I am currently in the throes of considering a career change.
Here's the thing. I have a graduate and a post-graduate degree in my chosen field. I have been an educator for the past 15 years, give or take. I worked with school aged kids in an after-school program, I became that program's administrator. I taught elementary school. I was a middle school principal. I did state-level policy work, and I've been a consultant. I've coached teachers, principals and school improvement teams. I've prescribed solutions for schools and helped them improve. I could go on all night, but those are the highlights.
So you could say I've done quite a bit in that field.
And I do love it - but, here's the other thing. It's work that takes a lot of time. A LOT of time, and a lot of travel. Which I love so much, but here's the next thing. I've got two kids. Two kids that I want to be around for, while they're babies and more importantly (I think) when they get home from school in the afternoons when they're older. Doing what I love to do doesn't really allow that. And I'm really up for something new. A new challenge, a new project. Charlotte's in school 5 mornings a week and she'll be in school 5 days a week from now on. When Claire turns 2, she'll go a few mornings a week as well.
So I've got two years to switch gears.
And what I'm trying to figure out now is, what am I good at? I was talking all of this out with Mr. P recently and he calls it like this: He says that I possess the rare dual abilities of being able to charm anyone I meet AND being able to drop the hammer on anyone when need be. According to Mr. P, some people are charming, fewer people are comfortable dropping the hammer and only a handful of us can do both.
What that qualifies me to do, I have no idea. I'm good at a lot of things. I can't think of anything I'm really bad at, except maybe math. I am trying to figure out how to do something I really enjoy - but it needs to be extraordinarily part time with the potential of full(er) time down the road when both girls go to school all day long.
So. Any of you got a job like that? What do you do? Do you love it?
Here's the thing. I have a graduate and a post-graduate degree in my chosen field. I have been an educator for the past 15 years, give or take. I worked with school aged kids in an after-school program, I became that program's administrator. I taught elementary school. I was a middle school principal. I did state-level policy work, and I've been a consultant. I've coached teachers, principals and school improvement teams. I've prescribed solutions for schools and helped them improve. I could go on all night, but those are the highlights.
So you could say I've done quite a bit in that field.
And I do love it - but, here's the other thing. It's work that takes a lot of time. A LOT of time, and a lot of travel. Which I love so much, but here's the next thing. I've got two kids. Two kids that I want to be around for, while they're babies and more importantly (I think) when they get home from school in the afternoons when they're older. Doing what I love to do doesn't really allow that. And I'm really up for something new. A new challenge, a new project. Charlotte's in school 5 mornings a week and she'll be in school 5 days a week from now on. When Claire turns 2, she'll go a few mornings a week as well.
So I've got two years to switch gears.
And what I'm trying to figure out now is, what am I good at? I was talking all of this out with Mr. P recently and he calls it like this: He says that I possess the rare dual abilities of being able to charm anyone I meet AND being able to drop the hammer on anyone when need be. According to Mr. P, some people are charming, fewer people are comfortable dropping the hammer and only a handful of us can do both.
What that qualifies me to do, I have no idea. I'm good at a lot of things. I can't think of anything I'm really bad at, except maybe math. I am trying to figure out how to do something I really enjoy - but it needs to be extraordinarily part time with the potential of full(er) time down the road when both girls go to school all day long.
So. Any of you got a job like that? What do you do? Do you love it?