Paige Walker

After my coursework is completed at Ivy Tech, I plan on transferring to Butler University to finish my teaching degree. Once I get my bachelor’s degree finished, I would like to continue to get my master’s degree. I am not sure what I would do with that degree, but luckily, I have time to figure that out. I plan on my bachelor’s degree taking two to three years to finish and going into the field to get experience under my belt.
I do not know if pay is the main reason for teachers to switch from private to public school, and to be honest, I thought it would be the opposite way. Private school to me was always somewhere that rich kids or those who are well off would go to get a fancier education. Public school was where “normal” kids would go and get a good education, but with less of the glamor as the private school. At this point in my life, the money situation does not matter to me. I am not joining education because I want to be a millionaire, but because I believe it is my calling to help children get the best education they deserve. As my financial situation changes, I am sure that I will have to reevaluate where I am teaching at, but for now my plan is to just get my foot in the door and start to earn that experience.
I plan to teach in the Muncie area simply because that is where my life is. I know the schools, I know the public, and I think that the area is diverse enough that I would get a lot of good facetime with all kinds of kids from all types of backgrounds. The one place I really want to get into is Burris Schools, who are partnered with Ball State. Part of this is because I am curious about what a school like that looks like on the inside and what the student population will be, but also because I feel like I won’t be scared away of teaching first. If Burris does not work out, then I will try Selma Elementary, and then Northview Elementary. If none of those three options work out, I will figure it out from there. At this point, I am not worried about a high turnover school.
I plan on earning my master’s degree simply because I want to learn everything I can about teaching. Maybe eventually I will get my doctorate as well, but that is well into the future. Teaching abroad does not appeal to me either because my life and family is here in the United States. My husband and I have thought about moving to Norway simply because they way of life is cheaper and happier there, and Alaska was on the table for the solitude and wilderness, but again at this point in my life I don’t see that happening.
I have a rough plan that I am fully prepared to change as time goes on. The method of teaching is so fluid that I expect things to be different by the time I finish my bachelor’s degree. In the meantime, I am going to soak up every opportunity that I can to be the best educator that I can be.

Unsure as of right now