Career-Changing Tips from the Web
- Teachers are in a great position to transition to writing for kids. Here's a story from Fast Company about an approach that worked for a lawyer-turned-YA author.
- A great case study of a teacher who successfully transitioned to a career in marketing.
- Branding: It’s not just for companies. Creating a personal brand can help you land a new job. Here are some tips.
- An inspiring read about reinventing yourself with a great slide show.
- If you aspire to leave teaching at the end of the 2012-2013 school year, take a look NOW at your social media profiles and make sure they reflect you in the best possible light. This article from Mashable has some helpful charts suggesting what should and shouldn't be there.
After teaching in the same district for 16 years, I am leaving the profession at the end of this month. Despite the fact that my students continually score higher higher on the state tests than many other teachers in my school, I am still reprimanded for teaching grammar, focusing on all my students and not working primarily with the few who just need a few points improvement to pass the state exam, and I don't mind working 10 to 12 hour days, but I am tired of not receiving positive feedback when I've done a good job. I refuse to view my students as numbers that track their performance and not as individuals with diverse needs. This is why I need to leave the profession, while I still care and not wait until I become a Common Core Robot who spouts the latest educational jargon without caring how it impacts my students. The final straw was when I was at a team meeting and brought up the fact that many of my middle school students couldn't tell time from the analog clock on the wall. "That's not important, because they won't be tested on that skill," I was informed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas on this site. It's so helpful to know I'm not alone.