wasted time

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wasted time
By Julianne

Since when is seven years of education a waste??? It's been my experience that relatively few people graduate in a particular subject and proceed to unwaveringly follow that career path. Rather, people go to school, get
a job, hate it or love it, move on to the next job, go back to school so they can move elsewhere, get another job, hate it or love it, and so on. Sooner or later these people find a good match to their talents and temperment. You spent seven years studying a great many things besides computers. Your classes included general education courses like English and history, I'm sure. And you

learned how to write a paper, critique a book and polish a presentation during your school time as well. Just because your major said "computer science" doesn't mean that's the ONLY thing you learned while in college.

Since you're already working in classrooms and seem to be thriving, I would seriously consider this as a career choice. Look into your state's requirements for alternate certification. Some states will allow you to teach full time while acquiring a certificate. You need to take certain classes and be supervised by a mentor teacher, but it can be less time consuming than going back for additional university classes. Even if you find you must take the certification course, it may be worth it if you are happy in the classroom.

Here are a couple of steps to take that may help you decide:

Ask a career teacher at one of your elementary schools to observe you as you teach. Ask him/her what they think of your style. Do they see any glaring problems? Have them be as honest and open as possible. Heed any advice they give you.

Spend some time in your university's placement center discussing your career change with a counselor who deals with teacher placement. Ask questions about salary, benefits, long-term employment outlook, etc. Some of the answers may be eyeopening.

Finally, if you are married or involved, be sure to discuss your ideas with your significant other. Teachers never ever make as much money as computer programmers. If you plan on supporting a family on your income alone, you may want to think over your options. (I'm not trying to talk you out of teaching, but that's the reality of working for the government.)

Good luck to you in making a good decision for yourself.