So, it lists teachers needed by number of areas within a given state. The need ranges from 1 area to 66 (or so) areas. MA has 28 areas needing techers.
Wellllll, anyway..... after speaking with a 'fixer' friend of mine - he's one of those people who likes to solve problems - I dunno if I should be a teacher. Great.
Why not??? Because a friend of yours says so?
Do what you want.
Noooo, not because he says so, but because he brought up some good points that I'd thought of previously, but tried to ignore.
Fill us in?
Bureaucracy stuff?
The bureaucratic bull is something I've never let myself lose sight of. But, this friend teaches teachers how toteach math. He told me some stories. Also, he pointed out that if what I really wanted was a solid retirement, perhaps teaching wasn't the way to go.
Aaaand, I started thinking that $16,000 is a LOT of money.
I found out that I can get free career counseling from the Cambridge Department of Human Services because I am a resident. Unfortunately, I can't get any time off until next friday afternoon.
Maybe I'm just getting cold feet.
Hmmm...
Did this friend suggest something that WOULD provide a solid retirement?
I don't think anything ever meets absolutely all specifications at once -- and if someone finds something that does, that person is way lucky. If it meets a LOT of the specifications without being an absolute perfect match, that's worth pursuing IMO.
Of course if there's something better, there's something better.
He suggested career counseling.
True. That's a good step.
It would have been 2 months ago. Right now I feel like I need to really move to get into the program I want.
How long of a process is it? Is it something you can do in one appointment, and then go from there?
Why don't you just start your own business, littlek? Gardening or something like that. It might be tough at first, but the rewards of being your own boss are monumental.
Having to work for someone -- anyone -- is something I could not deal with.
Soz - I think it's a one-appointment deal. Maybe 2 hours? I can't do it with a 2 year old on my hip. So, it has tobe on time off. I have time off friday afternoon.
I think I shouldn't be waiting for the results before applying to Lesley - I need to get my application in. I am still waiting to hear back from the admissions office on a question I have about recommendation letter writers.....
Gus, I have avoided jobs in hierarchies because they make me nuts. If I'm having this much trouble getting my **** together to get into a master's program imagine what it would be like were I to own my own business. I could try landscaping, but I'm not really THAT good at it.
Well, littlek, you're running out of time.
According to my calculations, you have a little less than 50 years to figure something out.
Then..... it's nap time.
I would keep in mind that perhaps the whole teaching thing is maybe 5 or 10 year gig; who knows what you'll see from the new vantage point of having a masters. I know if you had the chance to teach photography that's probably something you'd do till you drew your last breath... or landscaping or landscape photography. There's something out there for you, chief. In the end there's always going to be as many reasons to do something as not to do something and you're just going to have go where you'll find your bliss... IMHO.
So..... if I get a master's in elementary ed, how well would that transfer to teaching an ESL course in Japan or Slovakia?
$16,000 for a 5-10 year gig? I won't even be done paying my loans at the end of 10 years.
Perhaps you get a masters in something more suited to doing ESL? As for the pay, I reeeeeeallllly don't see $16,000 as the max you'll make over the next ten years.
What's the $16K?
Your friend brought up all the negatives, but his best solution was to go to career counseling. Unless he can steer you in a better direction, I'd keep going the path you're on.
Every time you want to try something new, someone's going to point out the negatives. Without fail.
Besides, you'll have summers off to work a second job. If you can make another $10K or so a year from that, you're not doing too bad.
Apply, AND make the appointment to start the career counselling process.
By the time you get the response to your application you should have learned something from the career counselling. And you'll either move forward in regard to teaching, or not, at that point.
You've been talking about this for at least 4 years - maybe it's time to take 2 steps at the same time.
Remember Jose Cuervo? He was working when we 'met' him, got laid off, thought about things a bit, got certified as a teacher, and has been teaching for over a year now. The big difference, to my eye, is that he already knew about working in a bureacracy. The whole school board schitt wasn't a surprise to him.
Yeppers.... I started to fill out my application. I'll do it with or without financial aid (the big hang-up).
Now, the next focus is to write my 2 page personal statement.
littlek wrote: I could try landscaping, but I'm not really THAT good at it.
That hasn't stopped any of the guys in my area. They buy a truck, hire some teens and start plugging in barberry and burning bush everywhere topped off with a layer of red mulch.
Just the fact that you know something about plants puts you way ahead of most landscapers (aka landscrapers).
I can't recommend it as a "safe" career choice. It's big freedom, but not big bucks.
