Get Schooled

By t

November 17, 2005 11:24 AM | Link to this

Teaching is very rewarding if your heart is in it.

By Lynn

November 17, 2005 11:32 AM | Link to this

LOVE this blog! I just applied for a paraprofessional job in the special ed department of the high school. I’m planning to go back to school for my MA in Special Ed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Everyone I’ve spoken to so far says “Oh, God Bless You”, “It takes a special person”, and I’ve even heard “RUN”.

By Lynn

November 17, 2005 11:33 AM | Link to this

I should say that I have no teaching background, but have always considered it a “dream job”.

By RF

November 17, 2005 11:33 AM | Link to this

It’s a calling, and if you hear it, then by all means go for it!! There is always room for more dedicated teachers. Having it in your heart makes for the most rewarding experience. If you love it, you’ll be good at it.

By quint

November 17, 2005 11:48 AM | Link to this

I hope you have enough money to continue your present lifestyle. There is no money in teaching unless you have advanced degrees.

However, teaching is a wonderful profession if you are committed and flexible. If you are committed to your subject area and to your students, there are few jobs as satisfying. Just don’t go into it thinking that you can teach the way your favorite teacher did. You have to find your own style and you may find successes and rewards more than you can imagine.

My advice, if you are called to teach, is to always plan for the next year. If you continue to make plans for improvement you will soon find yourself many years down the path, preparing for retirement from a successful and rewarding career.

By b. white

November 17, 2005 11:55 AM | Link to this

At least once a day I wonder why am I doing this! I’ve been teaching fourteen years and really wonder how much longer I can last!

By MissKay

November 17, 2005 11:56 AM | Link to this

If you like kids/teenagers, enjoy working with them, and realize that they are not perfect little darlings, then by all means join us in the classrooms of GA. If you belive that you would be a good teacher but have not gone through any certification process, then volunteer somewhere in your community. Make sure that you really want to work with kids/teens and enjoy doing so!

Yes there are frustrating days, rules, regulations, budget limitations, red-tape, etc.but after 25 years in the classroom I am still convinced that I can, and do, make a difference in my students lives.

By Lynn

November 17, 2005 11:59 AM | Link to this

I’m a stay-at-home mom right now, and my husband’s job supports us. We’re not rolling in extra’s, but we’re stable. Good thing, because a parapro job does NOT pay well at all. But, to me it’s a great lead-in to an actual teacher job. Plus, it gives me the chance to see if special ed is the right place for me to be.

By jim dumond

November 17, 2005 12:03 PM | Link to this

If you’re not crazy going in, you will be coming out.

By oldteacher

November 17, 2005 12:05 PM | Link to this

I have been told many times that I am crazy because I love teaching middle school kids. It is so rewarding when you actually get to teach and see that they are learing. Yes, there is a lot of extra stuff that goes along with it, but to me, it is worth the trouble.

By Lynn

November 17, 2005 12:05 PM | Link to this

I’ve been a big volunteer in the schools. That’s actually how I found out about the parapro job. One of the teachers that I help said she would be one of my recommendations.

My 10 yr old has ADHD, so I’m very familiar with the fact that kids are not angels! I quit my former job to be home for him and my 4 yr old.

My biggest concern is the people who tell me “RUN, because special ed is not worth the hassle”. Any special ed teachers with advice?

By no thanks

November 17, 2005 12:08 PM | Link to this

I agree, if your heart is in it, try it. But don’t go into teaching with grand ideas of “changing the world.” Teaching is tough. Are you ready to give up your lunch hour for a mere 20 minutes? To give up your freedom to use the restroom? If you decide to teach middle or high school are you prepared to be cursed and called names? What about when you send a student to the office and the administrators won’t punish the student? I taught school for one year. Then I escaped to the corporate world. I wouldn’t trade all those holidays and getting out at 3:30 for my 9 to 5. I guess my heart just wasn’t in it.

By posterchild

November 17, 2005 12:14 PM | Link to this

I have been teaching for 5 years. I have a masters degree. This is all I’ve ever done, otuside of part-time jobs in high school and college. I do not know if I can continue doing this after this year. I enjoy the kids, but it’s not very mentally stimulating work. Somedays I feel like my brain is going to waste (especially after hearing some of the other teachers talk, or seeing countless spelling and grammar mistakes on school emails). I’ve considered going into school counseling, so that I can still work with kids, but in a different light. I’ve also considered a corporate job, and have had some people contact me after viewing my resume. I feel that a lot of teachers feel stuck after a while and think that this is all they can do. Plus the time off and pay (yeah, it ain’t a killing, but for only working 190 days, it’s not terrible) spoil a lot of people. Best of luck.

By G

November 17, 2005 12:38 PM | Link to this

As a recent retiree, I loved being with students for most of my career. I loved to teach, loved interacting with teenagers, and loved trying to provide the best guidance to these youngsters that I could.

Toward the end, butt-covering administrators, an ever-increasing tendency to drop more and more paperwork on teachers to provide cushions for higher-ups, and poorly thought out changes in curriculum and educational law sucked all of the joy out of the profession for me. I made it to 30 years and still did my job. I miss the kids, but I don’t miss the ever-increasing managerial load that made coming to work less and less fun.

If you can get into a school where the administration concentrates on letting teachers actually teach, you should enjoy yourself and may have a great career. Be realistic, though; whatever administration you have WILL change eventually, and you’ll be lucky indeed if your changes are for the better.

By chuck

November 17, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this

I worked in the corporate world until my 30’s, went back to school and completed my B.S. and have now been teaching for over 15 years. I can’t say that I enjoy every moment of every day, but overall, I still love teaching. I don’t have huge discipline problems, though parents are usually a much bigger pain than students, and my students score at or near the top in all of the standardized tests that we take so I believe that I am doing a pretty good job.

The biggest change for me coming from the corporate world, was being locked in to someone else’s schedule. I was used to the freedom of being my own boss. The money was better for sure in my previous life but I prepared in advance for the change so it wasn’t devestating. Now that I’m nearing 50 I do feel somewhat “locked in” and change would be difficult for me now. I’m glad that I still love what I do.

I guess what I’m trying to say, “Try before you buy.” Go to your school board office and get permission to spend time in some schools. Take a week off from work and spend full days there observing different classes, subjects and grade levels. Volunteer to speak on “Career Day”. Interact with the kids. I like what someone said earlier. You may be great, but don’t think that you are going to change the world. You probably won’t even be effective until you have 3-5 years experience. It’s not nearly as easy as it may look. Be prepared for some long, thankless days. As long as you go in with your eyes fully open, I say go for it.

By high school teacher

November 17, 2005 01:07 PM | Link to this

I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love teaching because I love teenagers (most days). That said, I think those coming from another profession have a difficult transition because teaching is not what they think. Rarely does teaching provide instant gratification. Before I taught, I was a secretary for a short time, and I loved doing secretarial work because I could see at the end of the day what work I had completed. Oftentimes in education, I don’t see the final product until years later, when a student comes by to let me know how he or she is doing. I do truly love teaching, but it is a highly structured job. You need to accept people not only telling you what to do, but what methods you should use to do it.

By Linda

November 17, 2005 01:19 PM | Link to this

Wow! I am the person who posted that comment the other day, so THANK YOU ALL for your insight. I have been fortunate to teach about 8 days to date, so I’ve tried it out a little bit, and I definitely enjoyed it, although that certainly isn’t much experience to base any opinion on. I hate to sound arrogant, so please forgive me, but one concern I have coming from corporate land is that many teachers (who are great teachers) don’t seem to have what I consider basic skills in non-teaching things. For example, when you reply to an email, you should always include the message to which you are replying so the recipeint sees the entire conversation. Everybody in corporate land knows this. FOr some reasons, teachers don’t seem to…. I know that’s a small silly example, but I wonder if those small things would just drive me nuts — or whether teachers would be receptive to learning them.

Also, what about that Teach For Georgia program where I could become credentialled quickly? Do teachers resent those folks?

Finally, I have a doctorate degree. What sort of salary might I receive?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your help.

By sm

November 17, 2005 01:38 PM | Link to this

I have been a Special Ed.high school teacher for 5 years. I’ve thought about leaving several times… not because of the children because of the paperwork. I mostly taught students with behavior disorders for 4 years. People think I’m crazy; I know I’m crazy. I also know that sometimes I’m the only one to make a difference in their life. I don’t know if I’d like regular ed. I love the small intimate classes of special ed. However, with all of the NCLB stuff, special ed. is changing rapidly. You have people telling you that you are “not qualified” to teach anything. It’s very discouraging and very demeaning. NCLB is a whole different subject with special education. I could write a dissertation about it, but Lynn you wanted some advice. Here it is:

I LOVE special education and special needs children. I have an autistic child that truly makes me wake up in the morning and love my job. Yes, it takes a special person to teach special ed as it does for any teacher. You will know pretty quickly whether or not you are cut out for teaching. Unfortunately, special ed. has a whole other job… PAPERWORK. The kids will not run you out of special ed., but the paperwork will. My degree is in special ed, and I knew about the paperwork; however, I really didn’t. It is more than you could imagine. You never get used to it, but you do deal with it. I know that when I wake up and go to my job that I will never have a boring day and that those kids will make me smile. I also know that I’m always 3 steps behind on my paperwork. That is a decision that you have to make. Can I deal with the paperwork? …because the kids will always make it worthwhile!

By Dawn

November 17, 2005 01:41 PM | Link to this

The first thing you will learn is that you have to be flexible. Teachers could care less about corporate email etiquette. You will find very quickly in this job that very few things go as you want. If you have control issues it will be very hard. I don’t necessarily mean discipline, but just everyday routines are difficult. No two days are the same in education, which keeps me on my toes and intereseted. I have taught for 15 years, still love it but have had to give up controlling everything.

By Dawn

November 17, 2005 01:43 PM | Link to this

Oops, I have already spotted my typo. Was typing in a hurry, got a class coming in.:)

By posterchild

November 17, 2005 01:49 PM | Link to this

Linda: I’m lucky if the server here at school works most of the time. Forget about email etiquette.

I don’t think teachers who go the traditional route resent those who go through an alternative plan, but I’ve seen a few of those come and go in less than a year.

Best of luck to you! Oh, and can get you get me a corporate job? We can call it an even trade.

By high school teacher

November 17, 2005 01:50 PM | Link to this

Linda,

Teachers don’t know about the corporate world rules because they have never been exposed to them. Most teachers have not been in any other profession. As for salary, each county varies. You can go to the Georgia Dept. of Education homepage for salary info, or go to any county system website to see what your pay would be. You can also call any school system’s human resources dept.

By chilimel

November 17, 2005 01:54 PM | Link to this

I did it. I quit a fourteen-year career in international banking to go back to school to get my certification. I make roughly half of my former salary, but I love my job. It is harder than anything I have ever done before, but the rewards are unequaled. It is definitely a calling—one that I should have followed many years before despite my fear. If you feel called, go for it. If you just want summers off, stay put. You won’t make it unless you’re in it for love of the students.

By chuck

November 17, 2005 01:59 PM | Link to this

Linda, I can see where that would be a problem in the corporate world, but most teachers are smart enough to remember the e-mail that they sent to someone. I get the all the time with the entire string of e-mails included, but I rarely read them.

As for your doctorate, I am not completely sure, but nearly sure that the Ph.D won’t get you any benefit as far as salary goes, because salary is based on certificate level. With a B.S. (with certification) you would start out from about $29,000 to about $35,000 depending on the district. Some districts only pay the state base salary while others add a local supplement. Most of them will have a salary schedule on their websites. You would be at the T-4 level with 0-3 years experience. Check that out for the district you want to work for and then you can start planning.

As for alternative certification, we usually don’t resent them until we know them better. We have had a couple of them come in and they thought they knew everything. Wanted to tell me how to do my job, that kind of thing. Neither of them lasted the year. I guess they didn’t know as much as they thought they did. We’ve had a couple of others come in who have done great. One was a geologist who really knew his tuff, but couldn’t really relate to the kids. We hooked him up with a mentor teacher who went in and observed and gave him some pointers and he’s really done a great job for the past couple of years. It just depends.

By chuck

November 17, 2005 02:01 PM | Link to this

them, and stuff

By notso

November 17, 2005 02:04 PM | Link to this

That’s why we proof read PRIOR to posting, Chuck. (lol)

By Anthony

November 17, 2005 02:08 PM | Link to this

I am in my 26th year of teaching and I know it is my calling. If you know that it truly is your calling, do it. If you know in your heart that it is not, do no ruin children’s lives. Each day I look forward to what it will hold as far as my students learning. Yes, there is paperwork that has increased since I started. However, everything in life changes and we must adapt to those changes. I know that I can have a positive or negative impact on students, so I try to make every moment I have with them positive. I did not go into teaching to become rich, I became a teacher to make a difference. If you want to make a postive difference and know that it is your calling, then do it.

I do not resent those who have gone through the Teach For Georgia Program. There might be those who discover that their present job is not their calling and teaching is. Therefore, why should I resent them for accepting their calling. God bless them.

You can check each county’s pay scale to determine what your salary would be with your degree.

I wish you the best in this endeavor. Listen to those who have gone before you successfully, listen to your heart and listen to God as He directs you in you calling. Teaching has been for me a joy each and every day. Every day is not as good as another but the experience has been one that I can look back and know that I have made a positive difference in the development of a student’s life.

By Swangirl

November 17, 2005 02:43 PM | Link to this

I have a friend who went into the Teach for America program after having been in the business world for some time. She had a very, very difficult time with it because all of the support mechanisms that should be in place for a new teacher were not there.

Her “mentor” had not interest in mentoring her at all and the principal did not discipline any students. In effect, she was tossed to the wolves. This was a Gwinnett County school.

My friend was assigned to teach a middle grades English class where many of the 32 kids didn’t speak English to begin with. There weren’t enough books for even half the students. When a kid acted up and she sent him/her to the office, they were rarely if ever punished. The kids knew they could get away with murder so they acted up.She quit at the end of the year.

She still thinks it is a good program but only if the right supports are in place. She is back in the business world but tutors neighborhood kids and loves it.

By Jim

November 17, 2005 02:51 PM | Link to this

I enjoy giving instruction to adults, and I enjoy watching the light bulb go on with my own children. I would not mind working in a college setting, but as for working in a failing government institution, no thank you. Kids deserve better and so do their dedicated teachers. Private education and homeschooling are superior alternatives. The sooner we get government education out of the hands of the government the better it will become.

By GW

November 17, 2005 03:05 PM | Link to this

This is year 26 for me. The money is OK and there are benefits. Teaching can be fun if you are allowed to do it the way that best fits you. With so many fads, special ed. and technology that may not be the case. Be prepared for countless interruptions that have nothing to do with teaching. I go in daily holding my breath that some kid or parent won’t go off on me. I’m not afraid but you are expected to just grin and bear it. Many Principals want to back their teachers but are afraid to do so or they know their Superintendent won’t back them. Fifteen years ago I would have said “go for it.” Today, at least avoid middle school.

By RF

November 17, 2005 03:09 PM | Link to this

Jim— not to disagree, but I think homeschool has some disadvantages. My neighbor homeschools her son, and he is very bright. He lacks social skills and seems depressed a lot too. I think homeschools need to be monitored to make sure the kids are involved with other kids at least some of the time. Some parents, I think, become a bit isolated in their attempts to protect their children from the perceived ills of public schools. And what about the couple in PA who were killed by the daughter’s boyfriend? Both kids were homeschooled and from well-to-do families. Private and home schools don’t automatically guarantee success.

Don’t look upon the government schools with too much disdain. Considering the task of educating all children, most schools do a pretty good job. Kids who make it out are definitely prepared for a diverse world.

By Jim

November 17, 2005 03:42 PM | Link to this

RF, I agree that neither private or homeschooling are perfect. Rather than focus on one case of homeschoolers gone wrong in PA, I wonder what the rate of violent crimes per capita among homeschoolers, private schoolers and public schoolers looks like. Now that would be an interesting statistic. As for kids being prepared for a diverse world, I disagree. Here’s an excerpt from a CNN article posted today: “Just 54 percent of students entering four-year colleges in 1997 had a degree six years later — and even fewer Hispanics and blacks did, according to some of the latest government figures.” I guess you don’t have to go to college to experience diversity, but only 54% of our highest academic achievers are making it out of college. That’s not saying much if you consider most of them are products of the public school system.

By GW

November 17, 2005 03:50 PM | Link to this

Thank goodness for home schooling and private schools. It keeps parents that expect a perfect world for their kids out of the hair of those of us having to function in the imperfect world of public schools. We have enough problems to deal with already. I say anyone smart enough and financially able to teach their kids at home should do so. Private schools even allow sports teams to practice during the school day. As a former coach, that would have been great.

By G

November 17, 2005 03:53 PM | Link to this

Linda,

The gap between salaries with a BS and a PhD is about $17K, IF the PhD is in an area that can get you a T-7 certificate.

I don’t know of any teachers who resented Teach Georgia program folks because so few of them stayed around long enough to get to know them. All teachers know that coursework does not equal teaching ability, and GREAT teachers sometimes have no ed. coursework. Some of the worst teachers and biggest idiots I’ve ever met had EdD degrees (and huge, unjustified egos). If you can handle the gig, then come on down!

By RF

November 17, 2005 04:07 PM | Link to this

Jim- that statistic is a bit misleading. Actually I’ve hear an even lower percentage. In any group of graduating seniors, there are many (at least half) who probably aren’t meant for college. Believe me we’ve known that since I started teaching. I’ve heard that statistic in one form or another for decades. I’m sure the percentages are higher from private school because they tend to cater to the higher achieving end of the kid spectrum. Now a fair comparison could be made by taking a group of kids, say 3.0 GPA and up from public and private, and then see how many have degrees six years later. I suspect the number would probably be fairly close. The difference in public and private is that we have to educate them all and private can be picky.

By OldSchool

November 17, 2005 04:56 PM | Link to this

This is my 32nd year of teaching and I still enjoy what I do. I knew going into the field that I could make more money in industry but Industrial Arts was in my blood and I truly enjoyed teaching woodworking and metal working. Now I teach Engineering Drawing and still marvel at the changes that have come about: from board drafting to computer-assisted to solid modeling.

It’s nothing short of amazing to see students get so totally caught up in their work that they just don’t hear the class change bells.

I guess you just have to have a big heart, thick skin, and more patience than Job (dealing with administrators is often more challenging than dealing with parents) as well as a willingness to keep on learning from your students. I grow a bit every day as we learn from each other…even the aggravating ones can teach you something!

I hope to teach a couple more years, get my program industry certified, and leave it in real good shape for my successor (who, I hope, will be one of my former students!)

By Lynn

November 17, 2005 04:58 PM | Link to this

You’ve all given me LOTS to think about, and I appreciate it. I still plan to “go for it”, and hope that I can be as positive as possible for as many kids as possible. In my former career (wireless telecom) I’ve dealt with reams of ridiculous paperwork, babbling bureaucrats, and crazy egos with inflated paychecks to match. At least in teaching, I’ll have the plus side of kids with wide open minds (some anyway!). Thanks again to all of you!

Lynn in Carrollton

By OldSchool

November 17, 2005 05:06 PM | Link to this

For those wanting to become CTAE instructors (you know…vocational teachers) there is a program much like Teach for Georgia. It’s the New Teacher Institute and Valdosta State has an amazing knack for turning skilled people from industry into terrific teachers.

I don’t know the numbers but I would be willing to bet that VSU’s program has more folks staying in the profession than Teach for Georgia does. It’s a remarkable and strong support system for the new teacher. I highly recommend it.

By Robert

November 18, 2005 08:06 AM | Link to this

I left a $100,000 plus a year corporate job to teach. Am I crazy?

If you are going to attempt this move be sure that you do it with eyes wide open. All students are not appreciative. All parents are not appreciative. And, there is still a lot of crappy paper work to do as a teacher. However, there are moments with some students that make teaching worth while.

And, no matter what any one says, a year of teaching takes as many net hours for the year as a year in the corporate world. There is no real “summer off.”

You have to decide for yourself what makes you happy.

By KABA

November 18, 2005 08:13 AM | Link to this

I am not a teacher, and I thought about going into teaching, but decided against it. I did a lot of volunteering in the schools and saw that teachers were largely not appreciated by parents, were not valued, supported, or respected by their administrators, and that teachers often became the scapegoats in order that the school/system could show it was acting in a PC manner and thus avoid a lawsuit. In fact, the fear of lawsuits seemed to be what was driving the superintendent’s office. So, I went to law school instead.

By Robert

November 18, 2005 08:25 AM | Link to this

By the way…. GA State offers a program to help corporate folks get their teaching certificate. It is called TEEMS (don’t know what it stands for). Contact the College of Education at GA State and you may want to go directly to the appropriate department such as science, math, etc.

By Carrie

November 18, 2005 08:48 AM | Link to this

I am currently in my 20th year of teaching…some years are better than others, but I can’t imagine doing anything else. It has taken me this long to truly find my niche..middle school math. Overall the kids are fun, funny, and great to teach. If teaching is in your heart and soul then you’ll know it and you’ll manage to find your way through all the extra paperwork, testing, and parental hassles to get to what really matters…the children. Good luck!

By Beverly

November 18, 2005 10:56 AM | Link to this

I want to leave my job in corporate America to teach and have been agonizing over my decision. I was absolutely delighted to find this blog today! I am prepared for the 50% cut in pay, and I have wanted to teach for years. But I wonder if I am really prepared to guide other people’s children. What a responsibility! My current job is sucking my soul out in tiny bits every day. I feel compelled to do something that gives back in some way, something that requires more than me sitting at a desk making rich people richer. For years I have wanted to make the switch to teaching middle school or high school English. I’m taking the Praxis 1 on Nov. 26 and I am so excited. Wish me luck and please remember me in yor prayers.

By Nel

November 18, 2005 11:17 AM | Link to this

Lynn & Beverly..thank you both for still wanting to go forward. As a parent, I truly don’t think I have the patience and so I always try to support my kids’ teachers in any way that I can. I know how much they appreciate the support, and also being treated like they are respected and valued.

By ml

November 18, 2005 11:17 AM | Link to this

I taught preschool- 3 year olds, and while I loved my kids, the amount of work I had to do for my $9.00 was insane. I realize that teachers in the ES/MS/HS range have to do work “off the clock” but as an hourly employee at a preschool, I shouldn’t be required to finish 4-5 hours of paperwork every night and during my lunch break. (wow, I didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but seriously there’s something wrong with that)

I loved it when one of my kids “got” something. Whether it was spelling their name, or the day we pretended our class was on the moon, I wouldn’t change a single thing about the kids I worked with. (Other than having another adult in the room for the 15 3 year olds I was responsible for…) There is nothing better than the light in a child’s eyes when the understand something. Some adults (administrators) need to remember what that is like and get back to the pure joy of helping a child who is eager to learn everything there is to know about the world.

And AMEN to the person who mentioned Memos, etc from Admin with grammatical errors. It’s one thing to send those out to teachers but another thing altogether to send letters home to parents with those errors.

By Lynn

November 18, 2005 12:51 PM | Link to this

I just wanted to let all of you know that I got the paraprofessional job that I applied for in the special ed department. I’m extremely excited. Thanks to all of you for your advice and well wishes. I truly appreciate it!

Lynn in Carrollton

By luvs2teach

November 18, 2005 01:31 PM | Link to this

My blog name says it all…

I left a corporate job because I, too, wanted to do something of value. I had long thought of teaching, but always talked myself out of it for the myriad of reasons you read about here. I went through the GA Responds program at West Georgia - I recommend it if you live in decent driving distance.

It’s harder than I thought, and more rewarding than I anticipated. For every tough kids or parent, there are plenty that are terrific.

Good luck with your decision!

By Lynn

November 18, 2005 01:38 PM | Link to this

luvs2teach - does the program at West GA have any night classes or online classes? I definitely want to get my degree in teaching, but working full time at the high school leaves out day classes.

By wildbill

November 18, 2005 03:13 PM | Link to this

Teaching is a rewarding profession; just not monetarily rewarding. My advice on leaving your corporate job would be based on the number of years that you have vested in the position. If I were a few years from early retirement, then I would wait. Preparation for a second career in education should be achieved by the time retirement from the corporate world was possible. If I had less than five years on the corporate job, then I would go ahead and make the move to education immediately.

By HS Science

November 18, 2005 04:36 PM | Link to this

Often, I wonder why I’m in the classroom. I wonder am I wasting my talent and my energy when it seems like I care more about student sucess that the student cares. Burried in paperwork, to the eyeballs and trying to justify a high failure rate for the last week, I pulled some papers out of my box at school yesterday. I had stopped by school on my way to a work shop and did not look at the mail until lunch time.

This week was teacher appreciation week. The papers were teacher apples. The humanities department had the students write a note to a teacher that made a difference. I had 43 notes. One note particularly struck me, it was from a student that is just above failing for the second time. In the apple it says “You are the only teacher that hasn’t given up on me. If I pass any class this term it’s going to be yours. I’m trying.” This made my day because the young lady has so many issues that they usually showed up in her attitude and behavior. Last year she spent more time in ISS and OSS than the classroom (much from me). Many teachers don’t see the change in this young lady, but I’ve always told my students that “everyday you begin your life, so you don’t dwell on yesterday because you can change that today.”

If that was not enough, when I was at my adjuct position last night someone called my name out. It was one of our drop outs. He came by my class and told me he was taking business because his employer is paying for it. Two years ago when he dropped out I shook his hand, wished him the best, and told him don’t be a looser because he was too smart. I stopped by the store he works at and he introduced me to his manager. His manager explained that the young man was too intelligent to stay at the bottom and they got him approved for a company program that is paying for his education.

Those two young people, are why I teach and why I’ll continue. I may not be building skyscrapers or great monuments but in the classroom those little hills are worth it.

By Lynn

November 18, 2005 05:00 PM | Link to this

HS Science - you just made my day. I’ve got to go find a tissue now. Thanks for the inspiration.

By English Teacher

November 21, 2005 08:52 AM | Link to this

Five years ago, I was also a corporate person looking for a way out of what had become a financially successful but soul-killing life. I was able to enter the teaching profession through the GATAPP program (formerly called Teach for Georgia).

Honestly, I can say that this was one of the best decisions I ever made. There are innumerable hassles associated with being a teacher, but it is the best job I’ve ever had. Five years in, I cannot imagine doing anything else.

Every time I drive by one of those glass and concrete monstrosities that dot our landscape here in Atlanta, I sing a little song of thanks that I escaped. You might feel the same way.

Alternative prep programs, for the right people, are a fabulous way to enter the profession. For me, one of the real benefits was not having to deal with all the ridiculousness of the College of Education. Sure, it is sink or swim, but it does teach one quickly whether this is the right path.

You’re not at all crazy in my book, or maybe all teachers are somewhow crazy. As Joseph Cambell once said, “Follow your bliss.”

Good luck.

By Still teaching

November 21, 2005 09:34 AM | Link to this

As has been mentioned, teaching is a calling. You have to be dedicated to children in order to make it. Don’t believe for an instant that it is 190 days of work. If you believe the hype about all the “days off” you will not succeed. You have to be ready to just about eat, sleep, and breathe the profession. We take work home on those vacations. We talk shop with friends. We come up with new ideas on our time off and we continue our own educations in many different ways. If you are willing to work hard and are not expecting a lot of extrinsic rewards, there is absolutely no career that is more rewarding. I’ve been at it for over 20 years and really do not regret my decision to become a teacher. Godo luck!

By Contemplating the Move

November 21, 2005 12:09 PM | Link to this

Thank you all for this blog. I woke up this morning thinking that I needed to make the final decision about whether to leave my current job to teach. Every response answered each and every question and doubt that I have been grappling with for the last year. Now I need to really examine myself and decide if I have “the calling.” I don’t want to shortchange myself or the students.

By luvs2teach

November 22, 2005 04:54 PM | Link to this

Lynn - I don’t know if you are still out there…

West Georgia’s program is mostly night and Saturday classes (I did it all at night). They recommend that you get your non-renewable certificate (good for five years) and a job while you are doing the program. To get the certificate you usually need to take the Praxis I and II (although Praxis I can be exempted with test scores). GAPSC used to evaluate your transcripts for a fee to see what you would be eligible to teach, but I’m not sure if they still do that.

If you have a teaching job while you are doing the Georgia Responds progam, then you don’t student teach. Instead you complete a year-long internship (so you are paid by your school system). Lots of people sub the first year or so, making contacts and getting experience, so when they do get their job they have some classroom experience.

If you really want to change careers and really want to be a teacher, then I would recommend this program. Make sure you have experience working with kids first though - sub, volunteer, day-care, etc. I had subbed, been a Girl Scout leader, and did classroom presentations prior to teaching. It wasn’t the same, but it certainly helped.

Good luck!