Should I just go for it?

I can't shake the feeling that I want to be a teacher and I'm thinking of going back to school for it. Its going to take a few years and about 14,000 dollars. I've always wanted to be a teacher but I feel like I may be too shy or not good enough to do it. I just graduated from college with a degree in a sociology which is not helpful at all since I'm thinking of being an elementary school teacher. I absolutely hated college, not because of academics, but because I never knew what to major in or what career to pursue since I didn't feel like I could be a teacher. I should've majored in education but for most of college I had pretty bad social anxiety and probably some mild depression so I didn't think I would be able to handle it. My anxiety have decreased quite a bit but I'm still nervous that I will fail at it. I literally have wanted to be a teacher since I was 3 years old. Its the only thing I have ever wanted to be (other than an opera singer, lol). It feels like it might be my calling. Should I just take a chance and do it?

Absolutely. Peer pressure aside drugs have helped many people. I never hesitate to try a new drug, you shouldn't either

my mistake, I meant to text that to my 11 year old nephew.

Teaching is a wonderful aspiration to have. A great teacher can change a persons life. I had this one teacher that would get me stoned before class. I'll never forget what's his name

Originally Posted by NotSoRighteousRob

my mistake, I meant to text that to my 11 year old nephew.

Teaching is a wonderful aspiration to have. A great teacher can change a persons life. I had this one teacher that would get me stoned before class. I'll never forget what's his name

Originally Posted by NotSoRighteousRob

Absolutely. Peer pressure aside drugs have helped many people. I never hesitate to try a new drug, you shouldn't either

I'm going to assume that you're stoned right now. lol

Go for it. You're still young. You still have time to make mistakes and not have irreparable repercussions.

Look at yourself a few years from now... do you want to be in a Kindergarten class teaching kids or what you're doing now?

Never lose hope! I love it when somebody tells me this. I also have a pretty far-fetched dream in a pretty far (literally) place. And things are not clear at all right now. But it seems like you have the passion and I can see you're gonna go for it with your heart even if there are challenges for now! Best of luck.

If you want to be more sure it's what you want to do, I would go back and see if you can get student teaching asap so you can see what it's like in the day of a teacher so you get more of a firsthand look of what the job entails.

Plus, you can probably go back and skip all of that gen-ed bull pucky since you probably have it covered already, getting your degree a lot sooner than in 4-5 years.

How does your social anxiety compare to your desire to be a teacher? You realize you have to stand in front of a classroom to teach, right? Even if you want to teach 6 year olds, you may have to substitute for middle school or high school aged kids to get that position you want.

If you are really committed to this, I'd say go for it most definitely. Not sure how much you are making now, but a $14k investment is chump change, especially if you aren't making much currently. Its one thing to invest in something you want to do, but its even more of a reason to go if its something you want to do AND its better financially (its recommended to never take out a student loan roughly 1:1 to what your starting salary will be, so even a teaching gig in a poor district should be able to handle 14k).

It's probably a good idea to go for an elementary teaching degree. Because you are teaching elementary school, there should be demand for you as a teacher (which might not exist if you were trying to teach secondary level history or english).

Is there any demand for teachers right now? I know that, especially in the US, teachers are really fighting for their jobs, because decreased funding to education is making it difficult for schools to hold on to all of their staff. Also, are you going to be able to invest that $14,000 out-of-pocket, or will you have to take out loans? Will you be able to pay the loans off on a teacher's salary?

I'm not saying don't go for it; I'm actually changing tacks and trying to become a teacher right now. Specifically, a ballroom dance teacher; me, with my B.S. in Biotechnology! It does pay to be aware of the hardships you might face, though.