I'm considering doing a 1-yr MST program and teaching high school for a few years before I do a PhD. Setting aside the cost of the program, is this a bad idea? Reasons I'm considering it are
- to solidify my interest in doing a PhD (I hope to use weekends to read widely and try to get a better picture of exactly what research topic I'd pursue in a PhD)
- to leverage teaching skills for when I apply to PhD programs, as well as for when I apply to academic positions
- in the event I can't get an academic job, I can fall back on high school teaching and will have the credential, since what I ultimately want to do is teach in some capacity (ideally college)
Reasons I'm worried are:
- my resume will appear "stale" or lacking in direction if I apply to grad school 3-4 years out of undergrad, with a master's already
- rec. letter writers will forget who I am (I hope to keep in touch)
Is this path common or feasible?