Here's the story. College has been rough on me- I was married, worked nights just to pay the rent, had health problems, I hated the education classes(but loved the kids), it took 7 years, I owe $25,000. I am growing concerned that many of my professors were right- I'm just not "cut out" for this career. So I have an education degree(after student teaching this spring), I loved working with kids (I worked with middle schoolers), but I would prefer doing something more like the tutoring that I enjoyed so much. Are there any private/public sector jobs other than teaching that you wish you had gone into? Or a master's degree you feel like would have served you better economically than one in teaching? (my wife just got a job as a Speech Therapist in a school system and makes more in 2 days a week with 15 kids than I will until I've taught for 5 years!) I appeal to you because teachers seem to be pretty good at giving advice and being good listeners. I really enjoyed working with kids, but I'd rather not feel like the square peg in a round hole for the next 20 years. Thanks in advance! David
David, Hi. It seems that you like the kids, but maybe, large groups of kids is not your thing. Perhaps, a smaller setting or a non-schools setting would be more suitable for you. Tutoring is a good option, although, it's probably more of a "side job" than a career.
Do you have any Intermediate Units in your area? They have a lot of different options for working with kids. Another idea would be to try a Sylvan Learning Center or maybe become a cyber school teacher.
Here is a list of careers that are related to the skills and/or knowledge of teachers.List of Alternative Carreers to Teaching The only thing that comes to mind is a special education job as a resource or pull-out teacher.
Tasha, that is the sort of list I have been looking around for all over the place! I do really want to teach! But I also have bills to pay and a family to feed. I don't want to be stuck on public aid. Some of these alternatives are very interesting. One thing I am investigating is museums, childrens museums, and interpretation at historic sites and nature centers. It's still teaching in a way, so I might be comfy with that. Perhaps many of the others unemployed on this list might as well. Then we can still apply to schools when it is the season to do so, yet have a job that at least has some what something to do with instruction.
david-do you have any interest in becoming like a title (reading only) teacher or doing special ed.? in my school, those are 2 of the only positions where you get to work w/children individually and in small groups. i used to feel the same way as you. i spent quite a bit of time in college (i worked my way through too!!) tutoring and i loved it! when i began to student teach-and had 25 children instead of 2-it was definitely overwhelming at first. however, after 4 years in this field i can definitely say i've gotten used to having more kiddies! perhaps you should just give teaching another try for a year or two. if at that time you still feel like it's not your true calling, you could always quit and do something else. good luck w/your decision!! -meri
thanks a million, thats just the kind of list I've been digging around for for ages. I really want to teach, but I hesitate to get into a job where I'll be as ostracized for not being religious as I have been here. I don't believe I've ever been in a field where it seemed to be such a public topic of discussion. I hope I can get a job as an ELL teacher on waiver. But please, tell me more about this "cyber teacher" work that you mentioned, because that sounds too good to be true! All my googling turns up is stuff that looks like scams. (much like many tutoring websites)
Sorry, I don't know how to find out about the cyber school. I just know there are some cyber teachers out there who have posted on here a few times. I don't even know if I can find the threads that refer to them. I can't look right now, but maybe later I will see if I can find the threads for you.
