"Why we need vocational education"...

School starts again tomorrow after a nice long (frigid) Christmas break.  Not really looking forward to waking up to the alarm clock tomorrow a.m., so I thought I'd do a little perusing on education to see if I couldn't maybe lessen the blow.  Came across this article in the Washington Post entitled "Why we need vocational education".  It's got all kinds of great ideas in it and several other links that I'd like to check out later, so I'm parking this link here for now until I have some time to chase it down in more detail.

Quickly though, I like the take on blue collar vs. white collar jobs and some of the perceptions and misconceptions about the two.  This trimester, I'm having my students do a little writing project once a week for bell work where they get to ponder one of Mike Rowe's points from his SWEAT Pledge, do some analyzing, and then synthesize some thoughts on the topic (take that, Mr. Bloom).   One example I like to use when talking about some of the points is my best friend.  He is a plumber.  He's very good at what he does, and has taken the time to become certified and currently owns and operates his own business.  He's got other things going on the side all the time and has become very talented at making money.  The kicker?  If I had to guess I would say he probably makes TRIPLE what I do as a teacher- with zero(?) college experience.

From the article:

I’m sure that most of you who teach high school have had some students confide that what they enjoyed doing most was working with their hands, whether on car engines, electrical circuits in the house, hair, or doing therapeutic massage. I bet that many of these students also confided that there is no way they could tell their parents that they’d rather pursue one of these occupations than go to college to prepare for a professional or business career.

 We live in a society that places a high value on the professions and white-collar jobs, and that still considers blue-collar work lower status. It’s no surprise that parents want their children to pursue careers that will maintain or increase their status. In high socio-economic communities this is even more evident. And for most teachers, if a student is academically successful, this will be seen as a “waste of talent.”

I've experienced this-  students have told me they want to be welders or something similar.  There is darn good money to be made, but it's also darn hard work.  It'll be interesting to see if I hear back from any of them in the next few years as my first group of students are just starting to graduate.  My biggest hope is that they can find something that they truly enjoy doing- not just something that pays the bills.

Five and a half years in, and I sure don't regret choosing something that puts a smile on my face most days!

Where do I go from here?

So I wrote this a while ago not really to anyone specific.  More of a chance to get all my questions and ideas about a masters degree that might suit me down in one place.  While writing it kind of morphed into a letter to Mike Rowe- I've been kinda hooked on his profoundly disconnected website.  Absolutely *love* the S.W.E.A.T pledge- but more on that some other time.  

I truly am open to suggestions as to what I could do for a masters degree.  Our band teacher is working on a masters and I love the way it works-  He spends 3 weeks at a university in the summer.  They do a bunch of stuff there, and then he has all kinds of assignments to do during the school year with his class.  Ideally that is what I'd like to find- a school I could go to for a couple of weeks in the summer to get the hands on experience, and then do the "online" portion during the school year using my students as "lab rats".  :)  

I'm still looking...

I sent the letter to the address provided on the website.  Didn't really expect a response, and didn't get one so here it is for all y'all's reading enjoyment.

 

 

Dear Mike (or whoevers reading his mail today)...

I'm looking for a little advice.

I've been teaching at a middle school for almost 5 years.  Its a hoot.  I *love* my job.  I get to spend all day with a buncha kids and basically goof off in a fairly well equipped shop- we do sheet metal, welding, small engine repair, bicycle repair, leather working, and a whole slew of tech and design related things- 3D printing and CAD, robotics, flight, catapults, and gobs of other things.  

Here's my problem.  I've managed to teach myself a ton of new things over the last 5 years.  I've also realized there are several more tons of things I want to know more about.  I'd like to get a Masters degree for a couple of reasons- one, to make me a better teacher, two, to help me understand my students better, three, to learn new skills (metalworking, blacksmithing, and more tech type jobs are high on the list), and four, to increase my salary.  

I've done a cursory search and talked with a few of my old professors and some other friends I've found along the way.  I haven't really found anything yet that fits me.  See, there are a few more problems.  First and foremost, most non-education masters degrees are going to require me to quit my job (and possibly leave my family for a while) and devote all my time to the program.  For me, that's not an option.  Quitting my current job to get a better education, then hoping to find a similar job where I get to play in the shop and get all greasy, and then the same day go over to the computer lab and run projects off on the 3D printer?  Jobs like this don't come along very often.  

Wait, you might say.  Non-education masters?  Why not get a masters in an education related field?  Well, that is an option.  It would even get me 2 or 3 of my 4 reasons fulfilled, but I really, REALLY want to learn more about the science behind the vocational type stuff AND get some actual shop time to build a little skill in those areas.  

Sure, I could (and would love to) take some night classes at a local community college.  Heck, I'd even be able to get credits that way that may or, depending on who's doing the review, may NOT count as credits to help increase my salary.  Problem is, the difference between the top of the payscale with a masters and the top with a bachelors is fairly substantial, especially if you get your masters degree early on in your career.  

Is it only about the money?  Well, I have to pay for a masters degree somehow...  and lets be honest.  My family income now is just barely above what I used to make in the private sector- by myself.  My wife is also currently teaching, and between the two of us we bring home just barely more than I could make myself.  'Course, everyone will automatically wonder why I'm a teacher instead of being out in the real world, making real money.  We'll save that can of worms for a different day.

Wow.  I'm really all over the map here.  Maybe you can sense some of my confusion.  I would love to make myself a better teacher through continuing education, and plan to.  Is a masters degree the solution?  If so, do I settle for a standard education related masters degree and hope I can pick up the vocational skills on the side?  Is there another way that I'm missing that can help me help my students succeed without costing me my sanity and my family their needs?

Anyways, there's a peek into the scrambled thoughts of a crazy middle school shop teacher.  I would love to hear any ideas, even if its just pointing me in the general direction.  I'm pretty good at picking up some pieces and building something useful out of it.

Thanks,

aka Mr. T.

p.s.- In the process of writing this letter I've discovered a few masters degree in "Career and Technical Education" that seem promising.  I'm definitely still open to other avenues if you know of anything else that may work for me!

And an obligatory picture because too many words is boring...