I Need Out Of Teaching...What Career Should I Switch To?

In a lot of other careers I think people care even less then in Education. So just be aware that you may think you are going somewhere where people are interested but it may not happen. For most people the job is just a way to pay the bills.

Dear fello teacher,

I am in my second year of teaching and am finde the same exact problems. I am planning on finishing the year and doing something else after school gets out while starting a massage therapy certification program. It is a bit expensive and the time commitment will be tough but you and I both have a background in Bio and Anatomy and from the school I'm looking at it seems like this would be fairly easy academic wise. I don't know if you're down with possibly touching people you don't want to touch but this career does have the option to set your own hours and perhaps start your own business. In addition this is just what I'm planning on doing and I'm at a much earlier point in my career. Good luck to you!

Corporate trainer.

HELP ME! wrote:

I am in my 10th year of teaching and desperately need a change. I taught HS for 7 years and switched to a virtual middle school 2 years ago. I have a B.S. in Biology and a M.A. in Education. I really hate teaching. I hate working with kids. I tried getting out of the classroom (by going virtual) but I still hate working in education. Low pay, the teachers union, political correctness, parents who don't care, kids who don't care...I am sick of it all.

With my experience & education, what career change could I make? I need at least 50k per year to make ends meet.

Now isn't the time to change careers brother. Suffer through a couple more years and then make the switch when the economy is better and you have more choices. Foolish to get rid of a pretty stable job right now. I'd wait.

sales. if you are good with people, have the gift of gab and/or persuasion and don't mind working hard and facing rejection, there are always jobs available in the 'sales' field. Products, services, etc.....however, do you think it is wise to quit your job in THIS economy? I don't.

Definitely look into corporate training but that be weekend work or human resources. The thing is: is anyone hiring????

good luck!

It looks to me that someone with your experience should have absolutely no problems finding a teaching job at a college or a university.

Try teaching at a the collegiate level. The students are more mature and the pay is the same and many times even more. You will see the difference.

HELP ME! wrote:

I am in my 10th year of teaching and desperately need a change. I taught HS for 7 years and switched to a virtual middle school 2 years ago. I have a B.S. in Biology and a M.A. in Education. I really hate teaching. I hate working with kids. I tried getting out of the classroom (by going virtual) but I still hate working in education. Low pay, the teachers union, political correctness, parents who don't care, kids who don't care...I am sick of it all.

With my experience & education, what career change could I make? I need at least 50k per year to make ends meet.

Are you sure you want to leave teaching for the corporate world? Maybe I'm just thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence but I've been in the corporate world for over 15 years and its no picnic. If you've been a teacher for 10 years, I assume you're tenured correct? There is no such think in the corporate world. You can get fired or let go for any reason. I happens every day and can happen to anyone.

I know from talking to a lot of teachers that being in a classroom all day can be stressful but you should really think long and hard about everything you would be giving up by leaving teaching and the risks and job insecurity that go along with working for corporate America.

I was going to be a teacher but I switched my career to telecommunications. It is recesssion proof.

My best friend has a Bachelors in biology and taught high school for one semester and quit. He is now a health inspector for the county and loves it!!! I believe all you need is some degree in the sciences and maybe a few other random science classes that you might not have taken previously. I believe he had to take some chemistry class during the hiring process.

I was in your situation years ago. I went into teaching for the wrong reason. If you can imagine it I had always gone to school and ran, so I figured I'd get a job as a teacher and coach. Not really very original plan on my part. Well I got the job taught & coached for 2 years and HATED EVERY DAY. The coaching was great, but the class room was torture.

I ended up going back to school and got a law degree. Granted you don't have the security like teaching; most teachers I knew were security freaks. The idea of no tenure scared the living h ell out of them, but it's worth it to get away from those worthless kids and worse parents.

Maybe you could be a community college counselor. Maybe you should get a PhD in education.

law?

To OP, you are beyond help. If you didn't know beforehand what the job was really about (i.e. teachers union, political correctness, parents who don't care, kids who don't care...) then you didn't do your own homework. So I'm giving you an F.

And if you don't realize that the teaching profession is one of the few recession-proof fields and now in this economic situation you ought to stay with what you have and "grin and bear" it, then you are going to get an F on your project.

I think we need to set up a parent-teacher conference. Please have your folks call the office today so we can discuss how you are failing to measure up.

You are too old for the U.S. Marines, but the U.S. Army needs soldiers.

investment banking

Not sure how much lab expereince you've got, but why not work in a lab? that's what i do. For me, it's just to get some experience in a job and party and travel a bit until i figure out what i want to do permanently, but for someone with your list of wants, it might be an nice fit.

The upsides of the job aren't too bad. I work in a lab with people who are deeply committed to their work (PhD students, post docs), there are lively discussions every day, and there is the opportunity to become a specialist technician in one area if you so choose. Once you get a few years of expereince, you can make upwards of 50-70k (as a lab manager or speicialist technician). It also gives you a head start on research techniques if you ever want to pursue a PhD or some type of research project in med school, etc. I also come in and leave whenever i want (within reason) and usually have no problems scheduling a vacation whenever i want.

The downsides are that you work alone a lot, and that it can become frustrating and monotonous at times. You'll also be resricted to living in cities with large universities, bio/pharma comanies, or reserach institutes.

Let me know if you'd like any more info, tips, etc.

trailblazer wrote:

To OP, you are beyond help. If you didn't know beforehand what the job was really about (i.e. teachers union, political correctness, parents who don't care, kids who don't care...) then you didn't do your own homework. So I'm giving you an F.

And if you don't realize that the teaching profession is one of the few recession-proof fields and now in this economic situation you ought to stay with what you have and "grin and bear" it, then you are going to get an F on your project.

I think we need to set up a parent-teacher conference. Please have your folks call the office today so we can discuss how you are failing to measure up.

It has nothing to do with the fact that I didn't know beforehand. Of course I knew the down side to teaching. My career move has everything to do with the fact that I have put up with it for 10 years and can't see myself putting up with it for 25 more. Why the F? The average teacher only lasts 2 years in the classroom, so I say I should at least get a C+ for making it to 10.

As far as recession proof, that is one of the things that bother me about teaching. Thanks to the union, salaries & firing practices are based on how long you have taught rather than whether you are a good teacher or not. I am a considerably better teacher than most of my colleagues, yet they make more than me simply because they are older. I "peaked", if you will, as a teacher a few years ago and have since stopped caring. What's the point of trying to be the best if I am not going to be rewarded for it? I have zero chance of a promotion and feel stuck and at the mercy of the school board. I want a job that will reward my hard work and skill. I have always worked harder and done a better job than those around me at everything I have ever done. I want to be in a career that recognizes that. I feel that my work ethic recession-proofs myself.

I second the Corporate Trainer recommendation. The field has many ex teachers. The pay is significantly higher, at least $70K, but easily around $85k and beyond with lots of opportunities to expense things. You have a dramatic amount of autonomy, and adult learners in the corporate environment take the situation seriously as their continued employment is based on the information you’re disseminating.