Should I be a speech pathologist in a school setting, or an elementary teacher specializing in literacy?

Question

I am at the point in my college career where I have to make this decision... I am currently a Childhood Ed. major with a concentration in Lang. and Cognition. From there I could go on to get my masters in literacy. OR should I become a speech pathology major now and do a concentration in education? Which job has more openings now (I live on Long Island) and which has more room for advancement? Any advice will help! Thanks!

Answer 1

Both are good but you will probably make more money as an SLP. Overall anything that is really specialized in the education field is beneficial as opposed to just being a gen ed teacher.

Answer 2

Teachers are always going to be in higher demand than speech pathologists simply because there are more positions open in any given school for teachers. The safe bet is teaching. Speech teachers on the elementary level have a TON of paperwork for each student they work with. It's crazy. I don't know how they do it. As a plus though, they can work one on one or in small groups and accomplish so much more in that respect. I would think both avenues would have some room for advancement. Through speech you could go into counseling or exceptionalities (and you might find yourself drawn to it because you'll be seeing a lot of the same students). I would talk with a local speech pathologist to learn more about the job if I were you and then go from there. Best of luck either way. :)

Answer 3

Definitely speech pathology.

Cons: You are often an independent contractor, and have to do your own taxes; you are seen as an "outsider" by the school personnel and administrators; you get to do therapy wherever they can find room, including shared portables, large closets, etc.

Pros: You get paid a lot more than teachers, you often can set your own hours, you are guarranteed small groups (I am an elementary Resource teacher with 17 kids all together at the same time in my Language Arts block... small group individualized remediation at its best...lol), and most importantly you don't have to implement the school regular ed curriculum in your program while also trying to use the remediation and therapy skills you were trained for, not to mention avoiding the pressures of NCLB and state testing.

There is a shortage of qualified personnel in both areas, so you will certainly get a job whichever you pick.

If I were at the start of my education, I'd go the speech therapy route... although I do love what I'm doing now. If I only had a reasonable caseload and enough time for each student...

Answer 4

k, this advice might not be very useful to you but in order to make such a decision, you should first of all think about the pros and cons: i think a speech pathologist makes more money than a teacher...but has much more travelling form place to place... a teacher is in one setting but doesnt always have the time to work hands on with one student, and has many more people to work with than just one at a time. So if you prefer being with a number of children at once than a teacher is best for you, if you would rather be able to help a child more than of course one on one would be best, so a speech pathologist would be a good idea. Both career choices are very rewarding. So sit down and think about the pros and cons of each, that should help you decide.Both careers have plenty of room for advancment.As far as more openings now:thats very hard to say...im sre they both have an equal number of opening a good idea would be going on to the innternet and checking it out.some websites that might help cold be:www.jobbank.com...and click the headings you need.. andother suggestyion could be www.longislandcareers.com(not sure if it will work but where im form it works to put you region and stuff in a url. I know here in Canada there is a HIGH demad for teachers right now. good luck.

Answer 5

I would go with the speech pathology in the long run. It takes forever to get there though with grad school and your CFY and all that. If you are looking to be a literacy specialist in the elementary setting that's good. But your position may get cut due to budgets.

Now if you want to be a Elementary Teacher and get your degree in literacy but still teach the science, math, social studies, etc, then go for that. Its a lot more fun when the kids do/say stupid stuff. It sort of sticks in your mind throughout the years. Plus they are very maliable.

Answer 6

I am a speech therapist in upstate NY. I make the same amount of money as a teacher. I think that you will find more jobs in this area. If you wanted to be a general education teacher, I would recommend that you have a concentration in special education. Literacy is a HUGE part of my program in speech/language. It is an exciting field! I love it, even after 31 years!! Good luck!

Answer 7

Go the speech pathologist route. Teachers have zero room for advancement unless one wants to become an administrator. Speech Pathology is a career specialty that offers more opportunities than just working in schools. If you one day decide to go into teaching, then you can if you are a speech pathologist. It would be much more difficult for a teacher to become a pathologist after years of teaching.

Answer 8

I'm an SLP and my mother is a teacher with M.Ed in Literacy. I say go the SLP route. You will be able to work in schools, ECI/Head start, and private practice. The money can be double what a teacher makes if you are willing to contract yourself out to school systems and programs in need for an hourly rate. SLP is more flexlble- but the main thing is... follow your heart. Look at which major is more focused on what you LOVE and go for it. If you make a decision based on money or pressure from others, you may end up with regrets. You may spend a lot of time during your SLP training learning areas that you might not be interested in. (Swallowing disorders, etc.) Best of luck!

Answer 9

In my area (Ohio) speech pathology is really needed, but elementary teachers with a literacy endorsement are not. Check with your college. I know a lot of northern states have to many childhood ed majors, but the southern states don't have enough. You have to figure out what area you want to work in and what the need is there.