I thought I was posting this in the budget board but I accidentally put it in the family board so I am reposting.
What I mean is you had your bachelors and worked in a different field then went back to school to be a teacher.
I have my bachelors of Science in Business. I have worked in the insurance industry for the past 10 years and am 34 with a 3yo DS and a 1yo DD. And I a considering going back to school to be a teacher. I have some questions. (I also live in Michigan)
1. How long did it take you to get your teaching certificate with a BS? Rough idea considering all the general ed courses already taken.
2. Was it hard to go back to school and student teach with kids.
3. What made you do it?
4. How hard was it to find a job? (are schools looking for 20 somethings or do they like the prior experience)
5. What made your decision to take the leap
6. Would you do it over again with all the issues with teachers now? And am I crazy to even consider leaving a well paying job in this economy.
I am 40 years old and currently in my first year of teaching. I have two teenagers. I have worked other positions and so teaching is my 2nd career.
However, I did things a little differently. I have two bachelors, one in writing and one in education. I did the dual major so I could become a highly qualified teacher.
1)It took me about 2 years to get these two bachelor's degrees with all general education courses completed (I already had an associates degree)
2) Student teaching was challenging. I student taught in an urban inner city school and it was HARD. I dealt with extreme poverty, racism, challenging parents.. and I should mention I was in the most dangerous city in the United States. (I am a suburban Caucasian woman... I stuck out!)
3) I always wanted to teach. That was the reason why I finally finished after 20 years after graduating high school.
4) It is extremely difficult to find a teaching job. I had a 4.0 GPA, great recommendations, dual certifications in Middle School English and Elementary Education and still took 22 months to find a teaching job. I sent over 200 resumes and went on 17, yes, 17 interviews until I found my full time teaching position. As for age, I know in my situation, being older and more mature helps.
I work full time in the same inner city I student taught in. I still deal with extreme poverty, racism, danger, and truth be told very SCARY student. The town is still the most dangerous in the nation. The need is great in this district. Everyday is an extreme challenge. Younger teachers can't do it.. my oldest students are 16 year old 8th graders.. the age gap is too small. Being a parent even a grandparent helps you.
5) The leap was needed. I know that having a bachelors degree would never be "wasted" because other professions require a bachelors. I worked for the Federal Government for over a year and my bachelor degrees were a prerequisite.
6) Would I do it all over again? I did leave a stable Federal Government position to come to my teaching position. Somedays I question my sanity. Somedays I see the light bulb over my students heads and it makes it worthwile. I'm still in my first year so it is difficult to say.
At this very moment, I would say to stay where you are. Depending on your state, you may be in a difficult position. I'm "lucky" because of my district.. nobody is knocking down doors to work in this town due to the violence and crime. Would I love a suburban district where all is right, and all I have to worry about is kids chewing gum... yes! Right now, I have homeless students, students who are in juvenile detention, students who have drug and alcohol problems, students who live in extreme poverty, students who can't resist the pull of the street corner and easy money. Note this is a public school.. not a school for troubled teens or an alternative school.
Many days I come home crying.. today was one of them. I will say that this experience has made me stronger. By the way, I subbed for 6 years while I was going to school. I subbed in surburban districts and I should have subbed in urban districts to understand the students better.