I was a teacher for several years and finally changed careers as I was burned out, disillusioned, and exhausted. Sorry to be a downer, but this was my honest experience. I wouldn't recommend the field to many people. I was also a nanny prior to becoming a teacher and, honestly, made almost as much money with much less stress. After teaching I moved into government work with children and families and consulting work with schools and child care centers. Perhaps volunteer at a school in the grades in which you feel you might want to teach. Talk with numerous current elementary level teachers to get the real scoop on what it's like. I wouldn't do it again. I would have pursued becoming a dietitian, graphic designer, interior designer, etc. Something with much more freedom, flexibility, and independence. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Anonymous wrote:Ex-teacher here.

For those of you who think teaching is a good profession when you have kids - it's not. I know plenty of teachers who have quit now that they have families. There is NO flexibility. You can't go to drs appointments during the day. You can't (easily) take a day off when your kid is sick. You can't be late to work. Your work does not end when the kids leave. If/when your kids are not at your school, you'll need childcare to pick them up (which you probably won't be able to afford).

I loved the profession, but I don't see it as a particularly family friendly one. I work part-time as a consultant in a science-related field now - much more family friendly and much better paid.

Saying that, I think my 10 years teaching were pretty good. Just not easy.

I don't really agree with this. My daughter who is in school goes to aftercare, just as she would if I were in a different job. I've never had trouble getting to doctor's appointments after school, and if I do need to go during the day I use leave time and get a sub. Yes, not having any wiggle room to come in late is a challenge with kids, and it's always a pain to have to scramble to get sub plans together if a kid is sick. But it's certainly not easier for my husband (who is not a teacher) to rearrange his work schedule when he has to stay home with one of the kids. If you can find a job with a lot of flexibility that's great, but I don't think it's really the norm.

One thing that does suck as a teacher is that you don't get to go to school with your kid on her first day. I would love to do that every year. But, I get to spend breaks and summers with my kids so I am more than willing to make that tradeoff.

Anonymous wrote:Ex-teacher here.

For those of you who think teaching is a good profession when you have kids - it's not. I know plenty of teachers who have quit now that they have families. There is NO flexibility. You can't go to drs appointments during the day. You can't (easily) take a day off when your kid is sick. You can't be late to work. Your work does not end when the kids leave. If/when your kids are not at your school, you'll need childcare to pick them up (which you probably won't be able to afford).

I loved the profession, but I don't see it as a particularly family friendly one. I work part-time as a consultant in a science-related field now - much more family friendly and much better paid.

Saying that, I think my 10 years teaching were pretty good. Just not easy.

Absolutely. Teaching can be good if you have school-age children who can attend the school you teach at, but for those with young children it can really be a struggle. Maternity leave policies tend to suck unless you manage to time it out perfectly to coincide with summer vacation, and those I know with kids between the ages of 1-5 are counting their leave by the hour to deal with illness, drs appointments, etc etc.

And this is all coming from the daughter of one teacher and the sister of another.

I was persuaded to do teaching because I wanted a family friendly schedule and enjoyed children. I knew the pay would not be awesome but thought the shorter work hours and free summer time would be worth it. Flash forward 10 years. I work more hours than any of my friends with government or corporate desk jobs and make less than all of them. Contract says I have to be at school by 8 but in reality I need to be there at 7:30 two days a week because of morning meetings. I can technically leave at 3:45 but that would mean leaving 15 min after the last kid. So no papers would be graded, the classroom would not be set up for tomorrow's lessons, and I would have no lesson plans for the next day. Why didn't I do that during my 45 minute planning time? Because we meet as a team to discuss interventions for struggling students and team business. So I can never really leave until after 5 if I want to avoid bringing lots of work home. And even then I still do some work from home on weekends. Then some nights I am in classes until 7:30 taking required professional development.
Now I have won awards and received recognition as a teacher. So you could certainly work a bit less than me and not get fired. But to do an excellent job at teaching and also handle all the parents and the administrative tasks requires as long as a day as everyone else or longer.

Anonymous wrote:OP- I have to agree with most of what was written here. i have a friends whose DH talked her into wanting to be a teacher. neither of them have ANY clue how hard being a good teacher will be. Mentally and physically exhausting.

You will need before an after care of some sort once DC is in school. Also someone to look after DC when you have your teacher work days.

I was a school counselor (a job that many love) for many years. It's also exhausting but in a different way. I did it for one year after DS was born and then left.

Have you though about being a school social worker? It will be a grueling job for sure, but if you're already considering social work you may enjoy it.

To be honest- if I had to do it all over again- I would spend a few years working my ass off at a high paying job- something that I could switch into a part time and/or virtual position once I had a baby.

Good luck to you. I think you should visit your college's career counselor for more specific guidance. Good luck!

Ugh! Just saw all of my typos.

OP- I have to agree with most of what was written here. i have a friends whose DH talked her into wanting to be a teacher. neither of them have ANY clue how hard being a good teacher will be. Mentally and physically exhausting.

You will need before an after care of some sort once DC is in school. Also someone to look after DC when you have your teacher work days.

I was a school counselor (a job that many love) for many years. It's also exhausting but in a different way. I did it for one year after DS was born and then left.

Have you though about being a school social worker? It will be a grueling job for sure, but if you're already considering social work you may enjoy it.

To be honest- if I had to do it all over again- I would spend a few years working my ass off at a high paying job- something that I could switch into a part time and/or virtual position once I had a baby.

Good luck to you. I think you should visit your college's career counselor for more specific guidance. Good luck!

DH was a teacher for three years and hated it. It's not an easy job. You need lots and lots and lots of patience. It's not just the kids, but the politics and dealing with the school administration.

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people tend to be drawn to it because of the vacations and the 3 pm end time. If you enter teaching for either of those reasons, you will be miserable. That's my advice. Been there and done that.

+1...plus, there is no '3 pm end time' -- you will be either grading papers or planning most evenings. Teaching is definitely not for the faint of heart, and is not as easy as great teachers make it look. In addition, you need to have a ton of patience (especially for the younger children) and be able to handle parents and their concerns/complaints.

Ex-teacher here.

For those of you who think teaching is a good profession when you have kids - it's not. I know plenty of teachers who have quit now that they have families. There is NO flexibility. You can't go to drs appointments during the day. You can't (easily) take a day off when your kid is sick. You can't be late to work. Your work does not end when the kids leave. If/when your kids are not at your school, you'll need childcare to pick them up (which you probably won't be able to afford).

I loved the profession, but I don't see it as a particularly family friendly one. I work part-time as a consultant in a science-related field now - much more family friendly and much better paid.

Saying that, I think my 10 years teaching were pretty good. Just not easy.

Twenty-one is far too young to be a teacher. At 21 you don't know shit from shinola and you think you're ready to teach children. Get more education and life experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people tend to be drawn to it because of the vacations and the 3 pm end time. If you enter teaching for either of those reasons, you will be miserable. That's my advice. Been there and done that.

3pm end time!!!!

Umm, no. Not even close..

And to the PP who thinks HS is harder than elementary, another "Ummm, no." We stay just as late and our planning periods are about 30min per day which includes running to the bathroom and dropping off/picking up kids.

I'm the PP who posted about the 3 pm end time-- I was being sarcastic. Should have put it in quotes, I guess.

People who haven't taught _think_ the day ends at 3. The "schedule" can look attractive from the outside.

I was an elem teacher for 5 years at a public school in Maryland. Toughest job I ever had, by far. I'm now an executive at a large private company, work 60 hours a week, manage a $10 million budget-- teaching was harder. Teaching is non-stop, day in, day out, demands on your every intellectual and emotional resource. That said, I think it's incredibly rewarding for many teachers. Good luck to all of you on the new year!

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people tend to be drawn to it because of the vacations and the 3 pm end time. If you enter teaching for either of those reasons, you will be miserable. That's my advice. Been there and done that.

3pm end time!!!!

Umm, no. Not even close..

And to the PP who thinks HS is harder than elementary, another "Ummm, no." We stay just as late and our planning periods are about 30min per day which includes running to the bathroom and dropping off/picking up kids.

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people tend to be drawn to it because of the vacations and the 3 pm end time. If you enter teaching for either of those reasons, you will be miserable. That's my advice. Been there and done that.

3 pm end time, not in DC anyway. We are always at school with after school, activities, clubs, coaching, lesson planning, grading. It is really exhausting at the high school level maybe easier at elementary or a private or charter school. DCPS is tough, the kids, and the system. The system will chew you up and spit you out unless you are passionate about it. To find out I would recommend working as a teacher aide, sounds like you are qualified for that and this will give you time to work in a school and find out if it is something you would really like to do.

I think a lot of people tend to be drawn to it because of the vacations and the 3 pm end time. If you enter teaching for either of those reasons, you will be miserable. That's my advice. Been there and done that.

Anonymous wrote:not OP, but looking for a mid-career switch.

For someone with solid math education and coming from a technical field, how difficult is it to combine the educational requirements with teaching experience -- say working daytime as a substitute in elementary schools while taking credits at night?

Or, are there ways to accelerate the education process? I have 2 MS at this point, and 2 kids in early elementary school. Experience with some homeschooling and teaching at college and professional level, including curriculum development, but not little kids in a classroom setting.

I'd like to be out in the field and enjoy teaching before the kids head out to high school!

Google "teaching career switcher" programs. There's nothing wrong with the reasons you cited for becoming a teacher. We need more math and science teachers especially ones with real world experience. You should definitely substitute to get a feel of what teaching is like. That is a good idea for OP, as well. Most grad education classes are at night twice a week, but more and more professors and programs are offering online courses too.