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Job outlook for english composition teachers in the United States
Are english composition teacher jobs in demand?
English composition teacher job and salary trends over time
English composition teacher jobs over time
English composition teacher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 184 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 204 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 214 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 215 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 218 | 0.00% |
Average english composition teacher salary over time
English composition teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,348 | $25.65 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | $52,954 | $25.46 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $51,485 | $24.75 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $50,186 | $24.13 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $49,274 | $23.69 | +2.8% |
English composition teacher jobs by state
Most common states for english composition teachers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 121 | 17% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 170 | 13% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 697 | 12% |
| 4 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 976 | 11% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 604 | 11% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 600 | 11% |
| 7 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,279 | 10% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 679 | 10% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 213 | 10% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 110 | 10% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 95 | 10% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 171 | 9% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 781 | 8% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 679 | 8% |
| 15 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 532 | 8% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 240 | 8% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 906 | 7% |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 409 | 7% |
| 19 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 374 | 7% |
| 20 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 228 | 7% |
English Composition Teacher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of english composition teacher experts
University of Oregon
Kean University
University of Arizona
Oklahoma State University
University of Puerto Rico - Humacao
Saint Mary's College of California
Texas Woman's University
SUNY Buffalo State
Wilson College
University of Houston - Downtown
Centenary University
Concordia University
Arizona State University
Southwestern College
Pennsylvania State University Altoona
Jackson State University
The University of Texas at El Paso
Pepperdine University
Case Western Reserve University
Gonzaga University
Mary Wood
Professor of EnglishUniversity of Oregon
English Language And Literature
What general advice would you give to an English Composition Teacher?
Mary Wood: It depends on what level the teacher is at (college level or K-12 and if K-12 do you mean elementary, middle, or high school), whether they're in public or private education, etc. Those who wish to become K-12 English teachers would take some literature classes in our department but would do most of their teacher training in the School of Education.
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mary Wood: It's a great time to become an English teacher because it's more important than ever for students to be savvy about how language works, given the ways that language is being manipulated in media (including social media) as well as in the explosion of AI applications. It's also a good time to remind students of the human values and age-old questions about life that are found in novels, plays, poetry, and short stories.
What will help English Composition Teachers increase their earning potential?
Mary Wood: Dislike: Administrative meetings, Grading papers, Bureaucratic paperwork, Lack of robust funding for research and teaching. Like: Working with students, Talking, writing, and reading about literature and getting paid for it, My co-workers and their commitment to their students, Having flexibility in my workday (available to college teachers, not K-12)
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Lisa Sisler D.Litt, MFA: After Covid, many teachers left the profession so the profession needs teachers. As well, with a return to in-person learning we have noticed significant gaps in learning. And with the emergence of AI Writing tools, a strong foundation in reading and writing is critical.
What will help English Composition Teachers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Lisa Sisler D.Litt, MFA: I would say, personally, the best part of being an English educator is being in the classroom, working with the students. There's a kind of magic that happens in that space-- a shared space of ideas and literature and writing-- nothing beats that. The hardest part about being an English educator is the grading-- finding the time to get it done is often difficult, especially with all the meetings and other responsibilities that pile up throughout the semester. Though reading the students' work is often enlightening and gratifying.
What general advice would you give to an English Composition Teacher?
Dr. Dennis Wise Professor Practice: It's an extremely challenging moment to be entering the profession. Since 2008, state legislatures have been cutting back funding for higher education, and that has hurt English Departments because courses that require writing instruction (as our do) can't be run at ultra-large, 200-students a class levels. That has limited the willingness of administrations to hire tenure-track faculty, and has contributed to a proliferation of contingent (or year-to-year) labor. In addition, graduate programs across the country tend to significantly over-produce doctoral students, graduating far more each year than the job market can handle. All this goes to make the job prospects of anyone fresh out of graduate school relatively bleak. Many are forced into adjuncting, more and more of the former professoriate are becoming adjuncts.
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Dennis Wise Professor Practice: The major benefit of the profession is flexibility of hours. Even for someone contracted for 40 hours a week of teaching, only about 12-15 of those hours are spent in the classroom – the grading and lesson prepping one can do anytime, anywhere. Likewise, working with the students is often increasingly rewarding. At the same time, burn-out from overwork and increasingly poor labor conditions is increasingly common, and our profession receives very poor compensation given the level of education professors are required to have.
What will help English Composition Teachers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Dennis Wise Professor Practice: The basic requirements on the profession are teaching, research, and service (whether service to the department, the university, or the field), in that order, but also job duties depend on the type of institution. In community colleges, your focus is almost exclusively on teaching, and at research universities, tenure-track faculty often have 40/40/20 workloads (i.e., 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% service). However, even within institutions, there are different ranks of professors. at my institution, tenure-track faculty have the 40/40/20 workload that I described, but career-track faculty generally have a 80/20 workload – 80% teaching, 20% service. Below this rank are adjuncts. Adjuncts are paid on a per-course basis, and they're roughly equivalent to minimum wage McDonald's workers despite the quality of teaching work they do. They are not benefits eligible. Teaching encompasses not only classroom time, which is actually only a small proportion of the job, but class prep, office hours, conferencing with students, and grading (especially grading). It's also common to keep up with professional trainings. Research in an English Department requires that you publish with peer-reviewed journals and publish books with university presses. It also includes presenting at conferences. Service can encompass anything from serving on committees, directing thesis students, working in academic publishing (which is unpaid), and anything else.
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Sarah Donovan: The skills that will become more important and prevalent in the field of education is a firm grounding in humanizing practices of education - to develop communities of learning in classrooms that draw on the expertise and lived experiences of our students. The students have a wealth of knowledge and experience that we need to engage in order to inspire students to be lifelong learners who can shape the future.
Educators can continue to develop collaborative skills within their field of expertise while also extending their own learning to other disciplines so that we can draw may literacies to design curriculum and inform instruction.
Educators need to be curriculum designers.
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Maritere Cardona Matos Ed.D.: Being able to collaborate is essential in the academia as well as in the workplace. Educators need to cultivate students' abilities to work effectively in teams and communicate their ideas clearly both orally and in writing. Educators also need to develop students' awareness of what is happening around the world to help them develop empathy and values. We live in a world that is in constant movement, so students need to be able to adapt and manage time and stress.
What general advice would you give to an English Composition Teacher?
Peter Alter Ph.D.: Public school salary systems are determined by years of teaching (sometimes called Steps) and level of education. Get a Master's degree. Add an authorization via coursework. Anything that will move you over a column on the salary schedule. Then figure out your side hustle- coaching, tutoring, doing something completely away from education. This may be challenging in your first year but as you get acclimated, you are going to have more time that you will be able to monetize.
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Peter Alter Ph.D.: Public school salary systems are determined by years of teaching (sometimes called Steps) and level of education. Get a Master's degree. Add an authorization via coursework. Anything that will move you over a column on the salary schedule. Then figure out your side hustle- coaching, tutoring, doing something completely away from education. This may be challenging in your first year but as you get acclimated, you are going to have more time that you will be able to monetize.
Gina Anderson
Associate Dean for Educator Preparation and PartnershipsTexas Woman's University
TWU College of Professional Education
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Gina Anderson: The daily workload of an educator varies greatly by the grade level, subject area, and needs of the students served. If the grade level is a "tested" year, this means that the expectations and pressures are typically higher in that standardized test scores are used to make high-stakes decisions about the student's progress, the teacher's effectiveness, and the school's and district's reputation. Similarly, if a grade level is one associated with a benchmark (all students reading at grade level) or for foundational skills (learning to read). Secondary teachers are also held responsible for end of year progress of their students - especially for subjects like English, Science, and Math. In the state of Texas, educators spend a minimum of four hours a day on teaching/instruction. Teachers must also spend time planning their instructional lessons, grading students' work, attending to students' and accommodations for learning English as a second language or for special education. The accommodations are not only in practice but also in required paperwork. Furthermore, teachers spend time responding to the behavioral, emotional, and mental health needs of their students; often partnering with other resource personnel in their school or district. Teachers also work with parents, guardians, or care-givers and communicate via meetings, phone, email and in-person visits. Educators are required to engage in a minimum number of professional development hours per academic year as well. In the state of Texas, educators are required to complete 150 continuing professional education clock hours over a five year renewal period. Many teachers spend time on the weekends and during the summer months attending to their teaching or professional development responsibilities. Some educators take on a second job during the summer months to supplement their income, as well. Finally, the above is the minimum expected of teachers. Many, if not most teachers, truly care about their students and engage far beyond the minimum by sponsoring extracurricular activities and building relationships with students. Excellent educators also are often tapped for additional roles such as serving as a mentor or cooperating teacher for pre-service teachers engaging in field work as required by their educator preparation program. When all is factored in to a typical day in the life of an educator, including instructional time, preparation, paperwork, accommodations, compliance with rules and regulations, professional development, relationship-building, and supporting future educators, it is usually well above a typical 8 hour workday and 40 hour work week.
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSUNY Buffalo State
Department of English
What skills stand out on English Composition Teacher resumes?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: Their involvement in many kinds of experience through the English major, including the study of literature/culture and their experiences as writers and thinkers. Through involvement in opportunities such as writing tutoring, which is done via the department, publishing, and internships, our majors can be leaders in the work in which they are invested, helping to manage and guide others.
What skills will help English Composition Teachers earn the most?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: I believe that the critical thinking skills that can only be developed through intensive, deep reading are their most valuable asset. It makes them thinkers, intellectually and emotionally strong--something we desperately need in America today. They are active and engaged citizens who really excel at being self-motivated and engaged, and that is a valuable skill set to bring to any workplace.
What soft skills should all English Composition Teachers possess?
Dr. Mark Fulk Ph.D.: English majors, while many are introverted thinkers, are good workers on group projects. They are affable and adaptable, good conversationalists who are also good listeners. They allow others to find their own voice and do their work while contributing their own insights. They are great for being engaged in culture and perpetuating the kinds of self-directed learning that is expected of English majors inside and outside the classroom.
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.
Professor of English, Program Director MAHUMWilson College
English Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for English Composition Teachers?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: While college-and college students-are increasingly digital, students are becoming less and less technical. Even compared to 10 years ago, my students' technical knowledge has significantly declined. That is why I encourage my students to become proficient in some useful software suite, such as Adobe Creative Cloud. Taking one or two classes in any software suite is tremendously beneficial and can help an applicant to really stand out from other English majors.
What skills stand out on English Composition Teacher resumes?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: In the academy, we often talk about English majors teaching students vital skills in critical thinking, communication, research, and analysis. An English major can be handed a project and know how to research the necessary components, compile them together in a clear and consistent format, and present that material to a client or supervisor with confidence. And I think the skill that really unites all of these aspects of the English major is independence. In our field, we ask students to articulate the rudiments of pragmatics, identify the meaning inherent to a seventeenth-century poem, and punch back at the masterpieces of the canon. No student can tackle such a diverse learning platform without a streak of independence that teaches them that, yes, scholars have been analyzing and deconstructing Shakespeare for 500 years, but no one has quite seen the text the way you have, and that's why you need to write about it. Heck, in a national conversation about higher education that strongly suggests that any major without a specific job title in its name should not even be considered, it takes someone who is a bit of a maverick to choose a major in English. But that independent streak serves our students really well in their careers and lives beyond college.
On a resume, I look for independence in that projection completion mode: acting as editor for student media; presenting a paper at a conference; writing a theatrical work; publishing; internships; etc. Anything that shows me that the applicant can tackle a project and get it done is what I am looking for.
What skills will help English Composition Teachers earn the most?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: Self-advocacy. I am not suggesting every English major rush to their boss and demand a big raise, but our culture continually suggests one should apologize for majoring in a liberal arts field. I don't buy it. English majors are amazing at solving problems, facilitating communication, researching ideas, developing programs-they are, in short, the total package. And they have a tremendous capacity to learn new skills and new abilities. This is why students from my college, for example, end up in a huge variety of subject fields. We need to understand the value we bring to any organization as an English major.
What soft skills should all English Composition Teachers possess?
Michael Cornelius Ph.D.: Communication and care. Communication in all of its forms-written, oral, public speaking, and interpersonal, one-on-one communication abilities are all vital. A confident communicator can work wonders in many fields.
Add to that care. The study of English is not just the study of language; it is the study of those narratives that shape and dominate humanity and the means through which we make and understand them. I can't think of a better way to learn and know people. But that should come through as an ethos of care. If you want to teach, you must care for your students. No matter the field an English major may find themselves in, an ethos of care will serve them well.
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.
Professor of EnglishUniversity of Houston - Downtown
College of Humanities & Social Sciences
What hard/technical skills are most important for English Composition Teachers?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: Writing, Editing, Teaching, Reading.
What skills stand out on English Composition Teacher resumes?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: When applying to be an instructor of English, your resume itself must be clean and totally without error. If you can't produce impeccable writing, why should your prospective employers believe that you can teach others to do so? A clean, complete, well-formatted resume reflects that you are a strong writer and editor, and these are critical skills. Of course, if you want to be an English instructor, some experience as a teacher is strongly preferred -- even if that is in informal contexts (e.g., leading training sessions at a previous place of employment or serving as a teaching assistant in graduate school).
What soft skills should all English Composition Teachers possess?
Adam Ellwanger Ph.D.: It is also important that you speak well -- that you are a good conversationalist. People in education want to hire people who will be collegial co-workers and have a dynamic classroom presence.
Dr. Lisa Mastrangel Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English, Director of CompositionCentenary University
Department is Business, Media, and Writing
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on English Composition Teachers?
Dr. Lisa Mastrangel Ph.D.: While there will likely be a more challenging job market for some time to come, even once coronavirus ends, degrees in Professional Writing remain highly marketable because of their "portability." Many work environments have discovered that employees work just as effectively when they are remote, and managing social media and marketing content can undoubtedly be done remotely. With strong writing skills and a facility with multiple technology platforms, students with Professional Writing backgrounds will continue to be strong contenders on the job market.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the English Composition Teacher job market given the pandemic?
John Norton Ph.D.: A need to communicate clearly and creatively through different medium
What technical skills for an English Composition Teacher stand out to employers?
John Norton Ph.D.: - clear and creative communication
- advanced problem solving
- teamwork
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the English Composition Teacher job market given the pandemic?
Jessica Early Ph.D.: In the coming years, there will be more need than ever for well-trained teachers in all levels and aspects of schools. There will also be a need to support partnerships with community organizations, family outreach, libraries, and extra-curricular kinds of support to support the academic and social emotion needs of children and their families. There will also be great need for highly skilled teachers in supporting students in digital forms of literacy, writing, and reading practices.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for English Composition Teachers?
Jessica Early Ph.D.: Teachers who receive their reading endorsement as well as training in the teaching of writing through local sites of the National Writing Project, like the Central Arizona Writing Project at ASU put themselves at an advantage. Also, courses that prepare teachers in culturally sustaining teaching practices and digital literacies will help them meet the needs of diverse student populations and ever-evolving communication tools.
How have salaries changed over time for English Composition Teachers?
Jessica Early Ph.D.: In many parts of the country, like Arizona, teacher salaries have not grown at a rate to support an increased cost of living, which has led to a sever teaching shortage and high turnover rates. Teachers continue to be asked to do more, to juggle more, and are paid less. One of the things I hope this past year has shown is just how integral teachers and schools are to the health, well-being, and advancement of our communities and the work they do needs to be supported.
What technical skills for an English Composition Teacher stand out to employers?
John Rieder: In English, we look for applicants with a demonstrated commitment to the populations we serve in the community college (not just lip service, but proven commitment). Former community-college students and those with peer tutoring experience are always wonderful. We also look for an interest in ongoing professional development, particularly professional development related to "high challenge, high support" classroom instruction, to anti-racist and culturally responsive pedagogy/andragogy, and to overall advancing a culture of care, guidance, equity, and community.
What English Composition Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Roselyn Costantino Ph.D.: Most important advice: Take initiative and be productive.
Find practical ways to use skills even if unpaid. Volunteer work is good. Use language skills. Technology skills. Exploit technology skills around the area of interest. If you want to be a teacher find out what software they are using today; what research skills are they utilize. Make sure you log your activities during the gap year especially those that relate to the area in which you want to work. If you want to go into finance, and you're working at a lawn service, understand and learn the business model and the accounting. If you're working at Starbucks (or in any commercial environment), get a chance to do inventories, learn about the ordering process and sources and suppliers for those orders; and how people are scheduled for work. All of that is relevant experience for business.
The CFO and recruiter for Keystone Staffing Solutions emphasized having evidence in your resume of of being productive during the gap time, no matter if it's one, two or three years. Evidence of being productive is what recruiters want to see on your resume: He stresses: "What did you do to expand your knowledge and skills not only in your selected area but beyond. BEING PRODUCTIVE for yourself proves to be an indicator of how productive you will be for me."
Still on gap year. How to go about it? Use teachers, friends, family, anyone in the field or related to it to provide guidance, insight, suggestions. This can lead to projects or experience that will help in learning and growth.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for English Composition Teachers in the next 3-5 years?
Roselyn Costantino Ph.D.: New Technologies:
Be on top of all sharing apps; by the time someone claims which to know, new ones will be available so you must be current. Find out what businesses or fields of interest are using. Linkedin is broadly used. Keystone Staffing Solutions CFO stresses: "No matter what you are doing--gap year or full-time job, spend 2 to 3 hours a day on-line, expanding your knowledge of apps major organizations in your field and beyond are using."
Communication Skills:
English Degree: Your degree enables development/expertise in the what are the essential skills in so many professions and businesses: the ability to write critically, be persuasive, and communicate with clarity. Write papers or articles and submit to publications. Start blogs and share ideas with people in your similar situation. Encourage professionals to participate and add advice.
If speaking in public is difficult, take courses. Afraid? Practice starting with children by volunteering or offering free classes for kids. Work up to older children then adults. Build confidence and skill. But importantly, don't underestimate the value of this ability.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the English Composition Teacher job market given the pandemic?
Leticia Pérez Alonso Ph.D.: In the sector of English instruction positions that will probably be in demand include the following: high, middle or elementary school English teacher, ESL/TESOL teacher and a variety of tutoring or instructional opportunities ranging from composition, professional or creative writing. As a result of the pandemic, it is likely that there is an increase in online distance teaching positions. Specializations in bilingual or adult education might also play a central role in the field of English teaching, given the sociocultural needs of a population characterized by its diversity.
How have salaries changed over time for English Composition Teachers?
Leticia Pérez Alonso Ph.D.: With the passage of time, my impression is that salaries have gradually increased in the academic field, but not in a manner that have adjusted to living expenses today. Salaries also vary depending on the position and the state. For instance, an English teacher of secondary education in a large metropolis is likely to receive a higher remuneration than one who performs the same activity in a less populated area.
Dr. Isabel Baca Ph.D.
Professor of English in Rhetoric and Writing StudiesThe University of Texas at El Paso
English Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on English Composition Teachers?
Dr. Isabel Baca Ph.D.: I believe the enduring impact of the pandemic on graduates will be on their use of technology. We have become accustomed to meeting online now. We conduct meetings, interviews, and conferences online, and this format may not go away anytime soon. The face-to-face interactions may not be the "normal" setting anymore.
What's a good job out of college for English Composition Teachers?
Lisa Smith Ph.D.: Most undergraduate English programs have several specializations to choose from. Thus, if a graduate has completed the teaching track for an English degree, a teaching position is the desired position out of college. Similarly, technical writing specializations will position one to find a job as a technical writer either in-house for a large corporation or with a technical writing company. For those who graduate with a specialization in literature, their skills can be applied to many different entry-level jobs. For example, English graduates place well in government intelligence jobs, market research companies, editing/publishing jobs, jobs in law offices, and human resources positions. Any job that utilizes communication skills and values critical thinking and research training will be a landing place for English graduates.
What will help English Composition Teachers increase their earning potential?
Lisa Smith Ph.D.: Graduates holding an English degree can increase their earning potential in several ways. First, minoring in a related field that will expand job opportunities such as business, science, or creative writing will broaden the skill set new graduates bring to the table. Taking advantage of internship opportunities while in college will also strengthen a resume, especially if a student has completed internships in different fields. Once you are working in the field, an English graduate should play to their strengths in the workplace, which usually include effective communication and connecting with others. Developing these people-related skills will enable English graduates to increase their earning potential by gravitating toward management opportunities.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on English Composition Teachers?
Lisa Smith Ph.D.: Given the unique nature of the coronavirus pandemic, it is difficult to say with certainty exactly what the impact will be on graduates in any field of study, English included. However, the obvious trend right now toward less in-person work interactions points to opportunities for graduates with English degrees. Since undergraduate English programs emphasize critical thinking, oral and written communication skills, and the ability to empathize with and understand other perspectives, graduates with an English degree will be well-positioned to work as team members, managers, and communicators in many fields. The breadth of the skills developed by English majors means that even if one industry is impacted by the pandemic or other factors, English graduates can pivot and look for opportunities in many other fields. For those reasons, I believe those who hold English undergraduate degrees and have developed their communication and interpersonal skills specifically through these programs will have opportunities in many fields despite the pandemic.
Dr. Gabrielle Bycowski Ph.D.
Full-time LecturerCase Western Reserve University
Department of English
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for English Composition Teachers?
Dr. Gabrielle Bycowski Ph.D.: Beyond just honing the ability to read and write well, the most important courses that a student in an English department may take are those on diversity and equity. In a global economy, business is no longer conducted only among workers who all live in the same town, state, or country. It is highly likely that most professions will require job candidates to work closely, at one time or another, with people living in places far away. At the same time, millennials and generation Z are already demonstrating that an increasing number of job prospects will require candidates to move away from where they grew up or where they went to school.
Consequently, companies are seeing people from far away moving into towns, bringing a wider variety of cultural variety to areas that had formerly been relatively homogeneous. As a result, an education in diverse racial, national, linguistic, religious, sexual, gender identities are not only good ideas but essential foundations for ever changing and growing workplaces. While one class on African-American Literature or LGBT Art will not prepare a job candidate for every possible social situation, it will create the basis for one's future flexibility, empathy, respectfulness, and willingness to learn. Likewise, studying the interplay of power dynamics between dominant and marginalized groups in courses on justice and equity can prepare future job candidates to consider how social privilege, systemic oppression, and institutional policies unequally affect different populations.
One course on social issues will not cover all aspects of inequity but an introduction to some of the forces that diversely shape our social world will set up a graduate to better listen and adapt to ongoing civil discourses on racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, colonialism, and more.
What will help English Composition Teachers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Gabrielle Bycowski Ph.D.: English Degrees are more important now than they were in previous decades. While some people may jokingly ask, "what job can you get with an English Degree?" The answer is: many. Communication skills, including the ability to read with comprehension, analyze information, and translate that knowledge into easy to consume forms, are increasing in demand. Professions that require a high level of coordination or regularly utilize communication technologies have long known the value of a job candidate with an English major or minor.
As other professions modernize, more and more business is being done online or across distances. Websites and teleconferencing are becoming increasingly normal and essential. As businesses start to communicate directly to consumers, job candidates need to be able to translate information from experts into chunks that can be put onto social media. My advice to English majors is to not think about their degree as an identity but as a collection of skills and proficiencies. If you break down the talents and training of an English major, you find the traits of a strong job candidate for the ever evolving, increasingly communication-based workplace of the coming decade.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on English Composition Teachers?
Dr. Gabrielle Bycowski Ph.D.: The pandemic will undoubtedly shape the future of the job market and how various professions function. Graduates will enter into a professional world different from the one that existed prior to the emergence of Covid-19. While the specifics of the future are hard to predict with certainty, the adaptations that have occurred in the wake of the outbreak can inform our expectations.
One thing that the pandemic has made evident is the importance of communication skills. With so much business being conducted during the past year from home or from isolated work stations, an employee's ability (or inability) to communicate clearly through email, texts, video messages and reports significantly impacts the productivity of individuals as well as teams. Even when workplaces return to a state where coworkers can cooperate and speak regularly in close proximity, the habits formed over the pandemic will likely not be totally abandoned. Businesses know that work can and sometimes must be done remotely in one form or another. Meetings and information can be distributed with a degree of confidence if the communication is done well. This past year has been a providing ground for our abilities to function together across distance and difficult conditions if we know how to effectively speak and listen, write and read.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for English Composition Teachers?
Katey Roden Ph.D.: There is a reason that English majors are some of the most marketable graduates. The critical thinking skillsets developed in literary theory or early literature courses like Shakespeare are invaluable. Being able to unpack the meaning of complex theoretical schools of thought and apply them to the world around you and your lived experience bridges academic knowledge with an understanding of the human condition and complexities of culture. Being able to make meaning out of a challenging and influential text like Hamlet's "quintessence of dust" monologue, for example, indicates more than deep thinking-this type of interpretive work is evidence of a prospective employee's ability to take on complex tasks that may require sustained interest and examination.
The resilience and grit required to read and re-read in order to question and interpret lengthy passages of difficult text fashion employees who are not only capable of independent thought but confident in their abilities to actively engage complexity. Reading broadly and also deeply presents the opportunity to encounter multiple perspectives and identity positions that might be foreign to your own worldview and experiences; employers are looking for employees who will actively improve their corporate culture and create a safe work environment for every employee. Individuals who are comfortable encountering and meaningfully engaging in negotiating difference will shape employment success.