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Post by xcherylx on Sept 3, 2004 10:23:52 GMT -5
Does anyone have any experience with this subject, or know anything about it? I'm contemplating doing this at university next year because the course looks like something I'd be really interested in. Saying that, when I chose my A-level subjects I picked history as one of them because it looked really interesting, and then regretted it because it was difficult and boring. Do you think it would be safer to go with something like primary teaching which I've been interested in for years and where I'd pretty much know what to expect, and I have a little experience with children in but may not enjoy as much? Or should I take a risk and go with American Studies and then perhaps do a postgraduate degree in teaching?
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Post by Spy_Master on Sept 3, 2004 11:12:13 GMT -5
well I don't know what american studies is, but all my family are teachers and they find it really well, some of them find it rewarding, others find it stressful, there are problems with being a teacher. The pension schemes have all but collapsed, the pays crap 4 tons of work, or at least it is at the beginning it get's better when you've been doing it 4 like 20 years. Kids are obnoxious, unpredictable and horrible. Then there's all the paperwork, also all the legal stuff, like you can't do this and you can't do that, it's a nightmare.
My grandma she stopped teaching a couple of years ago and she loved it, no matter what the problems were. It's up to you, I'd find out more about the course and weigh up your options. At the end of the american studies course would u have a job or would u have 2 do another course to get one.
What do I know, I'm 14 Spy_Master100880
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Post by Anniecr on Sept 3, 2004 12:09:19 GMT -5
Contact prospective employers and ask what is preferred in the line. Do they need more primary teachers or will A.S> be a requirement for the higher grades and how many openings are there per teacher as opposed to primary, or would you be over qualified for a primary postion if you did take A.S. It might open a few more doors maybe for overseas teaching if you considered it. Or yhou could do the primary now and take an online course in A.S.
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KateLovesDennis
Pharmacist
"It will be alright. This IS a Police Station."
Posts: 350
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Post by KateLovesDennis on Sept 3, 2004 15:34:02 GMT -5
I don't know anything about American studies, but I'd say do something you are really really really interested in cos Uni might be the only time you get to study it, and if you want to be a teacher, unless its in a specalist subject you can have a degree in almost any subject and still do teacher training (as far as I know, check on it if you want to teach afterwards) Uni is a great time but it is also hard work and if you pick the wrong subject and are stuck with it, it can be awful. Plus you tend to do better when its something you are interested in (mind all courses seem to have boring irrelevant modules stuck in them some where, I think that's just to test you to see how you cope, the best approach is pretend you are enjoying it and do your best even if it's not very interesting) I'd do a lot of reading up about American studies, talk to people how've done it if you can and have a seacrh on teh internet, see if you can find any Uni sites which have course work for it on them so you can get a feel for what it might be like. Get as much advice from as many people as you can but don't feel that you have to do as they suggest, listen to everyone, decide who is talking sense and who is talking rubbish and go with your own instincts on what is right for you. American Studies might be a great thing to study but I'd think carefully and choose something that really inspires you, even if you think it might not be totally relevant to what you want to do in the future. People do a lot of growing up at Uni and I know loads of people who've left sixth form with a firm idea of thier future and then discovered someing that suits them far better half way through thier Uni course. Keep an open mind and what ever you choose have fun, work hard and enjoy the freedom Uni gives you. Once you start work for real you won't have that type of freedom again.
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millie
Undertaker
forever
Posts: 230
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Post by millie on Sept 9, 2004 7:22:08 GMT -5
on the teaching and degrees front, my english teacher at school, who was the best english teacher i ever had, doesnt have a degree in english. it means she can only teach GCSE (and below obv) but she's very good at that ;D i dont know a lot about uni and i'm not very good at giving advice anyway, but sometimes you can combine courses? my other point is - hey! my mate's thinking about doing american studies as part of a history degree! ;D
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