Would Appreciate General Advice

[AdvocateTDV]

Okay, I'm tired of teaching in the public school system (only been a semester!), and I don't think I want to be the head tennis coach anymore.

A good number of teenage students don't have a strong sense of responsibility, and I'm tired of having to take responsibility FOR them. Last time I checked...the saying went "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Thus, college teaching seems more appealing to me.

I would like to get a Ph.D in engineering, physics, or chemistry. That, or I'd like to go into sports medicine.

My problem is, should I stay for the rest of the academic school year, or should I just break contract and devote my resources towards my bigger goals? If I decide to go back to school, what happens to my car loan? Do I still need to do something to take care of my car loan, or is it possible to roll it into the educational loan?

Anyone with advice would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

[Sagittar]

man that's some deep ****
allt the best of luck

 

[cghipp]

Stay for the rest of the year. You may need a reference for a future job, and leaving your current school in the lurch will burn a bridge and demonstrate immaturity on your part. Plus, you don't know what you want to do now anyway. You need some time to plan. It's not like you could get into a Ph.D. program in two weeks.

You cannot roll a car loan into a qualified tuition loan. I would sell the car and get a relatively reliable, cheap used car to get you through school.

If you want to teach at a university, it is a must to get your Ph.D. But you don't sound like you have a love for teaching, so I would recommend something else. It doesn't pay enough to be worth doing if it's not your calling (speaking as someone who comes from a family of teachers and is married to one).

 

[raiden031]

How are you going to support yourself if you quit your job and only go to school? If you break your contract you could lose your teaching license and it could get you blacklisted.

 

[LuckyR]

A lot of the answer to your questions has to do with your financial situation and your family obligations. If you are free and single (and willing to mingle, sorry I had to throw that one in for old times sake), then full steam ahead for the dream job and the preparations for it.

On the other hand if you have mouths to feed I would consider seeing if there was a better situation that you could get into with your current training that you would find appealing.

Good luck.

 

[raiden031]

If you want to teach at a university, it is a must to get your Ph.D.

Not true. Maybe if you want to be tenured, but not just to teach at one.

 

[cghipp]

Well, duh. If you want to be an adjunct and have no job security, go for it. If you want a permanent position, not even tenure track, at a decent school, you need a Ph.D. for your application to even be considered in most departments.

 

[tennis-n-sc]

Sounds to me like you really don't have an idea of what you want to do. You might want to ckeck out salaries for college teachers. Not nearly as good as you might imagine. What is important to you from a vocation? If you want to make a lot of money, teaching won't get it. If you have strong feelings toward helping kids, teaching is a way to get tremendous self-satisfacation from a job. But, for the most part, you just sound a little confused and panicky. A lot of young people think that more and different education is the answer to everything. Not usually so. Take an apptitude test to see where some of your talents may lie. Consider a break and do a stint with an organization like Peace Corps or the military to find yourself a bit. I also get the idea you might be saddled with student loan debt. Not good to go back for more education if you are financing all of it.

 

[AdvocateTDV]

Wow, I posted my thread up today, and I've already received quite a few insightful responses from the community here - thanks.

I should probably give some background on myself. The only loan I am legally tied to is my car loan (paid off almost 2 years worth now out of 5 years), and I have taken several aptitude tests - the major result said that I should be an architect.

I won't lie - I do care about money, and it is a priority for me. I have always been a MUCH better tutor than a teacher, and that is part of the reason I'd rather be in college teaching rather than high school (the students have more responsibility in college). I truly don't like the idea of being cooped up in a lab all day, but I don't like the idea of living below any standard that my parents have already provided for me.

So, yes, as some of you have sensed - I am a bit...unsteady at the moment. I have held 4 teaching jobs in the last 4 years since college graduation. I have taught in the catholic school, junior college, learning disabilities school, and now, public school environments. I can honestly say I don't like any of them. (sighs)...but I did graduate top of my class in chemistry, and I have always been excellent at both qualitive and quantitative thinking.

Alright, there's some more information about my professional background. Thanks again to those who have already made an honest post - or will make another one!

 

[Deuce]

Indeed, kids today are difficult. Especially teens.
It all goes back to parents, naturally. Far too many parents today are more interested in making as much money as possible, and acquiring as high a social status as possible - and this, of course, comes at the expense of their children, who are neglected and ignored during this selfish process.

Teachers thus fill a more important role than ever before. It is a heavy responsibility - but also a wonderful opportunity to change a life for the better.

The best inspiration I can offer you is this:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/touchofgreatness/teacher.html

 

[CanadianChic]

Advocate, there is nothing wrong in wanting to switch careers, nothing wrong in caring about money, or even the desire to return to school or switch careers altogether. You seek advice, so I'll give you mine. What kind of character do you have? What kind of integrity do you possess? From what I see (from this particular example anyway), unfortunately little. I am old school and believe that when you make a commitment, you stick it out, often at the sacrifice of personal comfort. You've been there a whole semester and you are debating whether or not you should remain the following, what?, five or six months?? Sheesh!
It's six months of your life we're talking about here, not ten years. If you stick it out, at least you'll retain a little self-respect and dignity. This way you can put your affairs in order (such as figuring out your car loan, etc.) while you fill the obligations of your contract. I'm not sure the length of duration at your previous places of employment, but if they are a semester here and there, I would leave them off your resume. Nobody cares about your need to find your calling while contemplating you as a possible employee. Nothing personal, just my opinion.

 

[Swissv2]

Better to be known to work at something hard, then to be known as being a quitter.

People respect and hire those who have demonstrated toughness and responsibility under due stress.

 

[max]

At your age, you're not really looking at what's called a "second career". Go for the PhD: I'd call your state university and ask to sit down with someone in that department. The fields you mention have good prospects for employment.

But realize, too, that you'll be teaching 18-22 year olds, and having to deal with THAT level of personal stuff. I've taught community college, and trust me, the level of responsibility that you might assume would be there is not there. . . unless its a situation in which the student wants to be considered an adult.

Architecture's a no go: more and more construction relies on builders plans, etc., and it's a crowded and hungry field, tough to break into, from what I understand. Your car loan isn't worth worrying about: I'm sure people have been in your shoes and have had this situation and there's a methodology, etc. with student aid.

 

[raiden031]

Well, duh. If you want to be an adjunct and have no job security, go for it. If you want a permanent position, not even tenure track, at a decent school, you need a Ph.D. for your application to even be considered in most departments.

I still disagree because colleges are saving alot of money hiring these adjuncts who they can drop at will when they don't need them. This can be demonstrated by the numerous instructors I had that did not have PhD's. I don't know how to tell whether they were permanent positions or not, but several of the intro level course instructors for my major were still there during the entire time I was in school.

 

[goober]

I still disagree because colleges are saving alot of money hiring these adjuncts who they can drop at will when they don't need them. This can be demonstrated by the numerous instructors I had that did not have PhD's. I don't know how to tell whether they were permanent positions or not, but several of the intro level course instructors for my major were still there during the entire time I was in school.

It depends what school you went to. All the teachers, instructors and tenured track positions had PhDs in their fields at the college I went to. This was true regardless of level of course taught.

Being an instructor is pretty much a noncareer position. There is no job security, no benefits and you are generally hired from year to year to teach one or more classes. If your goal is to make it in academics on the University level a PhD is required IMO. Even then, it is not all roses because a lot of PhDs never get that coveted tenure position (associate professor or higher).

BTW getting a PhD in a scientific is very different from teaching. You need to be very interested and capable in research and independent thinking/working.

 

[max]

There are a lot of PhD's out there, and a lot of PhDs without jobs. I dropped out of graduate school once I got a good look at things and saw it made no sense to go further in my field. But there's a need for science PhDs, and engineering would be excellent: you can also work in the private sector (trust me, after you've spent the time dealing with undergraduates, and get a little older yourself, and once you develop research interests, going the private sector route might be very appealing).

Yeah, I'm concerned about all this I read about part-time appointment stuff. Not only is this giving crummy education to the students, but it in no way helps the teachers/instructors develop. Pretty sad deal.

 

[cghipp]

I still disagree because colleges are saving alot of money hiring these adjuncts who they can drop at will when they don't need them. This can be demonstrated by the numerous instructors I had that did not have PhD's. I don't know how to tell whether they were permanent positions or not, but several of the intro level course instructors for my major were still there during the entire time I was in school.

Thanks for making my point re: job security. Most universities will allow you to teach for a maximum of five or six years without a Ph.D. That is a non-permanent position. You don't seem to have any experience with this, and I can't even tell what argument you're trying to make here. I have four college instructors in my immediate family. I know what I am talking about.

 

[Supernatural_Serve]

So, yes, as some of you have sensed - I am a bit...unsteady at the moment. I have held 4 teaching jobs in the last 4 years since college graduation.

In other words, teaching as a profession is not for you, probably at any level.

Since, money matters, go get an engineering degree or MBA and go for the jobs that pay.

Its rare to meet anyone with a wad of dough in their pocket from teaching.

Yet, I've known lawyers, engineers, day traders, entrepeneurs, information technology consultants, and women in sales who teach tennis on the side when they can because they enjoy it.

 

[Ben42]

Don't assume that college students will be, on the whole, any more responsible or motivated than the high school students you've been teaching.

This comes from my limited experience teaching Freshman English for a couple of years as a grad-student and from listening to the ever increasing complaints of my full professor/dean father-in-law/mother-in-law for the last ten years.

Plus, especially in the sciences, in addition to teaching and grading, you will be expected to publish research frequently and to bring in to the university a good bit of grant money.

If you can't be committed to it I wouldn't start.

 

[LuckyR]

Its rare to meet anyone with a wad of dough in their pocket from teaching.

Wad of dough: no. Early retirement with benefits packages that bankrupt states: yes.