May 09 2008
Epiphany
The last two days have been, as you might guess, a bit trying. I promise to get back to regular, topical posts on Monday, but before I do, I wanted to share something with you.
I’ve made a pretty significant decision about my career and my future. It’s a direction I’ve been considering for years, so I guess it’s been a long time coming. I haven’t been able to make this move until now, but my husband just got a nice raise and we’re very financially secure, so the time is finally right.
I’ve decided to apply for the DC Teaching Fellows this fall. It’s an alternative certification program that allows you to start teaching while taking classes. Teaching is something I’ve always been drawn to, and I’ve loved my experience as a mentor with the Higher Achievement Program. Working with kids was challenging and rewarding in ways that I’ve never experienced before, and I think I would be completely fulfilled by a teaching career.
The program has a number of great benefits. Teachers can get lower interest rates on home loans in DC, and there’s a program where they can buy houses at up to 50% off the list price. I can get my federal student loans cancelled by serving in an underserved school district. I can get half of my tuition reimbursed–more if I agree to teach for two full years. And I get to work with really great kids!
It’s a competitive program, and there’s a chance I might not get in. Even if I don’t, I still want to pursue one of the other alternate certification programs here in DC. My goal is to start teaching in Fall 2009. It’s kind of scary to contemplate cutting my salary nearly in half, but I haven’t been happy at work for a long time and I’m ready to be HAPPY about my job!
In addition to being a career that will challenge and fulfill me, teaching would give me summers off. And you know what I could do with that time? WRITE!! I’ve been pretty sporadic with my creative writing lately. I’ve found that my job, which is very stressful and mentally/emotionally grueling, leaves me with zero creative energy at the end of the day. It’s just more than I can do to spend nine hours in intense mental concentration in front of a computer at work and come home and engage in more intense mental concentration in front of a computer. I’ve tried, and I just burn out.
I’m really excited about preparing for the program! I’ve already signed up to take the PRAXIS exams, and I’ll be applying to the Teaching Fellows program as soon as registration opens in October. Hooray!
I’m off to enjoy a (hopefully) relaxing weekend with my (thank God) healthy husband. I hope you have a wonderful, restful weekend!!
Sounds GREAT! What an adventure!
I’ll eagerly look forward to hearing more about it.
Sounds great!
I’ve toyed back and forth with this for a long time, getting certified to teach English. I just don’t know. I have such an issue with people who don’t want to learn.
Most recently, I’ve thought about the cyber schools, and how that would be a neat teaching environment, but I think they want physical classroom experience first.
That’s so cool! Good Luck!
Pursue those dreams, I hope the weekend is good for you and the hubby!
Oh, wow! I hardly know what to say about this. It takes a very strong person to make this kind of decision — even though there are advantages, like you said, the salary will be less. But you’re in a good place financially, and I think it’s awesome that you want to do something that you know will make you happy. Very, very cool.
Wahoo! Congrats on the raise and your decision. I think you’d make a hell of a teacher.
I agree with verybadcat ~ you would make a great teacher! My mom teaches 5th graders. She’s “retired/returned” (retired for only half a day and was back in the school before the bell rang). She loves her work and finds it very rewarding. Sometimes I wish I had followed in her footsteps, but there’s a path for all of us and I hope you enjoy this new road ahead of you!
[…] appreciative, I truly am, but I’m also a little bit frustrated with the whole thing. I mean, I had a plan. I had decided to take the PRAXIS next month, apply for the Teaching Fellows program, and be in […]