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

Question

I am going to graduate in May with a degree in Elementary Education. Throughout my student teaching I have decided teaching is really not for me. I don't have the money to get another degree so I'm trying to find a job that uses my current degree, but that is not teaching.

I enjoy art (photography) and the outdoors, but my parents are not supportive in these careers because they say I won't make enough money and that they didn't send me to school to not have a job.

What ideas do you have for a possible career using an elementary ed degree and my other interests?

Answer 1

Not a whole lot without some degree of re-schooling.... If you're good with Enlish, there are many, many textbook & school publishing companies looking for editors.... if you're a good sales person and you don't mind working on commission, here are many school supply companies that are hire salespeople with education backgrounds.....

I agree about doing photography on the side, because it could take awhile to turn it into your own business.... if you do portrait photography you can find a moderate-paying job that will let you do that until you save up for your own business (that's where the real career money would be). If you do artistic photography, it will be a lot harder to find a realistic-paying job unless you've made a name for yourself already.

Try any place that does a lot of field trips for kids-- zoos, museums, and stuff... they won't pay as well as teachers, but you can transfer some of your skills over.

If you can stand teaching for just a couple of years, it wouldn't be hard to transition into teaching college courses on education. But you'd need some teaching experience first.

Unless you're a teacher, teaching degrees are relatively useless, I'm sorry to say. (Many people will disagree with me, but that's what I've noticed from others in your situation.) Business degrees, on the other hand, are so flexible you can do anythig with them.

One note of encouragement, for what it's worth: From personal experience-- if it's just the amount of work that's scaring you away-- teaching jobs DO get a lot easier after the first couple years.

Good luck.

Answer 2

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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 3

I'm not exactly sure of all the different job titles (some are called Match Specialists), but people who work at agencies such as Big Brothers Big Sisters deal with children. They match kids ages 6-14 with mentors. So they don't have to be around children all the time (only when they interview kids for the program, plan events for them, etc.) Other agencies to check out might include Boys and Girls Club, Junior Achievement, etc.

Answer 4

I think HR is a great field for people with education degrees. Even if it is elementary education, there are some basics that are transferable to adult learning styles. You get to work with people, you get to work in training and development.

Do your photography on the side, do some weddings for free, and maybe you can turn that into a nice side job.

Or you can get a business loan and open a photography studio that specializes in adolescents.

Answer 5

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 6

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Answer 7

You could get a job at a museum or nature center in their education department which might or might not involve teaching, but it wouldn't be in the traditional sense. You can also tutor, which pays really well.