Education Degrees
Benefits of Getting an Online Education Degree
Lovers of education have long pursued teaching as a profession as a means to spread their passion for knowledge. No matter the size of the class or the ages of the students, teaching is highly rewarding, and teachers of all subjects play an important role in educating today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders. Grade school teachers have the monumental task of providing students with the basic education every child should receive. Higher education professors then must expand upon this foundation, preparing students for gainful employment and encouraging them to exercise the full capacities of their intellect. There is also a huge demand for teachers, as the number of those pursuing teaching degrees has stayed the same, at about 106,000 education degrees awarded per year according to the National Center for Education Statistics, but the world’s population has grown enormously. For prospective teachers, online learning can be an excellent opportunity to earn a teaching degree and still keep up with other responsibilities, thereby encouraging all who are interested in education to join the profession.
What Will I Learn in an Education Program?
Education programs cover the fundamentals of successful curricula planning and teaching techniques. Students learn the models and theories of instruction, classroom management skills, and the legal issues and ethics involved in teaching. Other courses cover subjects that directly relate to the student’s area of concentration. These concentrations typically correlate with the level at which the prospective instructor plans to teach, whether it is at an elementary or higher education level, and what subject will be taught. For example, a student who plans to teach elementary education will typically take courses focused on child development, children’s literature, and other related topics.
Popular Majors in the Education Field
Elementary education, middle level, secondary, and higher education are all popular majors. Generally, teachers must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in education to teach elementary school, a Master’s degree to teach middle and high school, and a Doctorate degree to teach university-level classes.
Popular Jobs for Education Majors
Teaching positions are the most popular jobs for graduates holding an education degree. Graduates can begin as teaching aides or tutors, and gradually move up into a professional teaching position at a school. From there, teachers can move into administrative positions, such as acting as a superintendent, vice-principal, or principal. Special needs teaching is another popular field that focuses on teaching methods for handling students with mental illnesses.
Job Prospects for Education Majors
As the population grows dramatically, the need for more teachers to educate the youth of the country becomes more and more evident. Unfortunately, the number of teachers has not grown in proportion to the number of incoming students. Special education teachers are in demand as more parents are enrolling their special education students into schools. School teaching positions are expected to grow by 12 percent by 2016, and math, science, and bilingual teachers will experience the greatest prospects, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
