What can I do with a degree in elementary education besides teach?

Question

I'll soon be graduating with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, but I no longer have the desire to teach elementary school.

I hate the prospect of being so restricted by state standards and school district regulations. I can't help my students in areas they are struggling with, simply because the school and government require so many other things. I don't want to spend the school year focusing on what the students need to know to pass a test to make the school look better. I also dread being up to my ears in lesson plans, and having to juggle curriculum and classroom management.

Still, I'd love to work with children. I volunteer with a animal welfare group, in which I visit schools to teach kids about different kind of animals. I'd love to integrate teaching with animals and nature, but I kind of need a job that pays, not a volunteer job. I also love working with art and music.

Answer 1

You could work in a private school that isn't held to the same standards as a public school. Where I live, we have Bioregional Elementary Schools that teach the early grades (usually K-3) through nature.

If you had experience (and/or additional education) there would be lots of things you could do, like educational publishing, administration, guidance counselling, reading intervention or speech pathology.

You could also work for a museum or historical site to design and implement their educational programs. You could operate (or just work at) a daycare center or work with a group like the YMCA to develop after-school programs.

A lot of doors are open to you. I suggest you talk to an advisor at the Career Services department at your university. My school has several people on staff just to help Education students. They can discuss your options with you and make a plan to help you reach your goals.

Answer 2

Check into summer camps. Most summer camps operate year-round as a retreat/activities center and have full-time staff. A lot of times schools take field trips to these places, so you'll still be able to work with kids, and it would be outdoors. You may have trouble finding a place that is in need of a permanent staff position, so be prepared to move around the country if you're interested.

This would be a good place to start looking:
http://www.acacamps.org/jobs/

Good luck!

Answer 3

There are some environmental schools that combine general education with outdoor education that sound really cool if you are willing to move and don't have a family because many ask that you live on site and travel(backpack) with the students on nature expeditions. I don't think the pay is great but you get free room and board and paid to be outdoors. How cool is that!

Answer 4

You have high level organisational skills, inter-personal skills, and patience. Have you thought about HR? or maybe a position in industry as an education officer or training officer. Or perhaps a job in the media?

Answer 5

I would become an ESL teacher. You can travel and teach in foreign countries. You wouldn't be restricted by state standards.