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November 2011 Moms
PMFuentes10
member
Calling All Teachers! (Advice Needed)
PMFuentes10
member
I've notice a few of you are teachers and getting ready to prepare for the new school year. I wanted to get your opinion on a life changing decision I have been presented.
I graduated from college without completing my student teaching and now only have a basic degree, my idea was to do alternative certification but with teacher cuts I could not find a job. I have been working at my current company for 4 years and although there is no room for growth I have complete job security, I could work here until I retire, the money is pretty decent and my job is fairly easy on a day to day basis. On a low day I decided to apply for a couple teaching assistant jobs and I have now been offered to take a much lower paying special education teaching assistant position with a high school right around the corner from my house. I would be working one on one with an autistic student. Needless to say the pay is a drastic cut but in accepting this position I would be committing to going for my teaching certification once more. I would have re-enroll in an alternative program and this time I would do one within the district I want to teach and that would require classes at night and on Saturdays. This would take a LOT of time away from DS and DH for about a year and then I would still have to actually get hired on! My question to you teachers is, how much do you love what you do? Would you trade it for anything, monetarily? Is this something you've wanted to do your whole life? Do you think you will retire as a teacher? And finally how does being a teacher affect your life as a mom and a wife?
I'm lost in deep thought and I would really like to get some feedback, good or bad. I know in the end I have to do what is best for my family and me but I want to make sure I have turned over every rock before I make up my mind.
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Re: Calling All Teachers! (Advice Needed)
I'm not a teacher but I was offered a position to be a preschool teacher in time (first having to work at the bottom and then waiting for a position to open). It would have required me to pay to get certified, etc...
For me, it's not worth it. I want to be with LO as much as possible and I want to be able to leave work at work. I would kill for a 9-5 job with decent pay. Job security in this economy is also hard to find. So for me, I would stay. But if this is something you think is worth the time away and you are passionate about (and you and your DH can manage on the decrease in salary) ... go for it. Happy mommy makes a happy LO! GL with your decision
I have been a teacher for 4 years and have to say there are a lot of good days, but a lot of bad too. I actually really want to stay home with LO so this could be coloring my opinion of the job. I do want to say this- it is an extreme amount of work. Hours outside of the classroom planning, grading, attending school events all take you away from family time. Even once you finish school it will be a lot of time.
Questions:
1. Do you live in an area that always have teacher openings? (For example in my area one district just hired 1400 new teachers, so there is certainly a lot of security here)
2. Do you have a lot of patience? I have a friend who works with autistic kids. She loves it and is great with them,, but has battle scars from them.
3. Can you survive on the pay cut?
4. Not sure what your job is like now, but are you prepared for a total change? No lunches out, no down time, always on your feet, dealing with parents. principals, etc.
5. Most important, is this something you have always truly wanted to do? Will you regret it later? If so then maybe you should do it. You can always leave if you hate it.
I have been teaching for 4 years. Although I love my job and being with the kids every day, it's tough. It's a lot of work being a teacher...planning for lessons, getting things together and not enough time in the day to do (during work hours) so I'm forced to stay over almost every day.
My first year of teaching ( I didn't have any kids yet) I was up there every Sunday afternoon working to get ahead for the week.
I stay stressed out and thinking about what I'm teaching the next day or what I need to do. My sister works in a bank and when she leaves work, she leaves work! She gets to go home with LO and play and not worry about anthing else.
How close are you to retirement?
Pay is horrible anyways but I must say....I LOVE having the summers off so in a way it makes everything worth while.....well nothing would be better than staying home as a SAHM!!!!
If you are passionate about wanting to teach, and you can afford and live comfortably with a pay cut, I would say make the move. I worked as an aide in a special ed classroom while I was getting my degree, left to do my student teaching for a semester, and came back while I was pregnant with DS. It was tight to say the least, but I knew this was my goal, and I had to reach it no matter what. When I signed my teaching contract, it was one of the best days of life underneath having DS and getting married of course, because I reached my goal. It may take time away from your family now, but the outcome is worth so much more than the temporary. I'm at a brand new school this year, so the first 3 weeks have been quite difficult, as they will be, but if this is your goal, don't let anything hold you back!
Bottom line, do it!!!!
I want to thank you all for you input, this really is something I can't go into lightly. I'm still on the fence right now and there is a lot of thinking and discussing that DH and I have to do but I really do appreciate everyone's feedback.
I absolutely LOVE my job! I love the creative process of it all. My work energizes me and I still get really excited to try new ideas in my classroom. I also love all the breaks and time off with my DD (apprx 4 months each year!)
That being said, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It's A LOT of work. This is my eighth year teaching at the same grade level at the same school and I still work 9 hours days at school with another half an hour each night plus a couple hours Friday night for grading. And this is WAY down from what it was my first 3 years teaching.
Doing school and your first couple years of teaching with your LO would be hard simply because of the time commitment. I am not saying this to discourage you from doing it, but I just want you to know what you are in for. If it's something you really have a passion for, go for it, but just know it is going to be pretty intense for a few years.
Good luck with your decision!