SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

I'm an educator/teacher/molder of children? ... whatever term you want to use.

I don't mean to be blunt... but I'm done... 18 going on 19 years in the classroom and I'm DONE!!!

I'm 52 now... My degrees are all in education except for a paralegal certificate I got back in 1997.

How can I transfer the skills I have as an educator into some other type of job... and no, I really don't want to do corporate training either.

I'd love to find a job that pays close to what I make as a teacher (low 40s) but involves and desk/phone/computer and very little interactions with other (at least on a regular basis)

Ages ago, back in Denver, I worked as a Title Closer (it's in the mortgage industry - preparing HUD1 docs and all the other documents that go into "closing" on a house... Escrow... that kinda thing.

I really loved it when I was in Denver but when I moved back to FL... eh, not so much.

So... Smart SI People... what else could I do?

Hey jrc - so a couple questions. Did you teach at the secondary level? If so, did you love your "specialty?" Science, writing, whatever. Is that an area you'd like to explore?

I know corporate is out, but would you still want to "teach?"

What about online instruction? Do you have a hobby/interest/subject area that you could conduct not-8-hour-in-person sessions? Maybe 2-3 hour sessions?

Just as a brainstorm:

like seminars in "how to be a title closer." Or if you're a painter at heart - I have a friend who makes great pocket money teaching art classes for cities and community college continuing education programs here and there. I know that's not a full-time thing, but you could maybe put a bunch of gigs together.

If you don't want to "teach", what about curriculum development? Or test development?

Be a consultant for the local gifted council or special education advocacy group or whatever your "subject matter" might be?

What about doing PR/Community Development for a particular school? (I'm trying to think of mostly working at home things but that would probably require a bit of socializing).

Would you want to teach within the education department at a community or junior college? A lot of options for online or weekends/nights there.

You can seriously apply that teaching experience to so many things. People are always desperate for someone who knows how to teach or develop training materials - maybe in something new that totally interests you?

Those are my initial off the top of my head things.

I have taught secondary but being an ESE (special ed) teacher I teach all subjects. The subject I'm best at is English.... but I wouldn't say I'm passionate about English on a whole.

Oddly enough, I wrote a training manual at my title closer job for people to follow to do "Relocation Closings" because I was one of two people in the whole company who worked with relocation closings. I even got an award for writing it... It was of my won initiative that I wrote it.

Maybe I could do something like that... Problem is, if I can't work from home on it... I might have to move. Florida isn't known for jobs like that...

I’ll be following this thread. I’ve been in 22 years, am 4 years from retirement and am Forced to show up at school or I lose everything!!!

I have other things I could do to earn money but nothing close to what I’d earn if/when I reach my rule of 88. Ugh.

I hear ya, jrc. I'm on year 15, plus 4 years of subbing before that. So, really I've been teaching for 19 years.

I feel like I'm starting the school year already "beaten down." I am so tired of always feeling like the enemy.

Have you looked into copy editing with a publishing company? I have also heard that the "books on tape" companies need someone to record books.

I have a few suggestions that I will send to you in a PM of second jobs I am currently doing. My plan is to put away enough money to retire a bit early. I have 12 years left if I retire early.

Any interest in teaching outside of a classroom setting? Like tutoring or a small pod of kids? I know A LOT of parents that are scared to send their kids back to in-person learning, but are looking to hire tutors and/or form small learning pods on their own right now.

Please consider Non-Profit organizations. The well known organizations pay really well for skills such as yours. I do know non profits are always in need of those smart enough to write policy and ORGANIZE!

Jeaniegirl, I love the idea of a nonprofit. Great idea.

Jrc, maybe check into any national or state parks near you. They sometimes hire teachers for educational programs.

All great ideas... Thank You!! Keep them coming.

Take a class on grant writing and with all your skills you will be very employable. Non profits would be a great place for you to land.

On the other hand, it's not too late to do something completely different.

I was a teacher for ten years and then a SAHM.

I went back to school after the divorce. First certified nursing assistant, then licensed practical nurse and now less than 3 1/2 years after the divorce, I just graduated as a registered nurse. Oh, and I'm 61 years old.

Two recos:

1) Get a copy of the latest What Color Is Your Parachute?

2) Look into Liz Ryan's work. She has a website about the human workplace. It used to have lots of free stuff, but it's changed a lot, and being retired and over 70, I haven't looked at it in detail in years.

Liz advised thinking about the types of problems you like to solve and looking for situations in which you have to solve those types of problems.

She has a column in Forbes. Check it out ... her work may be able help a lot.

Thank You... I'm checking a back in regularly.

I used to love teaching... I felt so at home in the classroom. Last year was a difficult year... I almost walked away in the middle of the year.

I'm just getting tired of fighting all the time...