2008 Woodie Awards
Teaching graduates face uncertain job market
Kelsey Kangos
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Campus
Teachers are supposed to be the ones with all the answers-however, members of the teaching profession are currently facing an uncertainty of their own.
The question comes as the baby boomer generation ages: How quickly will the baby boomer generation retire, and how will this affect the teaching field?
"People aren't retiring as quickly as rumor has it," said Phyllis Mendenhall, a coordinator of advising in Miami University's teacher education department. "I mean eventually people will be retiring of course, but I don't think it will be happening as fast as people thought. I think a lot of us baby boomers enjoy our work too much."
According to the 2008 American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) Job Search Handbook, a national publication published for all education majors in the U.S., the field looks just as it did five years ago, with supply and demand varying by field and region.
On a national scale, the greatest demand is still for special education, math and science degrees-and elementary education, social studies, and physical education are found most commonly.
Adam Hartigan, who graduated from Miami this past May with a degree in mathematics education and Spanish education, talks about the experience of finding a job.
"The experience was nice because of the Internet," Hartigan said. "Most schools just have links to job applications and openings on their Web site. I was willing to relocate because I didn't have any reason to go to any particular place so I didn't have to worry about that. … I know some schools were accepting applications for all fields except for social studies so it didn't seem like it would be too hard to find jobs elsewhere."
Mendenhall said the option to relocate is vital when job searching, since demands for specific education majors vary nationally.
"I think the job market is good for teachers right now, but you have to be willing to travel as opposed to focusing on a certain area," said Eric Johnson, a mathematics education major. "You have to be willing to relocate. I am very confident about finding a job, I think some of my concerns would be just where I get offers from just because I could go anywhere from Maine to California-I just have to be open because I really have no idea."
The question comes as the baby boomer generation ages: How quickly will the baby boomer generation retire, and how will this affect the teaching field?
"People aren't retiring as quickly as rumor has it," said Phyllis Mendenhall, a coordinator of advising in Miami University's teacher education department. "I mean eventually people will be retiring of course, but I don't think it will be happening as fast as people thought. I think a lot of us baby boomers enjoy our work too much."
According to the 2008 American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) Job Search Handbook, a national publication published for all education majors in the U.S., the field looks just as it did five years ago, with supply and demand varying by field and region.
On a national scale, the greatest demand is still for special education, math and science degrees-and elementary education, social studies, and physical education are found most commonly.
Adam Hartigan, who graduated from Miami this past May with a degree in mathematics education and Spanish education, talks about the experience of finding a job.
"The experience was nice because of the Internet," Hartigan said. "Most schools just have links to job applications and openings on their Web site. I was willing to relocate because I didn't have any reason to go to any particular place so I didn't have to worry about that. … I know some schools were accepting applications for all fields except for social studies so it didn't seem like it would be too hard to find jobs elsewhere."
Mendenhall said the option to relocate is vital when job searching, since demands for specific education majors vary nationally.
"I think the job market is good for teachers right now, but you have to be willing to travel as opposed to focusing on a certain area," said Eric Johnson, a mathematics education major. "You have to be willing to relocate. I am very confident about finding a job, I think some of my concerns would be just where I get offers from just because I could go anywhere from Maine to California-I just have to be open because I really have no idea."
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