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2013-09-16 11:02 PM


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Subject: Career Change to High School Teacher
I'm male, 25 years old and live in New Zealand.

I studied for 3 years, getting an agribusiness and supply chain degree (basically the finance side of farming and import/export/transport)

I've been working coming up 4 years now in office jobs. I've worked for a fruit export company for 10 months, as a bank teller for 18 months and have been working at a retailer (similar to Wal-Mart but on a smaller scale) in their shipping department and I'm now 6 months through my 24 month "graduate" role which I do training around different parts of the supply chain.

So to sum up, I've done quite a bit in my working career in the 4 years since I started work.

I'm really bored in an office, pushing numbers into the computer, going to meetings, etc, etc.

I don't feel like anything I'm doing makes a difference in my career. I want to do something where I'm constantly busy and making a difference to people. I've looked around and the only careers I can find that would suit me would be a high school teacher.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience they can share?



2013-09-17 11:02 AM
in reply to: elliotpower

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
Hopefully things are different in NZ, but my wife has taught school for thirty years and is counting the hours until she retires while hating every day she has to go to work. It's certainly not the same rewarding profession she entered into, and is fraught with bureaucracy and discipline issues. Her peers, regardless of their experience levels, have been quitting in droves over the past few years.

God bless the dedicated teachers who answer this calling, but I can safely say that my wife will not recommend this career to anyone. I would advise you to speak at length to those currently in the profession in your country before making this choice.

2013-09-17 1:53 PM
in reply to: the bear

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
Originally posted by the bear Hopefully things are different in NZ, but my wife has taught school for thirty years and is counting the hours until she retires while hating every day she has to go to work. It's certainly not the same rewarding profession she entered into, and is fraught with bureaucracy and discipline issues. Her peers, regardless of their experience levels, have been quitting in droves over the past few years.

God bless the dedicated teachers who answer this calling, but I can safely say that my wife will not recommend this career to anyone. I would advise you to speak at length to those currently in the profession in your country before making this choice.

Bear:  Just a question - would you and your wife consider the bureacracy similar, better, or worse down there than in the midwest, by comparison somehow?  It seemed like teaching WAS the profession back in the "olden days" (pre-1980's perhaps?), but now education is on the downslide.  Kids in the past decade or more are not as attentive, not as respective nor respectful (generalisation by what I have observed), and teachers are not as tolerant (another generalisation).  The education is having to do MORE with LESS, which of itself is a strain.

I thought about going into the education field and was in the program for a year, but I screwed up my class load and took all my easy classes right away and had to take all my harder major and minor classes during the last 2 years and ending up dropping out of the education program.

Bless your wife for making a difference for so many kids for that long, and I hope the kids remember who influenced them!

2013-09-17 2:58 PM
in reply to: 1stTimeTri

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher

It's not so nice in the midwest, either.  I taught middle school math (but certified for 7-12 grade) for 7 years before having kids.  Now that they're in full day school, the clock is ticking for me to go back, but I'm not sure I do.  Politics, red tape, unions, parents, kids, general public---there is pressure from every angle.  Once again the powers-that-be are changing tests, requirements, ways teachers are evaluated and paid, and the new trend is the flipped classroom (kids following the lecture at home then coming to class the next day to work on it in school).  yeah, that's going to work.

 

I want to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  I thought I knew.

2013-09-17 3:50 PM
in reply to: sungirl919

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
I am starting my 17th year as a teacher. I have had a good career so far and enjoy my job as an Elementary PE teacher. I don't regret my career choice, but I don't know if I would want to be trying to start a teaching career now. I fear what the profession will look like in 10 years, much less 30 years from now..

Things are definitely getting tougher. Teachers are asked to do more with less of almost everything. It seems that many of the things we do have are being targeted. My advice would be to really know what you are getting into and have a fallback plan for 5, 10, 20 years from now.
2013-09-17 4:01 PM
in reply to: the bear

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
Originally posted by the bear

Hopefully things are different in NZ, but my wife has taught school for thirty years and is counting the hours until she retires while hating every day she has to go to work. It's certainly not the same rewarding profession she entered into, and is fraught with bureaucracy and discipline issues. Her peers, regardless of their experience levels, have been quitting in droves over the past few years.

God bless the dedicated teachers who answer this calling, but I can safely say that my wife will not recommend this career to anyone. I would advise you to speak at length to those currently in the profession in your country before making this choice.



My wife just started and is in her 3rd year. She semi enjoys it but it's not worth it. She is working in a split class so ehs works part time with another teacher working the other half of the week. I don't know about other areas but here in Idaho, she could literally make the same amount of money if she went to work at Mcdonalds full time as she is working as a 2nd grade teacher "part time". Of course she spends well over 40 hours a week working on school stuff. From my perspective, I hate it. She works a ton and spends a lot of her "free time" thinking about or working on classroom stuff. It's just not worth it IMHO. I don't know how they are going to keep future teachers in the profession.


2013-09-17 4:07 PM
in reply to: TriJedi

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
Originally posted by sungirl919

Once again the powers-that-be are changing tests, requirements, ways teachers are evaluated and paid

Originally posted by TriJedi Teachers are asked to do more with less of almost everything.

I don't think either of these things are unique to the teaching profession.

In the ~12 years I've been in the workforce I've lost count of how many times my job requirements, bosses, policies, evaluation structure, pay, company/organization structure, leadership, etc. have changed - as well as the amount of times I've been asked to "do less with more." I think that is just standard for being part of the workforce.

2013-09-17 4:16 PM
in reply to: lisac957

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher

Lisa has a very good point as I have been in the workforce for 30+ years and have seen many things change quickly.  I have a daughter that teaches and she actually enjoys teaching, but understands the pressure is not for everyone.  There are issued daily in every job, but with manufacturing as an example we don't have to have to attempt to ask parents help students do the things requested by the teacher, or help with any homework, or attendance, or discipline, etc...   I can tell you that the younger people that are working for me in manufacturing have no idea about attendance or discipline?  it is always someone else's fault or they had to go see a doctor ALL day long.

I would NOT be a high school teacher or a middle school teacher.  Way too many hormones at those ages. 

 

2013-09-17 7:52 PM
in reply to: flip18436572

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
My wife is a high school teacher and an absolutely amazing one. She teaches high school Spanish and has been doing so for going on 8 years now. She just turned 30 and got her masters 2 years ago. She is a teacher. Well, now she's a mother too (2 year old son), but she is a teacher. She puts everything into it and gets some simply incredible results with kids that a lot of other teachers can't reach. I don't mean to toot her horn (although I do because I'm beyond proud of her accomplishments), but she is the type of teacher that everyone wishes they had and I wish there were more of her in the teaching world. With all that said, you have to want to teach. She loves it, the good more than the bad obviously, but it's not the same game we all grew up playing. I have a much greater respect for teachers than I ever did before now after watching her constantly dealing with students 12 months out of the year for the last 8 years. She's a role model in the community at this point, and not totally by choice. Kids have come up to her telling her that she saved their lives. I'm 32, been working full time for 14 years in HVAC/Engineering, I've yet to have someone come up to me and tell me I helped shape their life, never mind save it. Not every teacher is going to give it their all, just like any other profession, but I think teachers are thrust into that role of having more asked of them than a lot of other people are, and those that live up to that challenge, I'm definitely grateful. I think teaching can be a great way to have a positive impact on a lot of lives during what can be a very tough time for kids.
2013-09-17 8:29 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher

Originally posted by jonD81 My wife is a high school teacher and an absolutely amazing one. She teaches high school Spanish and has been doing so for going on 8 years now. She just turned 30 and got her masters 2 years ago. She is a teacher. Well, now she's a mother too (2 year old son), but she is a teacher. She puts everything into it and gets some simply incredible results with kids that a lot of other teachers can't reach. I don't mean to toot her horn (although I do because I'm beyond proud of her accomplishments), but she is the type of teacher that everyone wishes they had and I wish there were more of her in the teaching world. With all that said, you have to want to teach. She loves it, the good more than the bad obviously, but it's not the same game we all grew up playing. I have a much greater respect for teachers than I ever did before now after watching her constantly dealing with students 12 months out of the year for the last 8 years. She's a role model in the community at this point, and not totally by choice. Kids have come up to her telling her that she saved their lives. I'm 32, been working full time for 14 years in HVAC/Engineering, I've yet to have someone come up to me and tell me I helped shape their life, never mind save it. Not every teacher is going to give it their all, just like any other profession, but I think teachers are thrust into that role of having more asked of them than a lot of other people are, and those that live up to that challenge, I'm definitely grateful. I think teaching can be a great way to have a positive impact on a lot of lives during what can be a very tough time for kids.

Excellent post! 

To the OP....do what your heart tells you to do, and then do it well.  The truth is, there is a lot of bellyaching and whining by today's workers as well. 

I've been a cop for nearly 30 years.......I sometimes feel like an island while I watch my peers leave bitter, hateful, and disillusioned.  I love my job, and all the crap that comes with it. I have a front row seat to life and I'm always grateful for it. I know what the problem is......it's the attitudes of those who become the bitter whiners, not the public they complain about.

Yes, go make a difference in someone's life......maybe even the people you work with.

Good luck!!

 



Edited by Left Brain 2013-09-17 8:30 PM
2013-09-17 8:44 PM
in reply to: Left Brain

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
I've been teaching for 13 years now and have only had a handful of days over that time that I have not looked forward to getting into my classroom. It's not easy and it is not for everyone but it is the perfect job for me.

While the bureaucracy and politics are a constant frustration, at the end of the day, I have pretty much total autonomy once I close my classroom door. Kids are kids and almost all of them will perform if that is what the culture of the class dictates; while kids today are different than the previous generation, it's not like this should be a complete surprise as I'm sure the same has been said of every generation.

If you feel you have a passion to teach then pursue it; if it is right for you, it is an incredibly rewarding career.

Shane


2013-09-17 8:51 PM
in reply to: elliotpower

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher

Originally posted by elliotpower I'm male, 25 years old and live in New Zealand. I studied for 3 years, getting an agribusiness and supply chain degree (basically the finance side of farming and import/export/transport) I've been working coming up 4 years now in office jobs. I've worked for a fruit export company for 10 months, as a bank teller for 18 months and have been working at a retailer (similar to Wal-Mart but on a smaller scale) in their shipping department and I'm now 6 months through my 24 month "graduate" role which I do training around different parts of the supply chain. So to sum up, I've done quite a bit in my working career in the 4 years since I started work. I'm really bored in an office, pushing numbers into the computer, going to meetings, etc, etc. I don't feel like anything I'm doing makes a difference in my career. I want to do something where I'm constantly busy and making a difference to people. I've looked around and the only careers I can find that would suit me would be a high school teacher. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience they can share?

Go do it - make a difference - and teaching goes well with triathlon - holidays in the summer months for training....

I have a few school teacher triathlete friends - happiest bunch i know.

2013-09-17 8:56 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher

This is my 12th year teaching (middle and high school). I would never recommend someone purposely choose it. There are many things I love about my job and don't consider myself "burnt out", but the out of school time required in my particular situation (I teach five different classes with about 50 minutes during the school day to prepare for them and grade.) is massive, at least a couple hours on most nights, plus weekends. Also, it only takes one misinterpreted comment to lose your job. For certain positions, if students (including special needs kids) don't pass the test, you lose your job. It's by no means a "secure" job anymore. Also, be prepared to be constantly attacked by the media and public for "overly generous" benefits and by parents and students for any decision with which they don't agree.

Regardless, you might inquire with the local universities about what would be required to obtain certification. Certain states in the US allow people with certain majors to obtain alternative teaching certifications that don't require the usual five-year college commitment.

Also, you might look into visiting some classes. Most schools allow community members to sit in on classes. I would just caution an "informed" decision.



Edited by InnerAthlete 2013-09-17 9:00 PM
2013-09-18 10:33 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Career Change to High School Teacher
Originally posted by sungirl919

It's not so nice in the midwest, either.  I taught middle school math (but certified for 7-12 grade) for 7 years before having kids.  Now that they're in full day school, the clock is ticking for me to go back, but I'm not sure I do.  Politics, red tape, unions, parents, kids, general public---there is pressure from every angle.  Once again the powers-that-be are changing tests, requirements, ways teachers are evaluated and paid, and the new trend is the flipped classroom (kids following the lecture at home then coming to class the next day to work on it in school).  yeah, that's going to work.

 

I want to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  I thought I knew.

Posted before I typed anything.....

 

Anyway, this is me almost exactly. I taught 13 years (pre-k) before staying home to raise my own children. I am also in the midwest. I taught in private religious schools and also the public school. I even taught my daughters friends here at the house one day a week all school year last year for free just because I love to teach. My husband is a school administrator and deals with/implements all the changes & red tape every day. He is constantly telling me how bad the cuts are and worse cuts are coming. I love teaching and working with kids and truly believe it is a calling for me. Unfortunately all of the nonsense outweighs any desire for me to go back to the classroom. I swore to myself I would get my foot in the door by signing up to subsititute teach this year since my youngest is now in Kindergarten all day. I have not done it yet....

And the private schools I worked for were no better. They just bleed you dry - expect everything on salary that is a total joke. Plus no money for resources or special services to help the children.

As a teacher I felt defensive a lot of the time.



Edited by trigal38 2013-09-18 10:53 AM
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