You’ve been on your current career path for a few years — or maybe it’s only a few months — and you suspect this isn’t where you want to be long term. Maybe you don’t find the work rewarding, or you aren’t making the meaningful connections you expected. If the nagging dissatisfaction is persistent and growing, it may be time to consider switching careers. Especially if you’re looking for more personal satisfaction, a career change to teaching is something to consider.
Teachers take on lofty responsibilities like conveying knowledge that will help future generations develop and grow so that they can forward the progress of civilization. If all that sounds a bit daunting, think of it this way: becoming a teacher means that you will be able to positively affect the lives of students, helping them reach their goals. You may also find that the principles and values that underpin good teaching better align with your own, making that profession a more natural fit.
Making a transition to a new career can be scary, and transitioning to teaching may make you feel apprehensive. But teaching can also bring meaning and clarity to your life and work. Remember that teachers qualified in STEM disciplines are in demand. Depending on where you live, there may well be local resources, like mentoring by master teachers and certification support, offered by school boards eager to recruit good teachers.
At the end of the day, you are the only one who can decide if teaching is the right career for you. But you don’t have to decide alone. Find a mentor and sit down with that person for a frank informational interview about the job, its joys and frustrations, and what it takes to do it well. Then ask that mentor for other names of teachers you can talk to as you create a support network. Use all the resources at hand to help you make an informed decision. Most importantly, look inside yourself and make a choice that’s right for you.
