my son. Since the students were mostly there because they wanted to learn, the teaching environment was stimulating and fun, and I enjoyed being able to instruct reading and writing like I loved to do. But after my third son was born, my husband's work schedule picked up, got more erratic, and I could no longer keep pace being home with three small children all day and then going out to work at night. So after almost four years, I left.

Being a stay-at-home mom was always my first priority, so I knew that going back to full-time teaching was not an option for me. Yet I longed to use my degree in a way that gave me freedom and flexibility while making some extra money. After being involved in a moms' group for several years writing and editing their newsletter, I realized that I really loved to write, something I hadn't discovered in college. Writing allowed me to put my thoughts on paper and teach others in a different way. Now, I write for Associated Content and other freelance writing jobs. The only tools I need are a laptop and an internet connection, and I can write day or night when the kids are napping or sleeping. I'm able to make my own hours, only accept assignments that are compatible with my schedule and get paid to do something I enjoy. While I may not be following the traditional job route from an English Education degree, I've found what I love to do while using all of the skills I learned along the way.