Teachers like Cindy Aldridge just can’t get enough of the classroom. A wife and mother who is expecting her second child, Aldridge teaches third-graders at Oakhurst Elementary in Decatur.
Yet she spends many nights back in the classroom — this time as a student. Aldridge is working toward a reading specialist master’s degree at Mercer University’s Tift College of Education in Atlanta.
“I always meant to earn my master’s degree. I started programs at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, but life always happened,” Aldridge said.
Marriage brought her to Atlanta and to Mercer’s program, where she is one semester shy of graduating.
Aldridge grew up loving science, but didn’t plan to be a teacher. When she was a college undergraduate, Aldridge worked as a nanny and discovered how much she loved working with children.
“I changed my major to elementary education and graduated in 1988,” she said. She has taught elementary grades ever since.
“Teaching was a calling that I fell in love with,” Aldridge said. “I love that you provide structure in an unstructured environment. There’s a routine every day, but with children, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Aldridge struggled to read as a child, and sees how important the skill is to third-graders.
“Third grade is a really important point in their education. They know how to read and now they are beginning to use reading to help them learn,” she said.
Earning a master’s degree will give Aldridge the option of staying in the classroom with additional skills or becoming a reading specialist to work with struggling and accelerated readers.
“Teachers come back for their master’s degree in education for many reasons, but the major incentive is that they want to become better teachers,” said debra leigh walls rosenstein, department chair and an associate professor in education.
Mercer University offers master’s of teaching degrees in all grade levels and master’s of education degrees in early childhood, middle grades, secondary education and leadership specialties.
Teachers often seek a graduate degree because they want to rise to a position of leadership such as grade-level chair, curriculum chair or reading specialist. They may want to move into administrative or supervisory positions. Some school systems encourage teachers to earn a master’s degree. The advanced degree also usually means a higher salary.
“Having a master’s degree always makes a teacher more competitive in her field and offers greater job security,” said rosenstein, or “dr. deb,” as some students call her.
While some teachers with a master’s degree move beyond the school setting to become consultants, researchers, textbook authors or corporate trainers, the majority just want to learn more so they can help their students.
“Teaching is an art, not a job. With theories and knowledge changing so fast, you have to keep learning,” rosenstein said. “Our students usually know what they want to do with the education and they are here because they want to be. Many schools offer the M.Ed. online, but we feel strongly about offering classes face-to-face in real classrooms.”
Mercer’s program consists of about 30 hours of evening instruction in pedagogy, research, curriculum and best practices. Students may enroll during any semester and take classes at their own pace.
"We believe in action research, where students learn new theory and practices here, apply it their own classrooms and then come back to share the results," rosenstein said.
Aldridge chose to attend Mercer because of its reputation and classroom-based courses.
“I really valued that a teacher would come to my classroom and evaluate me for my practicum, and I enjoy learning with other teachers,” Aldridge said. “We have varying years of experience. I enjoy the dialogue and listening to other teachers’ ideas. It wouldn’t have been the same online.”
Despite the added financial and time burdens of going to school, Aldridge believes teachers should continue their professional development.
“When I got my certification and started teaching, I realized that there was a lot I still didn’t know,” she said. “It’s important to continue to become more competent, to hone your craft and grow as a teacher. We really are lifelong learners.”
