MEMORANDUM

To: From: Date: Subject: PURPOSE My main career goal is to become an English teacher, and I want to learn how to be the best possible teacher for my students. I believe that being better educated will help me become the kind of teacher I want to be, as well as other benefits, but I dont know if getting a masters degree would be worth the time, energy, and money in the long run. As I research this topic, I will look for answers to the following questions: What are the benefits of having a masters degree? How will obtaining a masters degree help me become a better teacher? What job opportunities are available for those with a masters degree? Do teachers who have a masters degree have a higher paying salary? What does it take to get a masters degree? (Such as cost, amount of time, and amount of work). Dr. Karen C. Holt Lauren Simmons 11 October 2013 Research Proposal Choosing the Path of a Masters Degree

BACKGROUND It was just recently that I decided that teaching English was what I wanted to do for a career. I have always loved the subject in school and know that I would have a lot of fun teaching it. While in school, I have had two different types of teachers. Those who obviously love to teach and invest many hours in their classroom and students, and there were those who were only there to pick up a paycheck every two weeks. When I decided that teaching was the direction that I wanted to go, I knew that I needed to do my best and learn all that I could so that I could be the kind of teacher that every student deserves. But finding a job as a teacher is also difficult at this time. Not because they arent in demand, but because of budget cuts. I want to be able to have other job options to fall back on just in case I am unable to find a job as a teacher at any point. I know that with only a bachelors in education my job opportunities are slim. But with a masters degree, I have more options to choose from, along with bigger salaries. By writing this research paper, I want to find out if getting a masters degree is worth the extra two years of schooling, the extra money I would have to pay, and the extra hard work that goes into it. For this class, we wrote a paper that researched if getting a masters degree was the right thing for us. I learned many different things but I didnt feel that I did enough research to make a decision on whether or not I should pursue a masters. I am hoping that through this paper I will be able to come to a definite decision.

SIGNIFICANCE The research I conduct will benefit myself, as well as anyone else who has any questions about whether or not they should pursue a masters degree. If I receive permission to use this topic, I will be able to learn many new things that would be helpful to know, and I will be able to benefit from what I find. Obtaining answers to my questions will help me find what good can come from earning this degree and I will be able to share my findings and answers with anyone else who is trying to figure out the same thing for themselves. DESCRIPTION I plan to conduct both secondary and primary research. My main sources will be databases as well as interviews from those who have and havent had experience with having a masters degree. I will try to find books that address some of my questions, but I feel like my best bet would be to find information on reliable sites such as school websites as well as personal interviews. My working thesis is: There are many benefits of having a masters degree, such as opportunities for higher paying jobs, being able to further your education, and standing out to potential employers. OUTLINE

More/better job opportunities

Better salary

Learn how to be a better teacher

How to obtain it

Master's Degree

METHODOLOGY I will look at several different programs that schools offer for a masters degree. I will find the most information about this online on the different schools websites. I will then compare all of them and figure out what is generally required in order to earn that degree. From this I will be able to answer my question about how a person can go about obtaining one. I can then research

about what job opportunities there are for people who have a masters degree, as well as what kind of salary they can make compared to people who have a bachelors degree or less. I can then interview people who have their masters degree and see how it has affected and changed their lives (for the best as well as the worst). I will then interview those who havent gotten their masters degree and see if they wish they had done it and why. From these interviews I can get many answers to all of my questions, especially the question about how getting a masters degree can help a person become a better teacher (if they themselves are teachers). I can then look to any books that I have as resources to answer my questions further.

PROBLEMS The biggest problem that could occur in my research is finding people who I could interview. I do have some professors who may be willing to let me interview them, but scheduling a time to do so may be hard to plan, especially if they are extremely busy. If I do run into a problem with finding people willing to be interviewed, I could either email them (which may be easier for them if they cant set up a time to meet in person), or I could research those who have blogged about getting their degree or look for someone who has written about it online. I may also have a problem with finding books that talk about this topic. But I believe that I could find a couple of books that have at least one answer to my questions. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Askar, Jamshid. More states slashing pay bumps for teachers with masters degrees. deseretnews.com. 8. Oct. 2013. n.p. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. Explains that some teachers arent being paid more if they have masters Banchero, Stephanie. Pay raises for teachers with masters under fire. online.wsj.com. 7. Oct. 2013. n.p. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. Talks about how some high school teachers arent being paid more if they have a masters Driscoll, Emily. Masters degrees: are they worth it? foxbusiness.com: 17. Oct. 2012. n.p. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. Talks about whether or not it is worth it to get a masters degree Occupational Outlook Handbook. bls.org. n.p. n.d. Web 10 Oct. 2013. Lists jobs that a person can get with a masters degree The benefits of a masters in education. teach.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. Talks about how getting a masters will help you as a teacher What is the difference between a masters degree and a bachelors degree? onlinemastersdegree.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. Difference between masters and bachelors, lists career opportunities

Wright, Melanie. Should teachers pursue masters degrees? blogs.princeton.edu. 20. August. 2009. n.p. Web. 10. Oct. 2013. Talks about if it is worth it for teachers to get their masters degrees TIMETABLE AND SCHEDULE Date 11 October 2013 Time 9:00 am Activity Research Proposal DUE Bring hard copy of one source to class Start reading through sources/ schedule interviews Read through sources/ work on Works Cited page Interview-professor Interview- Casie Adams Interview- Tana Clark Interview- Laurie Lormier Review interview notes and add to citations; create title page and write intro Write body paragraphs for first section Write body paragraphs for second section Works cited page in class DUE Write body paragraphs for third section and conclusion Finish draft and sources Draft and hard copy of sources DUE Revise research paper and finalize works cited page Place In class

11 October 2013

5:00-7:00

Library- second floor

12 October 2013

5:00-7:00 pm

Home

14 October 2013 14 October 2013 14 October 2013 14 October 2013 15 October

TBD TBD TBD TBD 5:00-7:00 pm

TBD Phone interview Phone interview Phone interview Home

16 October 2013

5:00-7:00 pm

Commons

17 October 2013

5:00-7:00 pm

Home

18 October 2013 18 October 2013

9:00 am 5:00-7:00 pm

In class Library- second floor

19 October 2013 21 October 2013 22 October 2013

5:00-7:00pm 9:00 am 5:00-7:00 pm

Home In class Library- second floor

25 October 2013

9:00 am

Research paper DUE

In class

REQUEST FOR APPROVAL I will be researching the benefits of obtaining a masters degree in education. I request approval to research this topic so that I may find answers to my questions and be able to share my findings with others who are also trying to decide if this is the path that they should take.