Louisiana State University

Louisiana State UniversityCollege of Humanities and Social Sciences

English DepartmentSecondary Education in EnglishAccording to LSU’s English department website, “the

Secondary Education (in English) concentration prepares students for secondary school teaching, and includes courses taught in conjunction with courses from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.”

This degree plan prepares undergraduates to teach English in secondary schools.

An English degree in secondary education from LSU also “includes a great deal of literature and writing. If you choose this concentration but decide against a teaching career, you would also be well equipped to teach in corporate environments, where much on-the-job, professional development training takes place. And you would be well prepared for writing careers or professional studies (for example, law school)” (“Undergraduate FAQs”).

High School English Teacher

Analytical Reasoning/Mathematics 2 classes; 6 hours

MATH 1015 Basic Math Applications MATH 1021 College Algebra

Natural Sciences Sequence 3 classes; 9 hours

ASTR 1101 The Solar System ASTR 1102 Stellar Astronomy OCS 1005 Introduction to Oceanography

Foreign Language 4 classes; 16 hours

FREN 1001 Elementary French FREN 1002 Elementary French FREN 2101 Intermediate French FREN 2102 Intermediate French

Humanities 3 classes; 9 hours

PSYC 2000 Introduction to Psychology HIST 1003 Western Civilization Since 1500 HIST 2020 Medieval Europe

English ENGL 1001 English Composition ENGL 2012 Practical Grammar and Usage ENGL 2000 English Composition ENGL 3301 Writing: Practice, Pedagogy and History British/American Literature Survey x3 ENGL 3201 Language Development and Diversity ENGL 3202 Dynamics of Learning in the English Classroom LING 4710 Introduction to Linguistics English Course (4000-level) x2 ENGL 4203 Curricula, Pedagogy and Assessment in the English

Classroom ENGL 4204 Capstone Seminar in English Education

Education EDCI 2001 Education, Schooling and Society EDCI 3001 Student Development and Diversity EDCI 3223 Adolescent Literature EDCI 3136 Reading in the Content Areas EDCI 4003 Curriculum and Pedagogy in Secondary Disciplines EDCI 4004 Critical Issues in Secondary School Content Area Teaching EDCI 4005 Student Teaching in Grades 6-12 Humanities

Student Teaching is required for this degree.Secondary English majors are required to

participate in “all day, all semester student teaching experiences, including observation, participation, and a minimum of 180 actual clock hours of teaching (with a substantial portion of the 180 hrs. in a full day teaching) under the supervision of an assigned public school mentor teacher” (“English B.A.”).

To become an English teacher in Texas, a recent graduate in Education must take and pass the following tests after completing required college coursework and student teaching:TExES PEDAGOGY & PROF RESP EC-12 $120TExES ENG LANGUAGE ARTS AND READING

8-12 $120

Estimated Yearly Cost to attend LSU (“Estimated Cost”):

Resident Nonresident

Tuition & Fees $7,829 $25,735

Housing $6,120 $6,120

Meal Plan $4,186 $4,186

Books & Supplies

$1,500 $1,500

TOTAL $19,635 $37,541

Many teachers go on to get their Master’s degreed in Education, although it is not required. Teachers with Master’s degrees often get paid more than those with only a bachelor’s degree. Some schools and school districts require Master’s degrees, but most do not.

Most states and school districts require that teachers take different professional development courses regularly to keep their certificates current.

Once a teacher is certified, he or she can take additional certification tests to become eligible to teach different subjects and grade levels.

Some districts and schools require that teachers become certified in different curriculum programs or that they take special training. These classes are usually offered at the school or in the district as professional development.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the median annual wage for high school teachers was $55,050 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,930, and the top 10 percent earned more than $85,690” (“High School Teachers”).

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' website states that “employment of high school teachers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2012 to 2022. From 2012 to 2022, the student-to-teacher ratio is expected to decline slightly. The student-to teacher ratio is the number of students for each teacher in school. When this ratio declines, each teacher is responsible for fewer students, so more teachers are required to instruct the same number of students. The expected decline in the student-to-teacher ratio will increase demand for high school teachers” (“High School Teachers”).

In addition, the website also notes that “a significant number of older teachers are expected to reach retirement age [from 2012-2022]. These retirements will create job openings for new teachers” (“High School Teachers”).

Some teachers eventually pursue other jobs within the education system such as counseling or administration. To do this, they usually go back to school and get a master’s degree in counseling or Educational Administration.

Teachers can also be promoted within their schools to chair their departments or work on the district level in Curriculum and Instruction departments.

I have chosen this field because of my love for the English language and literature. I want to continue my study of English in college and hopefully become an English teacher one day. My high school English teacher inspired me to pursue this field. Even though teachers do not make much money, I still want to work with young students and make a difference in their lives.

"Becoming a Certified Texas Educator Through a University Program." TEA. Texas Education Agency, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

"English, B.A." LSU General Catalog. Louisiana State University, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

"English." What Can I Do With This Major. The University of Tenessee, 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

"Estimated Cost." LSU Undergraduate Admissions. Louisiana State University, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

"High School Teachers." Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

"Undergraduate FAQs." LSU English. Louisiana State University, 7 May 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.