Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Learning Specialists
Dan, a Learning Specialist, suggests that undergraduates can "test the water" in education through tutoring, coaching, or performing arts roles, all of which build valuable skills transferable to teaching. Entry-level roles like substitute teaching, paraprofessional work, or behavior interventionist positions offer practical experience and allow individuals to "work with the student one-on-one," gaining valuable insight into the field.
Tutoring, Building Relationships, Classroom Engagement, Educational Therapy, Paraprofessional Work
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Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
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Dan McCauley
Learning Specialist
California Middle School
New York University, 2017
Relay Graduate School of Education, Masters in the Art of Teaching
Education
Education
Education
Former Foster Youth, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Tutoring experience is valuable and can lead to further opportunities in education.
2. Coaching and performing arts backgrounds offer transferable skills applicable to classroom settings.
3. Entry-level positions like substitute teaching and paraprofessional roles provide valuable experience and insight into the education field.
Transcript
What entry-level positions in the education space might an undergraduate college student consider?
Even in college, you don't have to wait until you graduate to start testing the waters in education or whatever you want to do. Being a tutor is huge, especially the ability to work one-on-one with students.
People who loved tutoring in high school often became educational therapists in college, which is an industry in itself. Sports coaches who connect with students through their love of sports can easily translate that to building relationships in the classroom.
If you're in the performing arts, you learn engaging ways to facilitate workshops, whether in acting or something similar. These are skills that easily transfer over.
If you're just trying to get your foot in the door in education, you can also explore other means after graduation. Becoming a substitute teacher or a paraprofessional are options. Some of the most meaningful people I work alongside are those I can rely on to work one-on-one with students as my assistant.
This gives you a sense of what the industry entails. There are also roles like being a one-on-one behavior interventionist, working with a single student under the guidance of a behavior intervention developer.
If you're coming into education and working with young people, knowing how to build relationships and engage with people will definitely set you up for when you go into the classroom.
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