I am asked time and time again about my move aka
career change from computer science to teaching. For me there were a lot of factors to
consider. My foot in the door of teaching
was interesting and not initially planned.
What
did I DO in computer science?
I was first a programmer and worked with
programming database programs using SQL and Visual Basic to customize the
database, forms and queries to individual business needs. I worked on various projects for a company
that eventually closed, as the sales were not solid. I
quickly picked up substitute teaching while looking for another job, it paid
well, there was a need, and I had the qualifications. I then worked for a consulting company that
tested company’s software before they put it into production. I wrote technical manuals, and documented
errors in what was expected versus what actually happened. I apparently was very good at it and quickly
slid into a training position aka shift supervisor. I was offered several jobs
but they were 90+ miles from my home. This is important! In May of 2001 I checked into getting my
teaching license for the first time. I
planned to work at a career tech center as a teacher. I wanted hours more suitable for my family. Eventually,
I chose not to enroll in classes that started in June. THEN the consulting
company eventually went under for sales… too bad I didn’t know it was coming,
to get unemployment while going back to school would have been ideal, but I
missed the teaching program’s window. Here’s the thing, I could have worked for
an established company 90 miles from my home but I was recently married,
already had a 4-year-old and just bought a house in the middle of a corn field,
a corn field not very close to established tech companies. I wasn’t interested
in picking up and moving, moving away from our babysitters and a commute longer
than 45 minutes was NOT feasible. While looking for another job I found that I
was expecting another baby and well…it made sense to stop looking for
employment for the moment.
Career
Changer
At this point, I went back to substitute
teaching. I could pick my jobs, they
weren’t every day but I could pick what jobs I accepted and could be home when
my daughter, now 5, got off the bus. That was the most important part of being a
teacher, the schedule matched my school-age daughter’s schedule. It’s not fantastic to say in an
interview. Why did you go into
teaching? The schedule. But remember
above, …trainer, …back to teaching. There was likely more to it than I could see
on the surface. I spent a couple years at home running an in-home daycare and
soon found a job at an adult tech center.
I trained adults to find jobs and to learn computer skills to make them
more employable and I could be home
by 3:30. I continued teaching as an adjunct at a local college but then I
wasn’t making the income I needed for our family versus the time I was putting
in. That’s when I started looking into
other corporate training jobs or the idea of getting a teaching license
again. At this point, 10 years after the
first attempt at a teaching license, I’d been teaching longer than I’d been in
the computer science profession.
Being
Prepared
The recommendation was to get my math license and
get a computer science license as a supplemental as none of the universities in
Ohio outright provided the CS license as an option. NONE of them. My initial
degree was not in mathematics; it was computer information systems so I had
fewer math courses than many in my cohort. I did struggle to catch-up and
remember concepts, it was 12 years since my undergrad graduation and I had not
used higher-level math throughout those years. I did get the assistance
of a tutor and watched videos on Youtube. Specifically Khan Academy on problem sets I needed
assistance and Shawn
Teaches on YouTube.
WWF
I found the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship on
accident. <More
here> When I was offered the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship I realized this
was an opportunity I was practically forced to go along with. I could not put it off any longer. They were
going to help me go back to school and my stipend would allow me to quit my job
so my family would be fine!
The Student/Parent
I commuted to Cincinnati from near Springfield,
OH everyday. 180 miles round-trip. I was previously very involved with my
daughter's school and gave up ALL volunteer efforts while in the program.
It was enough to teach, go to college courses, and come home to feed my
family. My husband was supportive and my kids understood that when I came
home I would be doing schoolwork. I got through it by saying it's only
one year, and I pretty much made it a one-year commitment. Nothing since
have I allowed to take so much time but I did leave my house before 7:30 AM and
not get home until after 8:30 PM except for Fridays when I generally got home
closer to 6 PM. I worked on classroom prep every Sunday so my "day
off" Saturday was generally spent on my college coursework. This did not
allow for time to work on my kids’ school projects with them, or participate in
taking them to practices. I did get to
pick up my youngest daughter from gymnastics on Mondays at 8:30 PM and
sometimes take her, and my other daughters were in marching band that was
thankfully mostly on Fridays, and the occasional Saturday contest. I had to ask my kids to take on a lot more
responsibility including teenagers making dinner but it didn’t kill them.
The
payoff
I have a job now that I LOVE! This program
helped me get through it quicker with less of a financial burden but please
know that it is A LOT of work.
I actually talked some about my experiences with
the program in a talk at the Ohio Statehouse in 2012. Details can be
found http://www.OhioChannel.org/MediaLibrary/Media.aspx?fileId=135686&startTime=641
Best Wishes on what you decide.
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