Two teachers have decided to make a life changing decision by hitting the books- again. Spanish teacher Kristen Nowlin and English teacher Amy Simpson are going back to school for higher degrees although they are not required for teaching.
Nowlin, a Spanish teacher with a Bachelor of Science – Speech Communication from the University of Texas Austin, is now attending Concordia University to attain her Masters degree in education.
“It’s been my plan all along to get my Masters degree from the very beginning of my teaching career,” Nowlin said.
Simpson, an English teacher with a Masters degree in Christian Education and a Bachelors in English is now attending the University of Texas Dallas to attain her Doctoral degree in Literary Studies.
“[I’m going to school] just for fun,” Simpson said. “I enjoy studying, [and] I enjoy learning. I think it makes me a better teacher.”
The two teachers must balance their careers as teachers as well as their life as college students. Nowlin and Simpson are both attending actual classes rather than online classes. They both say they are challenging, but are well worth it.
“No matter how much you study you will barely scratch the surface of what there is to learn,” Simpson said. “I find it rewarding to just get into the academic community. Studying and taking courses have always been a part of my life. I just enjoy it, so balancing is a matter of making a decision to do that, and remembering what are your most important things.”
Simpson enjoys the studying and learning. So does Nowlin, but it’s a tough workload.
“[The classes] are challenging,” Nowlin said. “My last class required about 15 hours a week outside my 4-hour class, so it’s a little less than 20 hours extra added to my plate. But I try to make time for it on the weekends.”
Simpson and Nowlin are both still deciding what to do after they receive their degrees.
“After I quit teaching I expect to spend about 10 years writing and consulting,” Simpson said. “I just think the credential will help, although it’s not essential. I’m entering the dissertation phase and hopefully if all goes well I should be done around May of 2014.”
Although Simpson has an idea of where she wants to head in the future, Nowlin is undecided but she loves teaching as of now.
“I don’t know what the next step is,” Nowlin said. “For now I’m enjoying teaching, I’m not doing it because I’m ready to make a change, I’m just doing it because I’ve been wanting to do it for a while. Eventually one day I would like to get into administration. I’m just waiting for the right time.”
During the course of their teaching careers the two have been successful in teaching and want to continue to make a successful contribution in the future.
“So far I’m really enjoying it, and I think it will absolutely be worth while,” Nowlin said. “You have to really enjoy it to pursue it, but it’s a great opportunity to learn.”