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Career choice gone awry... help?

Tamske

Writing...
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
1,764
MBTI Type
ENTP
Hello folks!

I've got a PhD in theoretical physics, a teacher's degree and I'm working as a teacher for four years now. Up till now, my teacher's career consisted out of temporary jobs, substituting an ill or pregnant colleague. Up till now, I always told myself that it'll go better next year, when I'm a bit more experienced, when I'm not pregnant myself, when I'm not trying to combine the job with the teacher's course (<- the very first year)...
It never got better. There's always something I can blame, and I guess that the following years I'll have to care for my daughter, possibly for another child as well, etc etc. The last few months I've more or less neglected my husband (to care for the baby or to work for school) and that can not be right!

There are two connected problems with me as a teacher. The worst is: I can't keep order in the classroom. Each lesson (even the good ones) is such a drain on my body and mind, and sometimes I just don't find the courage to call the naughty students out. Which is problematic, as the students see this as if I'm allowing their behavior; so it gets worse still. The other is that I have to work through the weekend to prepare my lessons. I think they are connected because, normally, I should be able to work on Wednesdays and on my hours off (there are only 20 teaching hours in a full time job, and to me, it's already too much!) - but I'm so exhausted I'm not able to do anything but sit in the couch and waiting until it's time to go to bed. I don't want to do school work in the weekends! The weekends are meant to play with my baby daughter, to do long walks, maybe even to do some sports.

So, what now?
What would be a good job for an ENTP with a physics and teacher's degree?
Or should I keep going with the teaching job? I'm a bit afraid that I'd land in a worse hole, especially if I change jobs only to escape the schools - I don't have any positive motivation now. Any ideas?
 

Randomnity

insert random title here
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Do you think it might help/would it be possible to try a different age group? maybe much younger students?
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
Staff member
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Or much older students. Any community colleges in your area? I have a friend who eased into a permanent position by picking up a couple classes, then more, and more. Are you good at writing? Another option might be technical writing (e.g. manuals, training documents, etc.) Many are notoriously poorly written, and a good writer is worth his/her weight in gold (can't vouch for the actual compensation).
 

Tamske

Writing...
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
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1,764
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* screams * There are jobs in technical writing??? Where??? Writing is exactly the thing I love to do! And combining writing and science and explaining science... That might actually be the perfect job for me. Where do I apply?!

A lot of thanks to all of you! Yesterday I met my mentor, who gave me a big pep talk and a ton of hints. So I'm back in the game.
 

FDG

pathwise dependent
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
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* screams * There are jobs in technical writing??? Where??? Writing is exactly the thing I love to do! And combining writing and science and explaining science... That might actually be the perfect job for me. Where do I apply?!

A lot of thanks to all of you! Yesterday I met my mentor, who gave me a big pep talk and a ton of hints. So I'm back in the game.

You live in the Netherlands, correct? There's a branch of the european patent office in Den Haag, although I don't know exactly how far is that from your current location.
 
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