What is the best path for a person with a bachelors degree in psychology to take to become an elementary school general music teacher?
February 9, 2010 9:00 AM Subscribe
Career switch advice - from web designer to music teacher. I have a bachelors degree in psychology. What is the best path for a person in my situation to take to become an elementary school general music teacher?
I've been a web designer for about 8 years. I work for a small agency. It's the only real adult job I've ever had. I'm now looking to make a career change to an elementary school general music teacher.
I live in Rockland County in NY. I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology. I know there are many ways to get a teaching degree but I'm having a hard time figuring out what the best way is for me to get there. I want to teach music specifically and don't necessarily care if I'm certified to teach other subjects. To be more specific I'm not looking to teach chorus or anything. I just want to teach general music to kids in a public school.
What qualifications/schooling/certifications do I need?
I've been a web designer for about 8 years. I work for a small agency. It's the only real adult job I've ever had. I'm now looking to make a career change to an elementary school general music teacher.
I live in Rockland County in NY. I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology. I know there are many ways to get a teaching degree but I'm having a hard time figuring out what the best way is for me to get there. I want to teach music specifically and don't necessarily care if I'm certified to teach other subjects. To be more specific I'm not looking to teach chorus or anything. I just want to teach general music to kids in a public school.
What qualifications/schooling/certifications do I need?
Second miltoncat. I am certified to teach music, I did for 8 years. It is a great job, I loved it but keep in mind that often you cannot choose if you are going to teach chorus or not. If the school has a chorus and you are the music teacher, more than likely, you are teaching it. With the arts programs being cut so often, a music teacher will usually wear many hats. Don't let that scare you, teaching elementary chorus or band is not hard if you have a musical background. My music ed degree prepared me well for both, just wanted to be sure that you had the big picture.
Call the fine arts dept in your local county education office. They can give you specifics on how music ed is done in your area and where you need to start. Good luck!!
posted by pearlybob at 10:02 AM on February 9, 2010
Call the fine arts dept in your local county education office. They can give you specifics on how music ed is done in your area and where you need to start. Good luck!!
posted by pearlybob at 10:02 AM on February 9, 2010
I'm speaking from a Texas perspective, so YMMV. This is how things are here.
To be certified to teach music in Texas, you must be certified to teach ALL music. There's no individual certification for band, orchestra, chorus, general music, jazz, elementary music, etc. It's all ONE certification, Early Childhood through 12 music.
In Texas, we have a process known as emergency certification, but that generally requires that you have a degree in the area you're trying to be certified in. Outside of being a music teacher for either a private school or a church/public group.
Send me a memail if you want more information. I'm in the middle of my masters in Music Education, but most of my perspective on this is from the South/Texas.
posted by SNWidget at 10:16 AM on February 9, 2010
To be certified to teach music in Texas, you must be certified to teach ALL music. There's no individual certification for band, orchestra, chorus, general music, jazz, elementary music, etc. It's all ONE certification, Early Childhood through 12 music.
In Texas, we have a process known as emergency certification, but that generally requires that you have a degree in the area you're trying to be certified in. Outside of being a music teacher for either a private school or a church/public group.
Send me a memail if you want more information. I'm in the middle of my masters in Music Education, but most of my perspective on this is from the South/Texas.
posted by SNWidget at 10:16 AM on February 9, 2010
Years ago when I lived in NY the local BOCES office could give you info on teacher certification. You could also see if SUNY Purchase has a program. What you probably want is an MAT (masters of art in teaching) program. I know Bard College has one, and that it might be a bit far and also expensive. Considering that you don't have a BA in music you're probably going to have to jump through a lot of hoops.
Have you ever worked with children? Do you have children? If you answered no to both of these I would seriously urge you to do some volunteering with kids before you make any big decisions. I'm sure that some local children's program, after school or weekend could use a volunteer who wants to do music with kids. If you have any music teacher friends you might offer to help out in their classrooms.
Good luck!
posted by mareli at 12:02 PM on February 9, 2010
Have you ever worked with children? Do you have children? If you answered no to both of these I would seriously urge you to do some volunteering with kids before you make any big decisions. I'm sure that some local children's program, after school or weekend could use a volunteer who wants to do music with kids. If you have any music teacher friends you might offer to help out in their classrooms.
Good luck!
posted by mareli at 12:02 PM on February 9, 2010
The most direct, surefire way is to get a Masters in Music Education. They are usually one or two year programs. With an undergrad degree in Psychology, you'll probably have difficulty getting into such a program.
There are Music Education Bachelor Degree programs, but then you have to worry about whether a particular state will let you teach with just a Bachelor's. Also, it will take four years, probably (though you could rush and do it in three).
posted by aswego at 1:30 PM on February 9, 2010
There are Music Education Bachelor Degree programs, but then you have to worry about whether a particular state will let you teach with just a Bachelor's. Also, it will take four years, probably (though you could rush and do it in three).
posted by aswego at 1:30 PM on February 9, 2010
aswego: You're right about the difficulty of getting into a Masters of Music Education program. Most (if not all) music schools/departments that are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music require that you have a bachelors in some music field before you can go on to a masters.
It's not like a lot of other fields where you can get into a masters program based on a lot of other factors besides your undergraduate major.
posted by SNWidget at 4:22 PM on February 9, 2010
It's not like a lot of other fields where you can get into a masters program based on a lot of other factors besides your undergraduate major.
posted by SNWidget at 4:22 PM on February 9, 2010
Response by poster: aswego - You're right in that there's probably no way I could get into a Masters of Music Education program with just a Psyc degree. I have a friend who is a music teacher who got a MA in Music Education with an undergrad degree in psyc but also minored in music. I have no formal music education at all.
Quitting my current job and going back to school full time right now is not an option so if I were to get a bachelors in music education it would take quite some time and I haven't found any programs that even offer that through night classes.
The thing is I don't know that I need a bachelors in music education to start teaching, although admittedly I could be dead wrong about that.
There is information on the NY State Dept of Education website here but I'm finding it hard to sort through this stuff.
mareli - I have worked with kids before and really enjoyed it and I just had my first child a month ago!
Figuring out how to become certified to be a teacher is not a problem, it's figuring out how to become a music teacher specifically from where I am now. I guess my next step is to contact a few schools and see if they give me specific information.
posted by bingwah at 9:11 PM on February 9, 2010
Quitting my current job and going back to school full time right now is not an option so if I were to get a bachelors in music education it would take quite some time and I haven't found any programs that even offer that through night classes.
The thing is I don't know that I need a bachelors in music education to start teaching, although admittedly I could be dead wrong about that.
There is information on the NY State Dept of Education website here but I'm finding it hard to sort through this stuff.
mareli - I have worked with kids before and really enjoyed it and I just had my first child a month ago!
Figuring out how to become certified to be a teacher is not a problem, it's figuring out how to become a music teacher specifically from where I am now. I guess my next step is to contact a few schools and see if they give me specific information.
posted by bingwah at 9:11 PM on February 9, 2010
Hi, I went to the UOregon and was a piano performance major for a year in their School of Music; most of my friends were music education majors (5-year program, Bachelors then Masters) and have become public school music teachers.
- Undergrad programs (including BMus in Music Education)
- Teaching certification (5th year)
If you have no formal music education at all, you will not be able to get into a Masters program for music education. (Not with a decent school, anyway, sorry to put it that way, it's not meant to be harsh, it's simply the reality.) From the Teaching cert page: "To be considered for admission to the program an individual must submit evidence of the following to the School of Music and Dance Graduate Office: 1. a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major or its equivalent in music education; 2. a minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA on previous college work or the last 45 quarter hours of work. In addition to the above, successful completion of select qualifying examinations is required."
At the UO, you had to be an acknowledged musician (participating in marching band, orchestra, jazz band, concert band, and/or State Solo Contest, for instance) before even applying for the first year of the education program. You had to do the qualifying examinations for your primary instrument; having to specialize on an instrument, and be able to play at least two. On your primary instrument, you are required to be in performance ensembles (for which there are also qualifying examinations) and perfect your solo skills, arranging and giving recitals. For instance, I played baritone saxophone in addition to piano; a dear friend was an alto saxophonist. She also played flute, and soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophones. She founded a classical saxophone quartet (she on soprano or alto, depending on the piece, two friends on tenor, me on bari) for her junior and senior year recitals.
You really need to be in music groups in order to comprehend how they work, and thus be able to teach and direct musical groups with depth and knowledge. Start by taking lessons on an instrument. See how much you love music and whether you truly want to dedicate yourself to an instrument and performance, and a year down the road (music does not come quickly), you continue to want to share that knowledge with others. Then, by all means, go for a music education degree.
posted by fraula at 12:53 AM on February 10, 2010
- Undergrad programs (including BMus in Music Education)
- Teaching certification (5th year)
If you have no formal music education at all, you will not be able to get into a Masters program for music education. (Not with a decent school, anyway, sorry to put it that way, it's not meant to be harsh, it's simply the reality.) From the Teaching cert page: "To be considered for admission to the program an individual must submit evidence of the following to the School of Music and Dance Graduate Office: 1. a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major or its equivalent in music education; 2. a minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA on previous college work or the last 45 quarter hours of work. In addition to the above, successful completion of select qualifying examinations is required."
At the UO, you had to be an acknowledged musician (participating in marching band, orchestra, jazz band, concert band, and/or State Solo Contest, for instance) before even applying for the first year of the education program. You had to do the qualifying examinations for your primary instrument; having to specialize on an instrument, and be able to play at least two. On your primary instrument, you are required to be in performance ensembles (for which there are also qualifying examinations) and perfect your solo skills, arranging and giving recitals. For instance, I played baritone saxophone in addition to piano; a dear friend was an alto saxophonist. She also played flute, and soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophones. She founded a classical saxophone quartet (she on soprano or alto, depending on the piece, two friends on tenor, me on bari) for her junior and senior year recitals.
You really need to be in music groups in order to comprehend how they work, and thus be able to teach and direct musical groups with depth and knowledge. Start by taking lessons on an instrument. See how much you love music and whether you truly want to dedicate yourself to an instrument and performance, and a year down the road (music does not come quickly), you continue to want to share that knowledge with others. Then, by all means, go for a music education degree.
posted by fraula at 12:53 AM on February 10, 2010
Best answer: Yet another music teacher chiming in to confirm that, without a formal background in music, this will be a tough gig to get. Most districts have toughened up requirements significantly in the wake of NCLB, and you likely won't be able to get a job without certification. You can do your training (sometimes) as you teach with a probationary license issued on an emergency basis (assuming your state offers them) in *some* situations for some particularly desperate districts...but those emergency certs, when available, are usually issued on the basis of undergraduate work in the subject in which you will be teaching.
At this point in the NCLB game, I'm pretty sure I can guarantee you're not going to be able to get anywhere at all without a certificate of some sort, so the place to start would be to call the department of education in the state in which you want to teach. It looks like you've already started that. Ask what the requirements are for a single-subject credential in music (how many course hours, whether a major/minor in the subject is required), about whether there is any way to test into a provisional certificate with a Praxis II or ____ without coursework, and about whether there is, in fact, any way to acquire any kind of certificate without having completed a teacher prep program of some kind. Then call colleges in your area and ask what program they have which would suit your needs- this program could be offered through the music school, the ed school or some bastard combination of the two. If the college actually has a music education department, start there.
Long story short: this is probably going to require significant course hours in music (maybe not a bachelor's worth, but it's possible)+ a MAT program (or the equivalent) of some kind, as obnoxious as it may be seem to do all that when you just want to teach general music. Good luck!
posted by charmedimsure at 1:01 AM on February 10, 2010
At this point in the NCLB game, I'm pretty sure I can guarantee you're not going to be able to get anywhere at all without a certificate of some sort, so the place to start would be to call the department of education in the state in which you want to teach. It looks like you've already started that. Ask what the requirements are for a single-subject credential in music (how many course hours, whether a major/minor in the subject is required), about whether there is any way to test into a provisional certificate with a Praxis II or ____ without coursework, and about whether there is, in fact, any way to acquire any kind of certificate without having completed a teacher prep program of some kind. Then call colleges in your area and ask what program they have which would suit your needs- this program could be offered through the music school, the ed school or some bastard combination of the two. If the college actually has a music education department, start there.
Long story short: this is probably going to require significant course hours in music (maybe not a bachelor's worth, but it's possible)+ a MAT program (or the equivalent) of some kind, as obnoxious as it may be seem to do all that when you just want to teach general music. Good luck!
posted by charmedimsure at 1:01 AM on February 10, 2010
(on preview: "just teach general music" came off all wrong- good classroom music teachers are hard to come by and can do an enormous amount for kids. I teach instrumental music and boy, god bless the general music teachers- I couldn't do their job, and wouldn't want to)
posted by charmedimsure at 1:04 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by charmedimsure at 1:04 AM on February 10, 2010
Yes, I probably should have added an important clarification that would help put across the importance of background and certs: that alto saxophonist friend of mine, with her BMus plus Masters, teaches elementary music.
posted by fraula at 1:12 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by fraula at 1:12 AM on February 10, 2010
Response by poster: I understand I'll have to do some more schooling and eventually get a masters. It looks like I'll have to get at least some core classes in music education before going any further. Just to clarify, I am a musician in my spare time (shameless plug - there's a link to my music in my profile) and play many instruments but I don't have formal training on any of them.
Looks like I have a long road ahead.
posted by bingwah at 6:48 AM on February 10, 2010
Looks like I have a long road ahead.
posted by bingwah at 6:48 AM on February 10, 2010
Response by poster: Well I'm definitely not moving. I have a 1 1/2 hour commute each way right now so I'm used to a long commute. I realize it's not the easiest job to get which is why I plan on freelancing as I'm in school/looking for a job.
posted by bingwah at 11:46 AM on February 10, 2010
posted by bingwah at 11:46 AM on February 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I was a public school librarian. My BA is in Psychology also. My MA is in English. Neither of these things on their own qualified me to work in the public schools as a librarian. I went back to school at night to get state certification in K-12 Library Science. Took me about two years and I was able to work in a school in the meantime, only because I was hired on an emergency basis (not enough librarians to go around). Your state may or may not allow this.
My advice would be to see what colleges in your area offer state certifications in music and go from there.
posted by miltoncat at 9:10 AM on February 9, 2010