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  1. You’ll be a better teacher. No reason is better than this.  You might be a very good classroom teacher, but the coursework in your master’s program will develop your knowledge of trends and issues in your field, improve your bag of tricks for working with students who have different learning needs and behaviors, cultivate your ability to mentor new teachers, contribute to the technology you use for instruction, and teach you how to conduct research in your own classroom that will improve your students’ outcomes.  This is a big deal.

  2. You’ll increase your income. You know your salary schedule; the longer you work and the more college credits you earn, the more money you make.  Earning your master’s degree generally moves you two 15-credit lanes.  It’s smart to do this early in your career because you’ll reap the benefits for a longer period of time. 

  3. You’ll increase your retirement fund. Every year you teach a percentage of your income is invested for you into a retirement fund.  The more you earn, the more your district may contribute toward your retirement.  This is another reason earning your master’s degree early in your career is smart.

  4. You’ll expand your career opportunities. Are you interested in being a teacher leader? Instructional coach?  Consultant with the regional education association?  Teach at the college level?  Work for the state?  A master’s degree will be required.  Choosing a nonprofit college with a great reputation for your master’s program will make you even more marketable. 
        
  5. You’ll mark that one off your bucket list. You’ve always wanted one.  Two years of your life will pass you by anyway.  You could be two years older and be wishing you had started, or you could be two years older and have your master’s degree.  Why wait?

If we've convinced you beginning your Master's is the right thing for you, we'd love to help you get started!

Rebecca Hoey

Meet the Author

Rebecca is the dean of Northwestern's Graduate School and Adult Learning. She has published in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and presented in higher education conferences. Rebecca is teaching Ed Research this semester for the online Master of Education students.

As a wife; mother of four children, two dogs, and countless chickens, she speaks to the challenges and rewards of balancing family, work, school, and life.

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