Are you looking for a career in education that does not require you to be directly involved in teaching and learning? Educational administration might be the right profession for you.
Educational administration is a process of integrating human and material resources to help educational institutes achieve their objectives. Educational administration is about administration tasks and relates to all duties of administrators.
Educational administration has some aspects similar to other industries’ administration. However, academic administrators are associated with teaching and learning; therefore, many elements are different.
Educational administration has been gaining momentum recently, and many people want to learn more about it. So, let’s dive deep into it:
Educational Administration
Companies need planning and supervision; schools and colleges also need proper administration that keep them running. Moreover, most academic organizations consist of several departments, and adequate coordination ensures their smooth and seamless operation. Educational administration is a broad term and encompasses several aspects. Besides, many higher designations of educational institutes come under its’ umbrella.
How to Become an Educational Administrator?
Many people want to serve at a higher level of an educational institute. Whether you are already associated with education or are in high school, you can make a career as an academic administrator.
- Gain a Degree
The first step to becoming an educational administrator is to enroll in its degree program. The cost of living is rising at an alarming rate; thus, people often find continuing higher education challenging. To become an educational administrator, you can search for a budget-friendly Educational Administration Master’s Degree and learn about some cost-saving courses.
- Acquire Skills
Educational administration is a leadership role. Managing a team and keeping them motivated to reach objectives requires an amalgamation of skills—practice leadership skills in day-to-day life. Communication skills are critical to succeed in the modern world. Similarly, critical thinking helps evaluate and pinpoint the areas that need improvement. With attention to detail, you can keep an eye on minute things.
Since technology drives the modern world, technical skills have become relevant for almost all professions. Academic administrators supervise several tasks and manage departments. Thus, to secure a job as an educational administrator, you must possess soft and professional skills.
- Gain Experience
Gaining experience as an educational administrator helps you secure a job after completing your course. It would be better to do an internship during the final year of your degree. Additionally, it gives an insight into the practical world and helps you decide your future. Plus, gaining experience adds weightage to your résumé and enables you to land a prestigious institute.
Objectives of Educational Administration
Educational administration is an academic profession where individuals utilize human resources, such as teachers, other staff members, and material resources. They facilitate students and other professionals in teaching and learning. The objectives of educational administration include:
- To provide quality education to the students, Holistic education or quality education do not necessarily have to be costly. By hiring experts in their roles, educational administrators can achieve this objective.
- To ensure maintenance of the decorum of the workplace
- To provide students and teachers with all the resources, they need to gain education
- To keep the departments coordinated
- To organize various educational programs for students and teachers alike
Responsibilities of the Educational Administration
Educational administration is not a one-dimension job. Educational administrators are the individuals who look after multiple tasks. Some of their duties include:
- planning academic and co-curricular activities
- directing institutes’ staff
- organizing continual professional development programs
- the hiring of new staff as per the need
- maintaining ethics and values of an organization
- keeping record up to date
- supervision of teachers and other staff members
- management of materials
- financial management
- offer constructive criticism
- maintain relationships with staff, students, and their parents
Careers You Can Pursue with an Educational Administration Degree
With a degree in educational administration, you can make a career in one of the several areas:
- School Principal
A school principal is generally the highest designation in any academic organization. They oversee the working of different departments and ensure seamless coordination between them. Principals are not directly involved in teaching; however, their job includes supervising teachers. Thus, they need to understand teaching and learning practices thoroughly.
- College Superintendent
College superintendents need to hold an advanced degree and have experience serving as a principal. They supervise multiple colleges and negotiate with governments about funding these academic institutes.
- Registrar
With a degree in educational administration, you can serve as a registrar in any academic organization. Registrars take care of the records and registration of students.
- Admission Counselor
Educational institutes also recruit students. Admission counselors attend educational fairs and promote educational institutes. They answer questions of potential students’ parents, give them an overview of their academic organization and help them secure an admission. They receive the application, verify students; claims and help them in the admission process.
- Education Consultant
Educational consultants generally work privately. Schools hire them on a contract basis, and they help them design curricula and provide feedback to help teachers grow.
Conclusion
The field of education has evolved massively in the past few years. Today, teachers are not the only education professionals crucial to educational institutes. Aside from people directly involved in teaching and learning, several other professionals play a vital role in keeping a school or college operational. Educational administration is a degree that equips people with real-world soft skills and makes them technically literate. It is a perfect career path for people who do not want to serve as teachers but want to be associated with education.
Alton Clarke was born and raised in Syracuse. He has written for MSNBC, The Business Insider and Passport Magazine. In regards to academics, Alton earned a degree from St. John’s University. Alton covers entertainment and culture stories here at Diving daily.