Eto a bit serious . . . .when do you know it's time for a career change? Have you ever decided to pursue a different career because it was more fulfilling even though it did not have the same financial compensation as the career you left behind?
e.g. taking the leap from the corporate life to the life of, say, a teacher
dear Marcs,
Teaching is wonderful. It's noble. It's a perfect job...
... for some people.
However,
You have to deal with ever-continuing requirements...
like a Masters degree.
After 10years of exemplary performance in the academe...
given the right politics, you might be...
just might be... eligible for becoming a Dean,
which of course, requires a PhD of your discipline.
You have to deal with the financial aspect as well.
Do not expect the profession will allow you a high take home pay.
You want to be exceptional, you want to be unique.
That entails spending on research and making materials.
You buy materials at the bookstore coming from your own pocket.
The school doesn't provide.
You have to deal with creativity to avoid being labelled boring.
You want to be creative.
You have to make drawings, cutouts, illustrations, presentations.
(For example, I've seen a history teacher tackling the works of Plato.
How did he make the students remember Plato?
He asked the students to submit their research work pasted in paper plates.
I think that really made the students connect the paper plates with "plato").
You have to deal with time management.
You have to prepare materials (lesson plans, exams).
You have to check papers and documentations, tons of it.
You have to deal with your sanity.
You want to have good classroom management,
anger management, frustration management.
You have to deal with responsibility.
Each student is your responsibility.
Let's say, classes were called off because of some natural disaster.
You are required to make up for a lost meeting.
You have to go through the process of acquiring a classroom.
You have to announce the extra meeting.
You have to show up on that extra day (which is not your regular working day).
IF... IF one of your students happen to be hit by a bulldozer crossing the street on the way to school to meet you, it is YOUR responsibility!
You have to deal with every student.
That include everybody, absentees, working students,
"problem" students.
Specially children of parents who come from high places.
Specially members of notorious gangs.
Specially those who are downright "praning"! (translate: out of this world).
You have to deal with "corporate" politics.
Have you heard of Tall Puppy syndrome?
It's another term for crab mentality.
When I was in the academe, my designated room was often locked up so that it doesn't get cleaned.
I was given defective computers, routers, cables, and software.
(After patiently waiting for response,
I finally gave up and brought my own stuff)
There were so many things done to make me look bad and get a low evaluation score.
I was given the worst section of students (absentees, triple repeaters, and the wild ones) to handle.
I was given the most difficult subjects to teach
without getting enough materials to start with.
Policies were drastically changed
and new evaluation processes were installed.
(There are many questionable types of teacher evaluation,
namely:
students evaluating their teachers without being properly briefed on it's objectivity
faculty members of different discipline evaluating the teacher
teacher being evaluated are not given equal treatment
(like some people know when they are going to be evaluated,
some teachers get to choose which class and which subject only will be evaluated)
Btw, this favorite topic of mine happens to be my "mini-thesis"
when I was earning my teacher's certificate in Graduate school)
The challenges are endless, and be ready for everything, including the kitchen sink!
Good luck!
P.S. Did I encourage you already?