advice needed possible career change

[Mr. D]

Well after 10 yrs teaching, I have had enough

2 times in this short career I have been attacked by a student, the last one I got for a present several injuries including a corneal abrasion, a concussion and etc...

Well I have already applied on line to the us postal service, medical sales company and others to follow.

Today the better half replies I am only thinking of myself... How can this be if when I get home my blood pressure is ski high and I feel like ripping someones head off sort of speak

I feel if I change careers/jobs I will be in a better mood when I get home and yes I will have to work weekends, nights, etc no 10 weeks off in the summer..etc...

Maybe I'm a Well thanks for letting me rant and rave....

[j-mac]

That's a tough situation but I don't think it's selfish. If you're unhappy and unhealthy, you can't be at your best for anyone else. No job will ever be "perfect" - they are PAYING you to be there afterall, but it's all about having some sort of balance. When your job starts to have a negative impact on your whole life and especially your health, you have to do something about it - whether that means a total change of careers, just a change of scenery, or finding a different way of dealing with it. Keep your options open and your chin up!

[Slick Fan]

To be honest, I don't see how teachers can do it. Of course, it depends on the students, but from how it was sometimes when I was in school & the stories I hear about nowdays, I can honestly say I'd snap. I'd be brought up on charges of pounding the crap out of some mouthy brat who desperately deserved it.

Sooo...I don't blame you a bit, I'd go look for another job too. There's no reason you should have to put up with some little d@ckhead with a major mental malfunction for two seconds. This whole "politically correct, don't beat your kids" society we live in today is absolutely out of control.
As it's always been all through time, some kids NEED to be beat to straighten them out. If they don't get a regular beating, they're outta control!

[tomsrod]

In the old days if you acted up in school, you were disciplined on the spot. Sometimes physically and sometimes you stayed after school. Then when you went home, you got it again, maybe even again when dad got home. Now days, if a teacher looks at a kid wrong, his parents threaten to sue. Get a job delivering flowers or watering the grass at a golf course. :) Just kidding, you've selected an honorable and imprtant profession. After ten years, you've paid your dues. Look at another school and deliver flowers in the summer.

[DV65CustomCab]

How about a job in a private school? Parents who spend big bucks to send their kids there generally don't put up with the shenanigans that occur in the public schools.

But if not, doing something that you at least can tolerate is important. We spend too many hours of our lives at our jobs to be miserable all the time. While I don't have a 'dream job' I do have a very good one that allows me a lot of flexibility and only occasional Management Moronity. Took a lot of job changes in my working life sine 1982 to finally find a good one, and I'm milking it as long as I can. When it turns sour, I'll move on. There is no loyalty with employers anymore, so the employee need not feel loyal either. Sad, but true.

[banjopicker66]

After 10 years of teaching, I did the same thing. I even did a stint in administration for a while, because I wanted to be a teacher of teachers.
That ended up being worse in many ways.
I would suggest you answer this question: " What have I always wanted to do?"
In my case, it was to be a soldier - so I joined the Army. I turned 32 in basic training, no less. Talk about a system shock!
It was a great jumpstarter to my life.
I wanted to make it a career, but medical issues forced me out early.
However, my job today, computer network security, is a direct result of my service.
I am not suggesting you join the Army, but I am recommending you look really hard at doing what you always wanted to do or be.

Good luck!

[willy3486]

I worked previously for the school system here where I live as the school system computer director. Between the stress of that and the stress of my family it almost killed me. Last year I wound up in the ER with a nosebleed and BP of 200/170+ . The stress of the politics of being the computer director haunted me since 2000 when I left. I am now to the point I think I am over that. I left the school for a job at HCA in Nashville and stayed there until I got laid off in 2003. I would have retired there if I could. Now I am working for a school system as a computer tech in the next county over . I get the same pay as I did in the first school system but its a lot less stressful and no politics for me. They seem to try to keep me happy so I won't leave,one day I probably will though. The stuff is brought to me and I fix it at our computer building. It was great pay in the business world but the days off in the system are great so it balances itself out. As far as going into a private sector sometimes thats worse. Many times thats where the kids that get kicked out of public school wind up. If I could completely change careers and get out of computers and schools I would. But I am at the age I just don't want to go back to school. Plus in a few years my child will be in college so I will use that money for her not me. But I can tell you its not worth it if its not healthy for you. I had opportunities to leave the school system in the 90s and I wish I had, maybe I would be in better shape.

[FORDBOYpete]

I'm a retired Instructor/ teacher but I never ran into that. My trouble was with Administrators wanting to move up the ladder more than students. . . .But I understand completely none the less.
However, so you really think USPS is a beter or safer employment environment ?

FBp

[6Slick5]

I joined the Air Force right out of high school. Ended up in aircraft mechanics. I retired from the service, and really did not know what I wanted to do. Ended up in a small town in Nebraska, the community is great. I found a job working for a small computer repair store, that has now turned into working for the local phone company where I take care of all their computer networks.

You didn't metion where you are from but if you really like teaching maybe a change of where you live would be the answer.

The reason I say that is when I retired we could have moved any where in the United States. Instead of looking for a job first and then moving we looked for a place to live that we would like, fairly close to home and the job has always kinda taken care of itself.

Anyway,
Have Fun!
Marty

[61ford]

i wanna know how bad of a school youre teaching in that youre getting beat up?that never happens at our school i mean every now and then we have a loon who forgot to take her drugs that day and may get a little physical but we never have teachers getting struck i mean wow thats crazy

[Comet]

I think it's selfish of your wife to not allow you to seek happiness in your career. Go for it.

[Johnny Canuck]

A selfish wife? how uncommon..
why, Comet that would be as rare as a wife with too many shoes...

[ICEMAN6166]

its all about respect.
kids who dont respect their own parents, who know they have the legal right to sue their own parents, their own phone and car are certainly not going to respect their teacher.

i would be considering other options like other schools, areas or age group of kids.no fun working with that type of abuse and if it has happened twice i would seriously be thinking.
there only kids is not an excuse for anything.

the short nuns with the long pointers certainly had the upper hand when i was in grade school.could strike fear with just a look.

[Casper]

I dont blame you for wanting to make a job change. I was a volunteer coach for a non althletic team for about five years. I loved coaching but over the course of those five years I saw the entire dynamic of the team as well as the student body change. After more shouting matches than I care to recount I finally just walked away. Within a year the paid head coach retried and I'm not sure who is running the team of if there even is on any more. It's sad to think the team isn't there since we more than held our own in the state and at the national level as well. I've just glad I found out in time to change my major in college before I invested in all the education classes that would have really tied me in. I've graduated with a major I love, some of the kids I coached still keep in touch ( the ones that cared about being there anyways) and now I get to find a job that hopefully will love me as much as I love it. Finding the job means moving out of the state probably, but I'd rather take that change than have a mental break down trying to tame the next wacked out generation