File spoon-archives/phillitcrit.archive/phillitcrit_1997/phillitcrit.9707, message 73


Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 22:58:23 -0700
From: Patrick Lysons <elnath-AT-verdenet.com>
Subject: Re: PLC: Personal plea for advice


Paul Smith wrote:
> 
> I'm going into my senior year as an English major and am trying to make
> the difficult decision between getting a teaching credential / teaching
> high school and going on to graduate work.
> 
> If anyone has the time and is interested, I would be grateful for any
> private advice/discussion concerning my decision.
> 
> Sorry if this goes outside the charter of the list.
> 
> Paul "Hoping not to get kicked off another list" Smith
> smithpe-AT-flash.net

I have a Master of Arts degree in English.  I have taught elementary,
high school, and junior college; currently I am under contract to a
private school.  I have been teaching since I was 22 with an
undergraduate degree in English Education (but my secret wish was to
just write); nevertheless, I had to make a living doing something.  So I
taught and I moved around because I knew I was going to finish grad
school and I did and I went back to teaching and kept writing, writing,
and now I am ready to start my own Desktop Publishing business.  I have
complete manuscripts and a publisher to distribute me.  It all costs
money and it always does.  But teaching in the public schools is a
rather horrid experience these days.  Whatever you enjoy as an English
major will get dragged through the mud, including your name, your sense
of decency and any other remaining shreds of self worth.  Still, if you
are tough and can deal with adolescent angst head on, go for it.

But what do you want to do with your degree?

elnath

   

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