I have a few questions for the folks here. I'm currently in my 4th year of teaching high school history, and although I love teaching, this year has been a bit of an eye opener. I'm starting to dislike my job. I've found that it's changed from teaching to being a parent/disciplinarian. The 9th graders we have this year are absolutely atrocious. On top of this, I'm starting to miss spending each day with my baby daughter. I think I was spoiled this summer. I've realized that, chances are, I won't be there when she first crawls or walks or says her first word because I'll be working... dealing with other people's disruptive, rude children. And while I fully support the idea of public education, I think it only works when the community and parents support the idea as well. Nationally there is a huge turnover of teachers each year, and more and more new teachers are leaving the profession for similar reasons. But for me, I just want to be there to see my daughter grow up. A while ago, there was a discussion about teaching online and making 6 figures. While I would love to earn that much, I really don't care about the money so long as it provides my family with the means to live comfortably. My wife recently started teaching special education courses online, and I would like to attempt to do something similar. I have an MS in Education, but I would like to go for more content area coursework, specifically in history and political science. Could anyone suggest the easiest route for this? I know WNMU has an MAIS that I could do. I was enrolled in an EdS program, but I dropped that when I realized I didn't want to stay in public education anymore. Are History and Political Science areas where online facilitators are needed? What other areas could be potentials for me? And does anyone have any suggestions about the fastest route to earn 18 hours in either subject? On a side note, does this seem selfish to want to quit my job to spend time with my family? Thanks! I appreciate all of the advice you all have given me in the past, and will continue to give me. -Matt
On a side note, does this seem selfish to want to quit my job to spend time with my family? >> Matt, I just want to encourage you in your pursuits. I quit my full time job for the purpose of spending time with my family. I believe my oldest son was about 6 months old when I had my "light-bulb moment." You'll get no argument from me that being someone else's employee isn't what life is all about. In the meantime, even if you don't have 18 credits, try going over to your local community college and speak to whoever heads the department in the areas you are looking at. Let them know who you are, and what your goals are. Tell him you would like to adjunct for him at night if the need ever arises, or be considered for other slots that might open up- history club advisor, substitute, etc. While your sorting everything out, you might be able to pick up a class and see if you like it. There are pros and cons to every job! I've had my share of "other people's disruptive, rude children" only we call them Freshman. All the best in whatever you decide. And it's true what people say, your child will be off to school in a blink.
The good thing about being a high school teacher is that if I did get the 18 hours in poly-sci and 18 hours in history, I could teach only dual enrollment courses, which would mean the best and brightest kids in the school. That would get me some experience teaching the courses. However, here's the downside. As an employee of the school division, I would teach the courses for 18 weeks each semester, 5 days a week. As an employee of the community college, I would teach the course 15 weeks each semester, 3 days per week. (Assuming it's an in class section, rather than online). The community college pays more as well. While I am seeking the additional credits to teach these courses, my goal is not to teach them at the high school. It would be to do them online, or occassionally on campus so that I could spend time with the baby. If I play my cards right, and really work my butt off, I could swing 18 credits in poly-sci by next fall. Then, over the course of the next year, I could work on the 18 credits in history. Jennifer, weren't you looking into the WMNU program? -Matt
Hi Matt, I teach some history course online, actually three at the moment. Let me say this, I don’t know where the six figures comes from, but it would be almost impossible to pull that down from teaching history online. To grade work and give students quality feedback takes up some time each day.... start thinking like 3000 bucks a month take-home if you are " booked up". Now I'm not pulling 3k a month, more like half of that after taxes....I consider it mad money, I just sock it in the bank each time I get paid. However anything is possible, I have often thought of that ideal situation where you work consistently for two or three colleges and drop the regular gig. Just be persistent, it might just happen for you! All the best, Gavin
Here is the deal (for me anyway). I teach computer apps classes and am quailified to teach management also but rarely get them. My corporate job is a national service manager working from home. I can take a break and spend an hour on teaching if I need to and want to. I also do "corporate work" at 9PM or midnight, holidays, weekends, whenever. I basically work all the time between the corporate job and teaching. We do not have kids and live in a condo. I do two things in life right now - work and take classes with little time for a personal life. The little time I do have I make it count as real quality timeMy wife, bless her heart, is very understanding and supportive. I make about $40K teaching. I teach for 2 school and each school gives me 3-4 classes per semester. The good thing - they are the same classes (School A gives me 4 classes of ABC123 and School B gives me 3 classes of DEF456) All the classes are usually computer apps classes. I applied to UoP but failed out of the teacher training. If I would have landed them, $60-65K per year total. On the flip side - NO LIFE AT ALL. Could you make $70K teaching online only - sure. As far as the subjects, I would go with the general ed because everyone needs to take them - English, History. The computers apps classes I teach are required so everyone has to take them. Hope this helps.
Thanks to each of you. Right now I'm making about $35K and am teaching 5 courses a day. I figured if I were teaching online, 5 courses per semester would be managable. Two years ago, I would have told you I loved teaching high school. I had small classes, about 14-15 students in a class. Now, due to budget cuts, I have 25 kids in a class. The kids are crammed together and it's an awful situation. I used to dress up and act, sing and dance history. Now I barely have room to breathe. We're constantly being pressured to perform miracles, but I'm not Jesus. My father-in-law works for Boeing. Granted that's the private sector, he gets tons of benefits, and he can work from home when he wants. I'm not looking for big bucks or benefts, just the comfort of being able to work on my own schedule and see my baby grow up. Even if I took a slight pay cut, the decrease in stress and increased flexibility might be worth it. -Matt
You can make some decent money as an online adjunct, but it's intended as (and should be IMO) a supplement to your "real" job. Matt...from someone who's also a public employee, keep in mind that if you rely on being an adjunct as your full-time job you'll have no health insurance, no pension plan (although UoP does offer a 401k and I'm sure others do), no dental, no vision, no life insurance, etc. As someone with a new baby, that's something you should consider very seriously. So, my advice would be to try teaching online while keeping your day job; you can always quit one or the other when you decide what's right.
However, here's the downside. As an employee of the school division, I would teach the courses for 18 weeks each semester, 5 days a week. As an employee of the community college, I would teach the course 15 weeks each semester, 3 days per week. (Assuming it's an in class section, rather than online). The community college pays more as well. I must work for the lowest paying community college in the country. Adjunct faculty (all ed levels, all classes) are paid a flat rate of $558 per credit. Two classes running in full 16 week semesters, three semesters per year means $10K per year gross. Like others mentioned, it's extra money, not a living. On the flip side, my department runs full time only one day per week (Monday) and my classes are always at night. If you look at it that way, I make 10K for working only 40 nights per year at the most, sometimes less if we have a Monday holiday when the college is closed. This lets me be a homeschool mom during the day, a stay at home mom every night, pursue my education on weekends, and have a little extra money for the family. For a chef, this was the only way for me. Chefs simply are unemployable if they are unwilling to work full time. So, for me, 15-odd years ago it was "teach or nothing." I made the right decision. I think teaching F2F in a community college is probably very different than teaching in an online format, but I'm just trying to give you one person's perspective While I am seeking the additional credits to teach these courses, my goal is not to teach them at the high school. It would be to do them online, or occassionally on campus so that I could spend time with the baby. If I play my cards right, and really work my butt off, I could swing 18 credits in poly-sci by next fall. Then, over the course of the next year, I could work on the 18 credits in history. Jennifer, weren't you looking into the WMNU program? -Matt[/QUOTE] Yes. I am slated to start WNMU this spring. Decisions decisions decisions. I might start anyway since I'm not enrolled as a "student" at Harvard, I'm only "in a class" right now. I won't even be in a position to apply to the degree program until next year! So, I hate to miss this start date only to decide later that I want in. There are pros and cons in either direction. I wish I could just hire someone to choose for me I can't even decide on 2 concentrations, I keep over-thinking it.
Here is the pay schedule for adjuncts at my local community college http://www.collegeofthedesert.edu/fs/dept/hr/Salary%20Schedules/adjunct%20salaryplacement.pdf Using your proposed teaching schedule you would earn around $21,400 per year (5 courses x 3 units/course x 15 week semester x 2 semesters/year x $47.56 per unit = $21,402 per year) with no benefits. When I left my regular corporate job to become a consultant I found my medical insurance to be around $800 per month (for two). Last year I had to pay roughly $12000 in medical costs.
>> Here is the copy/paste from the last handbook I have. Our pay went up slightly since 06, we are now at $585. Summer is great because you get the same pay rate for 1/2 the time- but the load is 1/2. If Matt taught in my district he would be brining in the bacon to the tune of about $21,000 too. A9 - PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR SALARY SCHEDULE The following guidelines apply to all part-time instructors other than adult education instructors and instructors in the collective bargaining unit: Pay based upon previous total credit hours taught: $525.00 per credit hours for Adjunct Instructor $525.00 per credit hour for Regular Part-time An instructor will be paid on the following basis - tuition received up to a maximum of $525 per credit hour taught. For ease in administration of this procedure, tuition income will be computed at $97.00 per student per semester credit hour. Wages due are to be determined by the enrollment at the end of the second week of each term. Changes due to enrollment increases or decreases will not be made after the second week. Any situations which you feel should be handled differently than the above must be approved by the Executive Officer in advance. 7/97 REVISED 7/98, 8/99, 7/01, 7/02, 7/03, 7/04, 7/05/, 7/06
A little clarification on the community college teaching... When I mentioned teaching 5 classes per semester, I was referring to being a full time employee of the community college. Full time faculty start and 38-40K, and their benefits are far better than those of our school division. This is awful to say, but their staff is old and dying left and right. Our school had two of their faculty members come to our school to teach US History and US Government, but both of them died over the summer. I think their positions are still open. -Matt
Being a full time college faculty member seems to conflict with your initial post: On a side note, does this seem selfish to want to quit my job to spend time with my family?
Matt, It appears those hellions are wearing you down. Hey look at this way it could be worse, they could be heathens! Seriously, look at it from another aspect; I have seen so many in the work-a-day world who would trade their right arm for your teaching position, if only they had the credentials to do so! Some of the people I know have some of the most nasty god forsaken jobs there are, but because they lack the education or initiative or both, they will remain zeros for the rest of their lives! If you make the switch to the community college, that would probably be a good fit for you, I know several teachers who burned-out and made the transition to the community colleges and never looked back, but most of these folks had about twenty years or so in the public schools. So was the qualifying factor a masters plus eons in the public schools...that, I don't know. all the best, Gavin
Keep in mind that community colleges can present their own burnout issues. Having graduated from one, I can attest that the first scene with Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting where he's teaching the class at Bunker Hill Community College isn't far from reality in many cases; the blank stares and everyone sitting on their hands when the teacher asks a question.
>> LOL. Well, I know Matt was thinking of online teaching, so you wouldn't have to actually look at students sitting on their hands Honestly Matt, I think you should just try a class and see if you like it before you totally decide to switch.
Matt... I have wanted to teach for years. I had my first taste of teaching in the military. I found this to be very gratifying. I looked at it this way. Most, if not all, the students in my classes wanted to be there and wanted to learn. It seems that a lot of the local high schools are nothing but a country club. I mean that a lot of the students have socializing on their minds instead of learning. Now, with that said, let me suggest the government programs for teachers. Look into teaching on one of the bases. The pay is good and the benefits packages are one of the best. All of the defense agencies are looking for qualified teachers all the time. Next time you are on line check put the website www.usajobs.gov. Do a little bit of looking around and see what they have to offer. Personally, I would check out Pensacola Naval Air Base. Jim
Sorry... more clarification, I suppose Our community college has their version of distance education called "FLO" or "Flexible Learning Opportunities". A good number of courses are now offered as FLO rather than in-class. There are some faculty members who might teach five classes, with three or four, and sometimes all five, of them being FLO. -Matt
