The teaching track to WRD is expansive and many students enter the program with some desire to teach. In addition to the MA, students who wish to expand their reach can earn a few different certifications, like Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and teaching English in two-year colleges. Traditionally, many WRD students are, or strive to be teachers in some capacity, and the program offers thorough preparation.
Linkedin categorizes the profession succinctly: “A teacher has the important responsibility of imparting knowledge, skills, and lessons on kids and adults. A day in the life of a teacher can vary greatly depending on their subject and grade level…one theme runs consistently throughout every great teacher’s career: their work day extends far beyond the school day and year. Writing lesson plans, researching current events and information, grading papers, and more, take up much of a teacher’s time outside of the classroom. Education in the U.S. is considered a state and local issue, which means requirements vary for prospective teachers.”
Teachers require a specific set of qualifications, incorporating various skills with the typically required teaching degree, or in a degree in a specialized subject with a certificate in education. Many successful teachers are effective written communicators, good public speakers, organized, and active listeners. While all jobs prefer prior experience, it is practically required for all teachers to have some TA (which you can get as a First Year Writing Instructor with WRD 551) & technology experience, but it is not always required.
A typical day for a teacher consists of creating lesson plans/syllabi based on the desired curriculum, presenting lessons/lectures in multimodal forms so that all types of learners are being considered in the classroom, creating and giving assessments to gauge student progress and understanding, grading, student mentoring, and foster a positive and open educational environment.
WRD provides courses that speak to both the requirements and day-to-day tasks of teaching. Undergrads can test the waters in WRD 371: Mentoring Youth in Community Writing Groups and WRD 378: Teaching English as a Second Language in Chicago.
Masters students who are more set in their career path have a wide selection to choose from:
WRD 540: Teaching Writing, WRD 543: Teaching ESL Writing, WRD 544: Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, WRD 545: Teaching Writing Online, WRD 546: Pedagogical Grammar, WRD 547: AP Institute in English Language and Composition, WRD 550: Topics in Teaching and Writing Language, WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum, and WRD 591: Internship in Teaching Writing and Language.
WRD strives to go beyond the traditional bounds of teaching. With classes offering new research perspectives on teaching practices, the program encourages student-teacher interaction and emphasizes student teaching as a practical and necessary stepping stone on your journey to teaching. The teaching track also allows for specialized certifications, as mentioned above, where you can specialize even further by teaching English to non-native speakers, or teaching English in a two-year community college setting. Any profession will benefit from a writing specialist, but WRD is particularly useful when you are able to see potential career paths. While this post is not all-inclusive, it sets apart some options for utilizing your WRD degree, and for where to begin within the program.