What does an English major do?

What's the bets major to become an english college professor? Education major or English major?

• Senior in high school and I want to become an english college professor.. Would i have to major in education or english.. I know education major is for teaching grade level school Thanks for any information

• Answer:

  I was on track to become an English professor. You will not need to earn a degree in education. You will just need to major in English. This is unfortunate because the best English professors I had were former public education teachers with education degrees whose background helped their teaching. Likewise, the worst English professors I had were self-absorbed and too involved in their own research to actually bother being a teacher to their students. I earned a BA in English and an MA in English Literature. I wrote and defended a 147-page thesis. While working as a graduate assistant and teaching freshmen comp classes, I realized my greatest joys were in the classroom rather than the library. Though I enjoyed the thrill of writing the occasional essay that got published, who actually read it? Just another grad student looking for a source for the next essay. The job market is absolutely horrible. I was at a university in the middle of NE and we had an opening for a Medieval professor--600 applicants for that one position. I applied to schools for a Ph.D. program, but my heart was no longer in it. Instead I opted to go back and get a BS in Secondary Ed. I've since spent the past five years teaching 8th grade Language Arts and absolutely love it. I know I'm making a difference with kids and within our community. Contrary to what you might think, the intellectual stimulation really is there. I'd be lying if I said I don't look back and wonder every now and then. I still cherish my old English (and Old English) classes and am thankful for an intensive literary education. However, I love the energy of my 8th graders and I love moving them toward texts my principal worries are far too challenging for them...and then watching their interpretation and analysis skills soar. It's a feeling that could never be experienced by a college professor. Eventually I might go back, earn my Ph.D. and work at a college again, but I would be more likely to work as a methods teacher working with English education majors. Since you're already thinking of majoring in English anyway, I'd say do it and go for the thrill of those upper level literature classes (they won't be required as an education major). Take a philosophy class or three. Minor in history. Meanwhlie, while you're getting the most out of your liberal arts education, volunteer as an English tutor and help students at the university's writing lab. See if you don't catch the thrill of working with a student and seeing his/her skills grow as a result of your coaching. I dare you to later weigh the thrill of being in a class where the lesson plan goes really well vs. the very solitary thrill of discovering a new thesis point in the library at 2 a.m. Figure for yourself which of the two thrills will still resonate as little as 50 years from now. I apologize for the long response. I wish you all the best in your decision. I envy your position of just beginning that long and absolutely sublime journey. Good luck!