Choosing a Program and Applying

I applied only to Pitt's MAT program. In retrospect, this probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I should have at least given myself an opportunity to evaluate a few other programs before deciding. However, I knew I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh and didn't have too many options.

I picked Pitt's program mostly because I know several people who went through both the MAT and PY and they seemed happy. I also chose it for its price and prestige (Pitt's Education program is 32nd in the nation and I decided that was about on-par with my credentials).

Pitt offers two different options for those who want to get started in teaching. The first is the PY, or Professional Year, which grants a teaching certificate for PA and 18-24 credits towards a Masters degree. The MAT, on the other hand, grants a certificate AND a Masters in Teaching degree. I've heard conflicting reports as to which is more beneficial for getting a job -- my advisor told me that pay isn't affected because most schools treat a PY as "masters level," whereas friends of mine in the field say there are two different pay scales -- masters and non-masters.

One big difference is what you can do with the degree AFTER you begin teaching. A Masters in Teaching qualifies you only to teach -- not to go on to administration. However, the PY leaves it open. You won't have one Masters just to find you need another to become a principal.

From what I've gleaned so far, the main difference is the "internship" vs. the "student teaching" experience. As a PY candidate, you begin as a student teacher in the spring semester. As a MAT candidate, you are an intern and begin in the fall semester. As an intern, you are also allowed to be left alone with the kids -- student teachers are not. Whether or not this has a huge effect on how the experience goes -- how the mentor and administrators treat you -- I'm not sure.

Pitt's application was pretty standard -- three recommendations, a resume, a personal statement, a transcript and Praxis I scores.

I turned my application in at the last minute -- January 15th. I got my acceptance letter on March 12th. One thing I was surprised about was how quickly we had to respond. They instructed us to accept the admission before March 15th or our seat would be given to a waitlisted applicant. So, three days. We were not asked to pay a deposit, so I suppose it is possible to drop the program if decide you prefer another.

Overall, before you decide, I'd make sure you're very familiar with not only the program but the opportunities in the surrounding area. Become familiar with the school districts where you might be interning -- are they the kind of schools you want to teach at? For instance -- if you want to teach in a rural district, does your program place interns at many rural schools? If there's only one or two, remember that you're competing with your classmates for those limited spots. Also, how experienced are the schools in mentoring interns? Have many of the schools been associated with the program for a long time? And how will they support you if a mentoring experience goes bad?

Find alumni and ask them for specifics about classes and their teaching experience. How hard is it to balance coursework and teaching? What kind of thesis is required (if you choose a Masters program)? What did they think about the faculty? Were they able to work during the program?

Also, ask those alumni how hard it was to find a job after graduation. I've noticed so far that most of my classmates went to Pitt for undergrad or are from the Pittsburgh area and plan to stay here after they graduate -- make sure your program has national recognition if you plan to move. If you're desperate to start teaching, be prepared to uproot yourself. If you're not, make sure you're comfortable with subbing for a while. I know that the job market in Western PA for brand new teachers is terrible -- many of my friends moved South to gain experience before finding jobs in the Pittsburgh area. That's definitely something to consider if you'd like to stay in the same city/area once you graduate.

Anyway, please comment if you have any thoughts on the "choosing a program" and "applying" process. Like I said, my experience is limited so it'd be great to hear input from those who applied to a broad spectrum of programs.

A Year in the Life...

Nine months ago, I got off a plane in Pittsburgh after spending two years teaching English in Prague. I had very little money and no job, but I did have an inclination (finally) about what I wanted to do with my life. Four months ago I applied to the Masters in Teaching program at the University of Pittsburgh, and about six weeks ago I was accepted.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about all the things I'm nervous about, excited about, wary of. I've talked to friends in the profession and advisors, I've read books. A lot of these sources talk about what it's like to be a teacher and what it takes to be a good one. But I didn't often find support for how I'm feeling now about this intense year I'm about to embark on.

I'm hoping that those considering a program like the MAT will find this and use it to answer questions, organize their goals and what they'll need to do to achieve them, and to ease, at least somewhat, the feeling of being nervous about a million different things at once.

On this blog I'm going to talk about every step of the process -- finishing my application, what to expect after being accepted, orientation, compiling clearances, taking the Praxis I and II, the first days of class, and the first days in the classroom -- what I go through, what to expect and advice I pick up along the way.

I'm by no means claiming to be an expert -- but I do know that facing the unknown is always easier to do with someone else rather than alone.

So if you have any questions or something to add, feel free to comment. Until then, here's some background info on me:

My name is Jen. I'm 25 years old. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 with a degree in English Writing - Nonfiction. I spent a year working at a law firm, then moved to Prague to teach English as a foreign language. I lived abroad for two years, then moved back to Pittsburgh. In June, I'll begin classes in the Masters in Teaching program for English Secondary Ed.

Check back soon!