Potential Career Shift to Teaching

[Mr.Coffee]

Everybody's life is harder than others. The pension sounds amazing, but working daily with kids would be very difficult I think. The psychological warfare that must be going on in classrooms would be pretty ridiculous.

[Red John]

Originally Posted by Sliver

. Following your dreams is great if you are choosing to be a single person, but it's a very selfish approach if you have a wife and kids (imo!).

You're right. Everyone should work a job they hate as long as it brings in the maximum amount of money possible.

So glad you aren't a teacher. There's enough of those kind of teachers out there, the ones who were drawn to the "perks" of the job but don't have a passion for it.

What a maroon.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Red John

You're right. Everyone should work a job they hate as long as it brings in the maximum amount of money possible.

So glad you aren't a teacher. There's enough of those kind of teachers out there, the ones who were drawn to the "perks" of the job but don't have a passion for it.

What a maroon.

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm 38. If I went back to school for two years to get my Masters of Teaching (or whatever it's called) in September, I'd be in my 40s when I graduated. To maximize my pension potential, I'd basically be working into my late 60s, which is not something I want to do.

As well, I really like my career, but I do recognize teaching is better; a realization I came to too late to practically do anything about it.

I also don't subscribe to the philosophy of following your dreams and passions. Assuming your job isn't making you miserable, I believe you do the best for your family by maximizing your income in the minimum amount of hours per day/year. Teaching is an outstanding career by this measure. Following your dreams is great if you are choosing to be a single person, but it's a very selfish approach if you have a wife and kids (imo!).

Sorry, who's the maroon? I clearly stated your job shouldn't make you miserable.

[Eric Vail]

Some here would have you believe that teaching is the gravy train of professions. However, 50% of education graduates throw in the towel on the profession within the first five years of their careers.

There must be some tough parts if after investing the time and money into a degree, half decide to do something else with their lives within five years.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

Some here would have you believe that teaching is the gravy train of professions. However, 50% of education graduates throw in the towel on the profession within the first five years of their careers.

There must be some tough parts if after investing the time and money into a degree, half decide to do something else with their lives within five years.

That statistic is only meaningful if you compare it against other professions. Maybe the retention rate for teachers is higher than for other jobs. Maybe it's lower - you haven't given us enough to discuss.

Also, is your 50% number even true? Do you have back-up for it? Intuitively, that seems very high so I am skeptical of it.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by loudi94

I linked the pension thing above. The association does a very good job with our pension. It is self-sustaining.

.

Sorry just wanted to correct this; the Alberta Teacher's Pensions are certainly not self sustaining and is severely underfunded.

Premier Stelmach contributed 2 Billion dollars to the teacher's portion of the unfunded liability from the pension plan for labour peace in 2007. I believe currently the unfunded liability attached the the pension plan is now somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 Billion.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Everybody's life is harder than others. The pension sounds amazing, but working daily with kids would be very difficult I think. The psychological warfare that must be going on in classrooms would be pretty ridiculous.

Once a grade 9 girl realizes she can say basically anything she wants to you and you can't fail her, it's game over.

[chid]

I've been teaching in the CBE for about 5 years now, and I only know a handful of teachers I graduated with that are still even in the profession. It is hard to get a teaching job to begin with, and even tougher to get anything that is continuous and not just years of subbing and covering leaves.

I absolutely love my job, and the time off, as well as the immense amount of work it is. My biggest gripe is funding - not for my salary but in my classroom. I have a very complex classroom with not enough support, and a large class size, with no support.

[loudi94]

Originally Posted by Sliver

That statistic is only meaningful if you compare it against other professions. Maybe the retention rate for teachers is higher than for other jobs. Maybe it's lower - you haven't given us enough to discuss.

Also, is your 50% number even true? Do you have back-up for it? Intuitively, that seems very high so I am skeptical of it.

40%

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/cana...es-350533.html

Doubtful doctors or lawyers have a 40% attrition rate after five years. Maybe I'm wrong. I came up with the teaching stats, maybe you could do the other research.

[loudi94]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

Sorry just wanted to correct this; the Alberta Teacher's Pensions are certainly not self sustaining and is severely underfunded.

Premier Stelmach contributed 2 Billion dollars to the teacher's portion of the unfunded liability from the pension plan for labour peace in 2007. I believe currently the unfunded liability attached the the pension plan is now somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 Billion.

November 2007 Funding Agre​​ement Between the ATA and the Alberta Government
(A) Post-August 1992 Service Fun​​ding
Active teachers contribute one-half the cost of benefits, including the 60% cost-of-living adjustment for pensions.
The Alberta Government contributes the other-half of the cost of benefits.
Active teachers contribute 100% of the cost of an additional 10% cost-of-living adjustment for pensions related to pensionable service after 1992.
The funding of any deficiency is shared equally between the Alberta Government and teachers. However, teachers alone are required to fund all the added cost with respect to that portion of the deficiency related to the additional 10% cost-of-living benefit for pensionable service earned after August 1992.​
(B) Unfunded Liability for Pre-September 1992 ​Service
From September 2007 to August 2009, the Alberta Government contributed 100% of the cost to amortize the unfunded liability as a level percentage of active teachers’ pensionable salaries on or before August 31, 2060.
Effective September 2009, unfunded liability contributions ceased and Alberta Government moved to pay-as-you-go funding by advancing sufficient funds to the Plan to pay for all benefits as they come due.​

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by loudi94

40%

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/cana...es-350533.html

Doubtful doctors or lawyers have a 40% attrition rate after five years. Maybe I'm wrong. I came up with the teaching stats, maybe you could do the other research.

1. No, you didn't come up with teaching stats. You haven't shown any research to support the percentage. You linked to an online article that itself didn't link to the research. Where did they come up with 40%? How was the study conducted?

2. More importantly, no matter what the number is, it is absolutely and utterly meaningless without comparing it to other vocations and the general trends in society. Even if 60% of teachers stay in the profession - which I'm still dubious of until we see actual research - that may very well be high relative to the average length of time the average worker stays with a single employer.

And no, I don't feel like doing the research. I'm not the one making the claim.

[loudi94]

Originally Posted by Sliver

1. No, you didn't come up with teaching stats. You haven't shown any research to support the percentage. You linked to an online article that itself didn't link to the research. Where did they come up with 40%? How was the study conducted?

2. More importantly, no matter what the number is, it is absolutely and utterly meaningless without comparing it to other vocations and the general trends in society. Even if 60% of teachers stay in the profession - which I'm still dubious of until we see actual research - that may very well be high relative to the average length of time the average worker stays with a single employer.

And no, I don't feel like doing the research. I'm not the one making the claim.

Small longitudinal study that doesn't support the claim but has other very interesting data.

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollec...-86-19b%29.pdf

Regardless of the rhetoric....the phrase "hard working Albertan" applies to the teaching profession in spades. To argue otherwise shows bias and a lack of understanding. For all intents and purposes we run a 10 month sprint followed by a well deserved rest so we can do it again. The nature of the job makes it prohibitive to compare to most other professions. Success cannot be quantified no matter how much data you try to collect.

[HHW]

OP,

I made the switch to education when I was 36. I had a successful career in the tech sector but was missing the social interaction. My wife is also an educator and we have a young son so it was certainly partly about the lifestyle. Seven years on I am glad (almost) every day that I made the switch. I would encourage anyone else that is thinking to at least give it a try.Financially it was difficult but I think I owed it to my family to be happy

That said, it was far from easy to get a permanent position in Calgary. The system is unfortunately not set up for people with previous work experience. The boards like to hire the young ones that never left school and will serve as fresh meat for some really challenging entry positions. The universities are also not well set up for recognizing previous work experience as teachables. The UofL is probably best as they have a CTS ("options") stream. Financial management is taught at most high schools.

if you are willing to ride out some rough patches then I would say go for it.there will eventually be plenty of retirements and new teachers needed. Agreed that for the students (and for schools for that matter) it really is important to have some connection to the working world. PM if you have any questions!

[loudi94]

Originally Posted by HHW

OP,



if you are willing to ride out some rough patches then I would say go for it.there will eventually be plenty of retirements and new teachers needed. Agreed that for the students (and for schools for that matter) it really is important to have some connection to the working world. PM if you have any questions!

Maybe not....unless parents and stakeholders start stomping their feet.
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...dmontonjournal