I really don’t feel like I have much to post about today. . . .
Yes, I did go running (that’s nothing new), and yes, I did eat (nothing exciting though). But frankly it has been a low-key day—still catching up on things.
I did run 6 miles (51 minutes) this morning.
Craig went into work late this morning since he worked late last night, so he joined me (on his bike) on my run. I love having him next to me while I’m running. We have some of our best conversations during these times. 🙂
We spent a lot of time talking about whether or not I should go back to teaching.
I know, I know. . . .it stressed me out so much this past year, and I wanted to quit many times, but there are a lot of perks that are hard to pass up.
Benefits to teaching:
Pay
It is hard to pass up good money! I would never be able to find another job that paid as much—not even close for that matter!
Time off
How can I pass up the summers off, extended time off around the holidays, and random breaks here and there.
The fact I don’t have to sit at a desk all day.
I am a busy-body and hate sitting down all day!
Teaching works well with my lifestyle.
I am able to run in the mornings before work, keep up with my blog, make dinner, and I have free time during the weekends to do things I enjoy.
Yet at the same time, I DO NOT want to be so stressed out that I live for the end of the school year, my relationship with my husband suffers, my health is compromised, and I am constantly stressed out/depressed and exhausted!!
I just don’t know what else to do! I’ve looked for other jobs, applied for other jobs, but nothing seems to be working out in my favor.
That’s definitely a challenge–there’s nothing worse than being stuck doing a job you hate. Jobs take up sooooo much of your life and if you don’t enjoy it then it would be very difficult to be happy.
I haven’t gone out into the teaching field on my own yet, so I don’t have any advice to give, but both teachers I student taught with told me they had years where they were so sure they were going to leave the teaching profession because they hated it. They had their resumes up on monster.com and were looking for anything/everything else. They both ended up going back to teaching and they had incredible years after that. They said every teacher has a bad year, or even a couple bad years, but you have good years too that make it all worth it.
Whatever you decide to do I’m sure will be the best decision for you. 🙂 You need to do what fulfills you and makes you happy!
Yes, I agree that your job takes up so much of your time that it is not fun to be somewhere you don’t want to be for that long.
That’s reassuring to hear that a lot of other teachers have thought about quitting!
That’s definitely a challenge–there’s nothing worse than being stuck doing a job you hate. Jobs take up sooooo much of your life and if you don’t enjoy it then it would be very difficult to be happy.
I haven’t gone out into the teaching field on my own yet, so I don’t have any advice to give, but both teachers I student taught with told me they had years where they were so sure they were going to leave the teaching profession because they hated it. They had their resumes up on monster.com and were looking for anything/everything else. They both ended up going back to teaching and they had incredible years after that. They said every teacher has a bad year, or even a couple bad years, but you have good years too that make it all worth it.
Whatever you decide to do I’m sure will be the best decision for you. 🙂 You need to do what fulfills you and makes you happy!
Yes, I agree that your job takes up so much of your time that it is not fun to be somewhere you don’t want to be for that long.
That’s reassuring to hear that a lot of other teachers have thought about quitting!
What other kind of jobs are you interested in?
I’m not sure??. . . .things I am not qualified for: physical therapy, a professional runner 😉
I do want to be a stay-at-home mom eventually.
What other kind of jobs are you interested in?
I’m not sure??. . . .things I am not qualified for: physical therapy, a professional runner 😉
I do want to be a stay-at-home mom eventually.
Best of luck with your decision Michelle. I can totally relate to your dilemma – I quit my job a year ago because I felt so trapped. It was providing a paycheck but was holding be back in every other part of my life. So I took a year off and just recently started a new job that is soooooo much better. I made the decision when I left that I was willing to accept a lot of uncertainty and potential sacrifice in order to enjoy life on a daily basis. Sometimes you have to take a giant leap of faith. Life is too short. I hope it all works out!
Thanks so much for the comment! It is encouraging to hear that it is possible to take a big leap of faith like that and have things work out!
Best of luck with your decision Michelle. I can totally relate to your dilemma – I quit my job a year ago because I felt so trapped. It was providing a paycheck but was holding be back in every other part of my life. So I took a year off and just recently started a new job that is soooooo much better. I made the decision when I left that I was willing to accept a lot of uncertainty and potential sacrifice in order to enjoy life on a daily basis. Sometimes you have to take a giant leap of faith. Life is too short. I hope it all works out!
Thanks so much for the comment! It is encouraging to hear that it is possible to take a big leap of faith like that and have things work out!
Do you think you would be stressed in teaching all grades/schools? Maybe it was just the atmosphere of the last job?
I taught one year of high school and that was super stressful as well. 🙁
Yes and no. I think being in a different school, but I still don’t think I’d *love* teaching.
Do you think you would be stressed in teaching all grades/schools? Maybe it was just the atmosphere of the last job?
I taught one year of high school and that was super stressful as well. 🙁
Yes and no. I think being in a different school, but I still don’t think I’d *love* teaching.
Try to think about why you originally chose to be a teacher…what drew you to it? For me it was my love of science. I wanted to teach kids about the world around them and I also wanted to be a positive role model in their life. When I got down I tried to remember what my goals where. The hard part about teaching is that you very rarely get feedback that you are effecting the kids. I just want to encourage you to try and remember what drew you to the career originally…can you still find the joy? Can you reevaluate how/what you teach the kids? Can you bring more focus to nutrition or helping the kids to figure out how they can stay healthy long term? I know that may be a stretch with young kids, but the sooner they learn the importance of it the more likely they will learn it! I know I talk to Kiara about what things are healthy for her. Just some thoughts…sorry it got long!
Thanks! I think I do need to reframe my mindset and think about teaching in a new light. It is hard, but I’ve got to try something different if I go back.
Try to think about why you originally chose to be a teacher…what drew you to it? For me it was my love of science. I wanted to teach kids about the world around them and I also wanted to be a positive role model in their life. When I got down I tried to remember what my goals where. The hard part about teaching is that you very rarely get feedback that you are effecting the kids. I just want to encourage you to try and remember what drew you to the career originally…can you still find the joy? Can you reevaluate how/what you teach the kids? Can you bring more focus to nutrition or helping the kids to figure out how they can stay healthy long term? I know that may be a stretch with young kids, but the sooner they learn the importance of it the more likely they will learn it! I know I talk to Kiara about what things are healthy for her. Just some thoughts…sorry it got long!
Thanks! I think I do need to reframe my mindset and think about teaching in a new light. It is hard, but I’ve got to try something different if I go back.
I quit my job a month ago. It was an incredibly stressful decision. I had worked at the same agency for over two years and was very well paid, but was overworked (~60 hours/week) and my supervisor was well, an “unkind” person to say the least. I finally made the decision to leave and have taken the only job I could find thus far where I make about 20% of my previous income.
There is still stress, but I find it more manageable. Before, I was exhausted and felt defeated every day. Now, I feel more like a whole, functioning person, but there is the new financial stress. I feel that this stress is easier to manage, but still not fun. I am still looking for a better job in the meantime, but I believe I made the right decision for me… though my wallet is considerably lighter… 🙁
Thanks for the comment! That was very helpful. I’ve often wondered if having a stressful job or less money would be more stressful.
I quit my job a month ago. It was an incredibly stressful decision. I had worked at the same agency for over two years and was very well paid, but was overworked (~60 hours/week) and my supervisor was well, an “unkind” person to say the least. I finally made the decision to leave and have taken the only job I could find thus far where I make about 20% of my previous income.
There is still stress, but I find it more manageable. Before, I was exhausted and felt defeated every day. Now, I feel more like a whole, functioning person, but there is the new financial stress. I feel that this stress is easier to manage, but still not fun. I am still looking for a better job in the meantime, but I believe I made the right decision for me… though my wallet is considerably lighter… 🙁
Thanks for the comment! That was very helpful. I’ve often wondered if having a stressful job or less money would be more stressful.
I know that I dont have to support myself, I still live at home, but I do work at a large insurance company in a response center and I am the person that takes the brunt of everyones problems when they are having problems with there insurance or need to file a claim. Always being called by negative people can be VERY exhausting. There are times where I want to quit and I just want to be a student, but my parents remind me in this economy I am lucky to have a job in a great company. So at this point, I am staying but I look forward to the day when I can go full time and get a different job in the same company! 😀
Oh my, that does not sound enjoyable! I feel so bad for those people and any time I have to call people like that, I do my best to be extra nice. My parents would say the same thing!
I know that I dont have to support myself, I still live at home, but I do work at a large insurance company in a response center and I am the person that takes the brunt of everyones problems when they are having problems with there insurance or need to file a claim. Always being called by negative people can be VERY exhausting. There are times where I want to quit and I just want to be a student, but my parents remind me in this economy I am lucky to have a job in a great company. So at this point, I am staying but I look forward to the day when I can go full time and get a different job in the same company! 😀
Oh my, that does not sound enjoyable! I feel so bad for those people and any time I have to call people like that, I do my best to be extra nice. My parents would say the same thing!