I have always half-joked over the past 20 years that if my first career choice didn't pan out, I'd become a history teacher (I have a masters in political science and read "big, thick, non-fiction, history geek" books -- as my wife puts it -- for fun). Well, I've decided to take the plunge. The more I learn about the teaching profession, the more I know its a great fit for me. However, I still have the normal "buyers remorse." All you other midlife career changers out there, please tell me I made the right decision. Also, could you also let me know about any potential common pitfalls for those entering the profession midlife that I should watch out for?
I'm not quite at midlife, yet. But I did start teaching rather late in the game, at age 28. I joined the New York City Teaching Fellows. Are you entering the profession through an alternative certification program, or are you going back to school to earn your degree, then entering the classroom?
I'm going to law school, practice law a few years and then plan on teaching. Teaching seems stress free and rewarding even though it doesn't pay much.
I tried to get into an alternative route program, but I plan to become a secondary social studies teacher and that is not a need area in the state of CT. Therefore, it is unbelievably competitive and I was not admitted. In the end, I think that will be a blessing in disguise, because I will get a more comprehensive student teaching experience.
Rewarding? That's what I'm told, and for me I think it will be. Doesn't pay as much as my previous career? Yes, but I've already come to accept that. Stress free? Even I know at this early stage that won't be true.
I'm sure it is an unqualified blessing. Attending graudate school and teaching at the same time is extremely challenging. Also, you're right about the student teaching experience. Although nothing can replace real teaching experience and nothing can really prepare you completely for the first year, any experience is better than none. So make the most of it. I can understand your feeling of "buyer's remorse," but I wouldn't sweat it if I were you. Teaching can be incredibly gratifying. It is extremely hard work, especially for the first few years when you're still learning how to do it. The main thing to remember is that your first year will be the hardest. So whatever happens, don't be discouraged. It will get easier as you gain experience. That's not to say that your first year will necessarily be bad. But if it is, remember that it will get better. I think the biggest pitfall that awaits career changers is the feeling of being discouraged. My theory is that people come from offices and other professional environments, where they have developed certain expectations about accountability and efficiency. You may find in the field of education - public education, anyway - that there is less accountability or efficiency. The key thing is to not get frustrated, but instead to find the ways you can make a difference, whether on a small or large scale, and pursue them. I suppose that sounds rather vague. Just remember to keep things in perspective. I'm sure you will love teaching. It gives you a wonderful sense of moral superiority. Enjoy it.
If you care about your students, teaching will be very rewarding for you. If you care about your students, teaching will not be stress free. If you care about your students, it won't matter that it doesn't pay much.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It mirrors what others have told me, especially that learning curve issues make the first year is the hardest, but it gets progressively easier over time. Although I've always had a feeling of moral superiority
I looking at starting a masters in teaching during the evening with teaching history in a year or two in mind. There are some pricate schools near me that pay very well, and they seem pretty interested in my JD.
I've met a few former lawyers who became history teachers. Districts love them for a few reasons. First, they (presumably ) know the Constitution inside and out. Second, they have some great real world experience about the legal system, which will touch every student's life as an adult (no, they all won't be perps, but if they want to live in our society, they will have to have at least a cursory understanding of how it all works). Lastly, they will be able to serve as a mentor for any aspiring lawyers out there. Private schools up here pay diddly-poop vs. public. I know CT has one of the highest, if not the highest, average teacher salary in the nation, but I'm still a little surprised by your ability to find private schools that pay pretty well. Must be my regional bias showing
I'm trying to decide whether to enroll in the MAT program this fall. I think it is just a matter of time before I become a teacher, so it seems a bit silly to delay the inevitable. There private schools here that pay well are really expensive boarding schools--that they include room & board in the compensation is partly why the pay is so good.
Former Lawyers as Teachers I agree with RBourd52 that former lawyers make good teachers. Not only are lawyers intellectually superior to most but they have also honed the skills needed to teach: speaking in public, organization of arguments and also a realization that learning requires effort, not just throwing fluff at their students like teachers with a degree in "education" and things such as polling. Finally, lawyers are by nature altruistic and look beyond just showing up for a few hours as do so many teachers who start right out of college. We must face it in our society lawyers run the world, even when they are not practicing law.
Re: Former Lawyers as Teachers Speaking of teaching as a second career... today I fulfilled my committment to the New York City Teaching Fellows. I finished my second year of teaching! In a few weeks I will have my full certification. Oh, and JBart, you're full of shite.
Re: Former Lawyers as Teachers Congratulations! That is a worthy route to teaching. I give you credit. And JBart isn't full of shite, I happen to know he is an attorney himself (laying the sarcasm on a little thick, aren't you counselor? )
Well, I'm officially a teacher. I ended up getting a position at my old high school. It was very competitive and I feel very lucky and thankful that I got it. I'm teaching 3 sections of freshman world history and 2 sections of the senior psychology elective. Its been 2 weeks now and I'm loving every minute of it. Now back to finding primary source materials from different Enlightment Philosophes so I can put together some DBQs for Monday (notice I have the jargon down).
Please keep us informed of your progress! For those of us who are also considering the change, your insights would be most appreciated!
Thanks. Yes, its 100% stress free -- teachers have it SOOOO easy (rolling eyes). Actually, while there is stress, its good stress. The kids energize me every day. And it isn't as bad as student teaching. Now THAT was stressful.
Stress free. Ahhhhhhhh. So today -- I'm a long term sub with five 1st year Spanish classes -- my best student, a freshman girl, finished the classwork I assigned, so she decided to violate the District's cellphone policy and send text messages to someone. I was involved doing one-on-one instruction with another kid, but when I noticed what she was doing, I started to make my way toward her desk. Another student, another freshman girl, saw me coming and tried to warn her, but she was too late. Policy requires a Saturday school ( 8-noon ) assignment for the cellphone violation and I assigned an after school detention to her "lookout". I decided to tell the subsequent classes about my disciplining the two girls. When I told my last period class that I assigned a detention to the "lookout",because she was an accomplice, another girl said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "That's stupid." This is what creates stress. Kids do not have the same values as adults, not that they should necessarily, and in order to try to get them to examine their values, certain measures need to be taken. This will always result in some kids showing disrespect for your authority as a teacher because those kids have adopted the age-old "gangster" code. They don't see it that way, and when I was a kid, I probably would have played the lookout for a buddy who was putting a paper bag with dog poop in it on someones porch. But if we got caught, I knew better than to say that the rule or the punishment was stupid.
What's so immoral about someone attempting to warn someone else that they are about to get caught doing something wrong?
the student with the cell phone had already violated the policy. the other girl was trying to keep her from getting caught. it's not anywhere near so serious as standing outside the liquor store when your buddy is inside robbing the store, but it falls into the general category of acting as a lookout, which is wrong. if girl #2, who knew what was happening from the beginning, was trying to persuade girl #1 not to use the cell phone, then i'm all for her involvement. but that's not what her motive was. she didn't say anything to girl #1 until she saw me coming.