Career Tracks
Careers in Education
English majors change lives and give back to their communities as educators in the K–12, higher ed, and private sectors. Education majors can choose from any of our concentrations: Literature, Creative Writing, Rhetoric and Composition, or a blend of all three in a customized course of study. Whether it’s a course in Modernism (421 or 436), Medieval Literature (402), Poetry Writing (363) or Pedagogical Grammar for ESL teachers (477), they immerse themselves in the study of language, literature, and writing to help inspire and shape the next generation of students. Scroll down to explore this gratifying career and see who has gone before you in our Alumni and News sections.
Interviews with Alumni in Education Careers
- Law Professor Jason Smith’s Beginnings as a UT English Major
“Attorneys are storytellers”: Smith shares four ways English is an advantageous precursor to law and education Jason Smith (’04) is Director of Legal Writing and… Read more: Law Professor Jason Smith’s Beginnings as a UT English Major
What Alumni Say
What Teacher and Administrator John Luke Bell says about being an English major
“My background as an English major helps me know how to harness the power of story to empathize, influence, and lead. We need to be a nation of fluent readers and efficient writers. This degree program equipped me with the tools to change our collective literacy narrative.”
—John Luke Bell, Teacher and Administrator
What Former Dean of the ETSU Honors College Dr. Judith Slagle says about being an English major
“My professors were amazing. When I left this program I really felt that I couldn’t have had a better English program with better teachers. Once I left, they continued to mentor me and help me get things published.”
—Dr. Judith Slagle, Former Dean of the ETSU Honors College
What Professor and High School Teacher Dr. Maria Bibbs Mummert says about being an English major
“After UT, I got my PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent about a decade teaching college English and African American literature in Memphis (Memphis College of Art and the University of Memphis). I felt like I got to give back to my community, where I’m now teaching high school English within an IB program and dual enrollment classes. It’s all been rewarding, especially teaching African American literature. I’m planning to apply to low-residency MFA programs in creative writing in the fall.”
—Dr. Maria Bibbs Mummert, Professor and High School Teacher
What law professor Jason Smith says about being an English major
“I talk a lot to my students about a basic narrative structure like conflict, climax, and resolution, or beginning, middle, and end because attorneys deal with all sorts of facts that come from different areas. It’s a complete jumble. Part of our job is to organize those facts and put them in a coherent narrative.”
—from an interview with law professor Jason Smith (’04)
News from the Education Sector
- UTK English Roundtable on Careers in Law, Video Now Available
University of Tennessee English alumni Jasmine Johnson and J. Scott Rose joined Director of Career Development Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith for a roundtable discussion on… Read more: UTK English Roundtable on Careers in Law, Video Now Available