Full Careers - Career in education Elementary teacher?

Career in education Elementary teacher?

I am a women in my 30's looking for a change of career. I do have a bacherlors degree in Psycoholgy. Which I never pursued. I have been in sales for over 10 yrs and unhappy. I have thought about teaching many times but not sure if I have a passion for it. Everyone in my life has thought I would be a great teacher. Now I would have to go back to school and I am just not sure how to go about it. Can anybody give me there input or if they have been in my current situation?

Public Comments

No, but I do know some universities have special programs for people who already have degrees to get a degree in education without having to go to school for 4 years. How do you feel about learning Spanish?
Teaching is something that really requires passion. So don't mind all the people telling you what you should do with your life. If you do decide that you want to go for it, contact a local university to find out how to obtain a teaching credential. There might be several options for you. For example, here in California there is a program called "CalStateTEACH" where you can get your credential through independent study.
First of all, be happy that you have to go back to school. In my state, Florida, if you have a Masters degree in anything you can become a teacher as long as you pass the certification exam within a certain time period. Everyone I know who has done that (I'm a teacher) quits after a year or two because they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. I have a B.S. in elementary education and even though nothing really prepares you for teaching I was a lot better prepared than if I never took any classes at all. For me, teaching is really fun. Yes, kids can get on your last nerves a lot and the paperwork is a killer...but if you keep things fresh than work is really enjoyable. I sing songs with my kids (songs about things we're learning), we do little dances (to help them memorize), and grow things for science (we're growing a lot of beans, a potato plant, and pumpkins right now). If you make sure to incorporate things into your day that you enjoy the kids will love it and things will be worthwhile. Everyday something new happens, you get great benefits, and great vacation time. I love being a teacher. If you're really considering being a teacher you should try and decide what grade you think you would like and then go to a local school and talk to the principal. Tell her/him that you're considering going back to school for teaching and you were wondering if it would be possible to observe a classroom. Most teachers don't mind at all. Hey, when you go to college for teaching you have to do tons of observations anyways so why not do a little before you start college. I hope everything works out for you.
There are many who go into teaching as a second career and usually they are older than you.The first step is to contact a local college that has an education program. You should also think about whether you would like to teach in an elementary or high school. The college and your state education department will tell you which courses you need as well as some other requirements. You may or may not need another degree dependent upon you state requirements. The courses that you take might mean additional salary when you begin teaching. You can look at the union website since many contain the salary salary schedule. Good luck.
If you want to be a teacher, you will have to start all over again (sorry!) There is a really good online university : Western Governors University.(online) It has programs in interdisciplinary studies (elementary education), math, science, history, etc. WGU is the only online university that is regionally accredited which means that you can get a teacher certificate and can teach anywhere in the US. The program is very challenging and you will have to do some student teaching (about 12 weeks).Their website is wgu.edu If you don't want to go through four or five years of education, you can get an associate degree in early childhood education(pennfoster college has ECE online which you can complete in less than 2 years) or a program for ESL teaching. If you speak a second language (Spanish or French), you can learn more in an institute and after you get the certificate in the foreign language, you can teach. hope this helps! :)