Has anyone here made a career shift from anything TO teaching?

I'm wondering what you have to say about it if you have made such a career shift.

I know that Micheal Joseph has been teaching for much of his adult life, you should talk to him.

Is there anything in particular you'd like to know? My aunt has been teaching junior high math at the same location for 13 years after doing a lot of other various odd jobs before that. She just earned her master's in mathematics, and she is a survivor.

Bryan

I'm interested in observations on/in the transition. What people who have transitioned from the biz world TO teaching have seen as noteworthy.

So far I've found one guy who made the transittion two years ago. He has been a goldmine of information. I'd just like more angles.

I'll talk to my aunt. We've already had some pretty in depth discussions about this in the past. I'd post more now, but I'm a bit strapped for time.

Bryan

I just got through speaking with my aunt on my lunch break. I invited her here to share her opinion, but I wouldn't hold my breath this time of year. She's gearing up for school to start.

At any rate, she did mention again that, as a survivor, the hardest part about being a teacher is the fact that so many kids have obvious home issues, and there is nothing she can do to help. All she can do is be a mentor or a role model and hope the kids learn something in the process.

She also mentioned that insecurity about herself is a major issue, and still is to this day. When she was promoted to the advanced math class after earning her master's degree last summer, she felt like she totally did not belong with a group of kids that were so smart. She thought they would rip her apart with her intellect, but the fact is, all she had to do was stand up in front of the class and show them something they didn't know to earn their respect. And when it comes to dealing with kids, I know no one who is better than my aunt.

She has also struggled with a lack of support from the administration she works for. She says she loves her job, so it's not about the money. It's not about vacation time, insurance, or other benefits. She is very happy with how she is compensated for her time, and they offer her other things like overtime for teaching summer school and weekends as well as paid travel for various conferences across the nation. However, when it comes to making policies, or when it comes to disputes between the teachers and kids/parents, the administration almost unilaterally supports the kids/parents. She says this is hard to stomach because even though she is not a disciplinarian, she does maintain an outstanding sense of order and discipline in her classroom. When a student is able to "pull one off on her", it hurts her ability to be in control of the class. It also tears apart her self worth, which is something she works so hard to uphold.

Also, in cases where conflicts arise among staff members, the administration tends to turn a blind eye.

However, as I mentioned to you before, Rob, she says there are a handful of kids every year who start out as "ruffians" who end up finally "getting it" who make it all worth it. She has at least a half dozen former students come and visit her every year, and she says it is an absolutely wonderful feeling to know that she has made a difference in their lives.

I have no idea what my aunt did before she taught, though, and I forgot to ask. I remember she was just finishing college when I was starting, and she was just starting to deal with her abuse when she was in college. She has turned out to be one helluvan outstanding person.

Bryan

A former professor of mine at Cleveland State University was Cleveland's former Planning Director Norm Krumholz. He was still listed as a faculty member there last school year. He used to be a talkative fellow, and if he is still there you might look him up and see if he would be willing to talk to you. Cleveland State does have a business college and has Master's and Doctorate programs too.

My one sister also went from being the head of computer programming for a big insurance company to becoming an outspoken home-school mom, to now teaching robotics at the gifted high-school level. Maybe she wpuld be willing to share her insights when she gets back from her vacation.

Who knows? Maybe you could start a business college? Or even teach economics at MIT? I have a book that you might look into. It is CAPITAL MARKETS, Institutions and Instruments, by Frank J. Fabozzi and Franco Modigliani, who were both teaching Finance and Economics at MIT when the book was written in 1992. Both of their resumes are rather high-end. Both hold Doctorates, one is a double Doctorate. Both have held numerous BOD and high-level financial advisory positions. One is an Alfred Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences and advised both the Federal Reserve and several European central banks at one time too.

Just to let you know the crowd that you would be hanging out with at MIT. You can do it Rob. Take that experience that you have and make it work for others. Imagine having a substantial positive effect on the development of a young person and looking back years later at what they had accomplished, and maybe even having your name mentioned in academic circles. The money is nice, but recognition and satisfaction are most often the reason for going into teaching. Teaching and staying current isn't an easy job, but clawing your way to the top of the business world isn't an easy job either.

Teaching beats letting all of that experience go for naught.

Just my thoughts,

Mark

Rob,

I have known a couple of people that have gone from the corporate world into teaching. Both of them were tired of the rat race and felt their life had little meaning, so they decided to try teaching. For the most part, they both love it. The initial transition was eye opening and very enlightening. One teaches in an inner-city elementry school and the other in a well to do College Prep H.S.. They both had interesting comments about their experiences. In the inner-city school, the kids were no very motivated and didn't pay attention. for the most part, the parents were not involved in their children's school activities...let along their lives. At the college Prep, the students were hyper motivated and many were over-achievers. The parents were overly involved in their child's school activity, almost to the point of being distruptive. They all wanted to get their kids into Ivy League schools and will push them and their teachers to achieve this goal. In spite of this, both have said they really enjoy teaching because they can see when a kid gets it or when they are able to impact someones life. One of the downsides is that education isn't run like a business, so you will have to get use to that.

Dan

Many men leave corporate life to teach in private schools where you don't need a certificate. most require a masters or a high caliber bachelors. There are three middle aged men at my school who came from industry or business. Private schools are hot commodities these days. I'm in one. it's a crazy life, but fun.
Paul