Skills For Students Completing An Online M.Ed
- Administrative Skills
- Teaching Skills
- Tech Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Speaking Skills
Obtaining an M.Ed online can help students achieve higher teaching positions that command higher pay and levels of respect. For students to be successful in the educational career they choose, however, they must cultivate some necessary and important skills. The most important skills for them to practice while receiving their education online are outlined below.
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1. Administrative Skills
One reason to get a master’s of education is if the student wants to work in school administration. An education master’s is usually required to be a principal, and principals oversee the management of their schools, which includes hiring and firing staff, addressing the staff’s needs and concerns, shaping the school’s educational structure and more. The career path of a counselor is also available, which also requires administrative ability. Even regular teachers need administrative skills in order to effectively run their classrooms.
2. Teaching Skills
While there are new jobs that become available to students with a master’s of education, most of them will involve teaching to some degree. Most students pursue a master’s of education in order to teach, whether with that advanced degree alone or with the intention of going on to complete a PhD in education. Important teaching skills include the ability to teach via different methods, having an open mind, understanding where a student may need help, presenting material in a clear way and more. Not every student will learn most effectively the same way, and teachers must be able to facilitate that.
3. Tech Skills
Technology continues to be an important factor in the modern workplace, and educational institutions are no exception. Getting an M.Ed online does require having solid tech skills. However, students will want to remain up to date on software and technology commonly and currently used in schools. They will also want to familiarize themselves with tech that will be used in schools in the future. This includes software programs, multimedia teaching technology and other tech that makes being an educator easier.
4. Interpersonal Skills
These are the most important skills a student pursuing an online master’s in education can cultivate. This is one of the challenges of getting a degree online in a subject that requires such interpersonal contact. Educators must have good interpersonal skills to interact with students, parents and other faculty alike. Gaining better interpersonal skills requires practice and working with people on a regular basis. Volunteering, participating in an internship and having work experience can help improve these skills.
5. Speaking Skills
Like interpersonal skills, speaking skills can be more of a challenge to practice for students pursuing an online degree. Students studying online should make an extra effort to work on their speaking skills. An integral part of being an educator is having the ability to speak clearly and with authority. Students can practice their speaking skills by talking aloud to themselves in front of a mirror, taking advantage of all speaking activities their educational curriculum allows and by participating in internships and student teaching. For students who experience anxiety while speaking publicly, starting small, learning the material thoroughly and practicing will lessen the symptoms, according to The Balance.
When pursuing any degree, students must be aware of the skills they need to cultivate in order to be successful in that profession. This is perhaps more important for online degrees, which place much of the responsibility for learning on the student. Students should work on these skills while pursuing their M.Ed online so they will be prepared for working in the education field.