Why I Quit Engineering to be a Teacher
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- As college engineering major that spent two years as a software developer who then quit engineering to become a teacher, I wanted to share my story of how I came to the choice and some of the logic behind my decision.
This is literally the exact struggle I am currently facing. I am an engineer and I absolutely hate it. I became an engineer for the title, pride, and money that comes with it, but as I’ve matured and now have a family of my own, I’ve realized I don’t want to waste my life on overtime and hating what I do. I currently teach classes at my church and I LOVE IT. I still have a love for technology, I just don’t care about the corporate structure and the endless cycle of project to completion without feeling satisfied that I’ve impacted or helped someone else. Teaching electrical systems is more exciting to me than actually building them because watching someone’s face light up when the idea finally clicks in their mind is 100000x’s more satisfying to me. I want to impact people, not products. However, I’m still trying to justify the pay cut 😔
Instead of trying to justify the pay cut, try justifying why you aren't happy or fullfilled for 40 hours per week. If you're children deserve to be happy, why don't you? If you live in a house and won't be able to afford payments, thats one thing, if it means you need to cook a few more times per week and be a little tighter (for now) with your spending, thats another thing. Talk with your partner, if they are against the paycut, put together a plan for how you can make up the $, also remember, a teacher salary is for 10ish months of the year in most states, (36 weeks in MA) you can find work during the summer to make more $. How old are you?
This video is a blessing . I am currently trying to decide on teaching. “Not making enough money 💰 “ was holding me back. I have been substitute teaching for four years to be on my daughters schedule. I enjoy the children and the different subjects and specialties that I’ve taught. Thank you so much for posting .
NewBee T your welcome! What state are you in?
This is my current story. I’m working on a substitute teacher to be on my daughter’s schedule as well. Contemplating the full dive into teaching.
Great courage and risk taking my friend ! That’s why you are where you are now ! Calculated risk and willing to take a leap !
Thanks for sharing man! It's great that you took that step. takes a real man to do it!
I love the fact you stepped completely out of your comfort Zone... You will create great changes as an Educator :) great story Zach my fav..
This has been great! Thank you for this!
I'm currently in a dilemma as to should I switch and I'm almost certain I will, but it just seems so scary to change field! This helped a lot, thanks you😊
Divya Yadav you’re welcome, I’ve been teaching for 6 years now, and couldn’t be happier with the switch
Very inspiring. I want to become a math instructor but am scared of that pay cut (as a civil engineer currently)
Well, you could start putting out resumes and shopping for jobs, in MA I can find out what the salary is of any public school teacher by looking at the “step schedule” which says the offered salary based on years of experience and education, if you are dying a little everyday as an engineer (40 hrs/wk) and you switch to living (40 hrs/wk) then you will find the satisfaction to $ ratio is pretty great
Curious OP, as a Civil Engineer, does your daily job involve calculus and geometry calculations, and are you using them to design and test new buildings/homes and bridges? Or is it just a shit ton of repetitive stuff, emails, excel spreadsheets, endless pointless meetings, that kind of thing? The former sounds pretty cool to me, honestly.
Great video, I agree that doing something you hate 40hrs a week is not worth it. Life is too short and precious
paul cross what do you do for work? (Your 40 hrs/week?)
Definitely see you being a great teacher! Killing yourself at a job you don't like is so unhealthy! Love the message in this video!
PMdre Fitness thank you! Are you a fitness trainer full time?
Not yet but that's my goal. I'm doing it part time on top of my full time job.
Credit to you bro! You know what really matters!
MIND SHORE thank you! I’m continuing to make the highest percent of my time being used for what I love
I am happy that you're doing what you love now! 😊
Liz Schettner thank you Liz! Do you do what you love for 40+ hrs a week?
Yes, I do :) And I am so thankful, counting my blessings every day.
Liz Schettner what is your main workload consist of? (Even if it occurs as more play than work)
Awesome you did the landmark forum too, good to hear brother 👍
Clifford Starks are you a graduate as well!? :)
Thank you for sharing this! 8+ year engineer thinking of transitioning into teaching. Would love to speak with you, it you're open to it.
email me at zwatson0@gmail.com
I respond quicker to dm’s on my TikTok @zachthinkshare
I'm experiencing the same thing. I'm a fresh graduate civil engineer(23years old) that got in this major just for the title and money. I know that becoming a math teacher will make me much more happier. I have big ambitions towards this career. My parents are teachers and i love the way how their students come and thank them after years. I don't have the guts to do the shift for the fear of regret. But i'm sure that this is what i want. Any advice?
First off, feel free to email me and we can have a longer talk if you want more in-depth, but a few questions I would start with..
1. What is the regret you are most scared of?
1b. Is it that you will switch to teaching and not be able to go back to CE?
1c. Or is it that you will regret the financial challenge of dropping salary (or both)
2. I know the $ change is big for a lot of ppl, so I chose to get my masters quickly and get it over with (which helps teachers earn more in most states), find out what the actual amount is you might get paid if you switch, and what kind of lifestyle changes may need to happen
3 This may be challenging during the pandemic, but ask around your friends or peers, that are teachers in your area, ask what their experiences are like, I know it’s taken me a few jobs to realize which population of students I like working with regular/special ed
4 ask your teacher friends if they would want to do any kind of career day, so you can speak with the type of students you might be interested in teaching, get your feet wet, i personally substitute taught during college and started a free tutoring service for a local high school when I was an engineer to remind myself what teaching was like.
I know $ was my biggest barrier, but never researched the phrase “teachers don’t get paid enough” then I looked it up and saw the difference in salaries was worth the fulfillment of everyday. It’s no doubt a challenging job and I think I learn more, and it suits my extroversion much better. I switched when I was your age, I was glad to have 2 years as a software developer under my belt, so I could at least know I’d given it a shot. Feel free to ask more questions here or at zwatson0@gmail.com
we're the same.im also 23.a licensed civil engineer.and i want to be a math teacher
Good on ya man!
This helps a lot. I was set on education but now considering meteorology or linguistics. Not really sure what is right anymore
einhornmorgan I’m. Or sure how old you are but I read the book “Defining decade” which help me answer the question it sounds like you have, our twenties are a great time to dabble in different things to gain (I think it was called) social or identity capital which is a series of sprites and experiences that help make up who we are on a resume, or who we are to our selves, so, you can choose either, maybe start with the one that has more pros than cons, where you can measure $ equally to other pros and go for it, and just know that it is ok if you don’t like it, you can switch! The reason we often want to get these experiences before 30 is because those that want children can start having some challenges after 30 so, ideally we have some variety in experiences by then, so we have a better idea of what we do or don’t like by the time we might want to start having children and give them an opportunity to grow up in a stable environment... I think I shall make a vid on this... let hear your follow up questions and responses! :) hope this was useful!
Was the "teaching" alone enough, or is what you teach also important rather than just teaching anything?
so can a doctor teach biology in the high school?
I am a 1st year engineering student and I am thinking of switching my course to education.
Don't do it. Please RUclips search "Why i quit teaching". I'm a math teacher. There is no work-life balance with this profession.
This guy is essentially me...lol. I do renovation work, my degree is in math, and I currently work as a software engineer thinking about going back to teaching.
I guess the question you need to answer is if you are considering teaching how much happier will you be, and the pay cut you take, will it be worth the happiness
can you teach an engineering class in a highschool with an engineering degree?? or can you take some extra classes to make your degree equivalent?
In MA, idk about other states, you can pass an MTEL (teacher test) for engineering which gives you a license to teach engineering, depending on the administrators of a school anyone could teach an engineering class if they could convince their admin
Also, where do you teach at (Is it a public school etc.), and how did you become a teacher?
im really considering it switching my major!
I would recommend sticking with engineering as a major, and getting a minor in education, then maybe finding a 1 year program to get your masters in teaching, I am glad that I have a lot of technical skills, its my love for people that helps me be a teacher, vs the training of getting a teaching certification I found to be less valuable than just practicing by being in a classroom. (I'm really glad I got to do my student teaching while employed) I also wish I had someone holding my hand a bit more to practice lesson planning, as I feel like my skills in lesson planning are still lacking, and now people don't have the time to help me as much, so I wrestle with it on my own a lot...that was a lot, feel free to email me at thethinkshare@gmail.com to talk more about it:)
Hi think share, this is Athulya
I believe we were talking about 'whys'.
Sorry I always type a alot, but I could use some advice from anyone if you have any. I am so deep into this situation it's petrifying to know what to do. I've always wanted to be a teacher but currently I am a mechanical engineer at a Fortune 500 company making a good amount of money but want to be an adjunct professor at a community college because there is a good position open that has the opportunity to develop the engineering program at the college; I think that would be a great experience and resume builder, even though I have even greater experiences/opportunities at my current job. ALSO However, not only is there a pay cut, but there's also a chance someone with a master's degree could come in and take over and I'd be replaced unexpectedly. And I'd be taking about a half a pay cut, about $45,000 reduction. I just bought a house last year I just bought a car last year my husband just bought a car last year so I'm worried I'm going to lose everything I worked hard for because I'm just so miserable and I have panic attacks everyday before/during work and basically can't even get anything done because I'm so upset sitting in my office the whole time and petrified to work on anything and be productive because I just don't care to. But the worst part is it's not even my job itself it's my mental illness (bipolar depression and anxiety) is really bad right now and affecting my job and ability to do it. So it's not that I don't want to do my job, it's I feel like I can't do it at this point in my life because of my mental state and other factors that are bringing me down outside of work. I know my first step is to get a budget and talk to the dean who I have been talking to to know what I'm getting into and see if I can at least afford what I've already set up for my life. But even after that security it's still hurts very much to take that pay cut especially when I'm expecting a big raise within a month for working so well last year....
1st I recommend starting with asking yourself what you are grateful for to get in the mindset of abundance and looking fondly on what you already have, I’d argue you have a pretty good problem to have, obv not the mental illness, but you have skills that are greatly sought after in this day and age.
Next: on making the career move, looking to your death bed, would you regret not giving it a shot? If so, take the steps you need to, to make it work financially. I took a $36k paycut 66->30, however I saw it as Paying $36k to feed my soul, and be happier 40-50 hrs a week x 36 weeks, 45 hrs x 36 weeks is 1620 hrs/yr $36k/1620hrs => $22/hr for being happier at work, yours is more expensive and you may not find the trade off worth it, I figure the showing you the math from engineer to engineer would be helpful,
Another question, how does your partner feel about it? And do you have a therapist? I would also offer that stem teachers are in HIGH demand, you may be able to negotiate your salary as well, in MA we need to pass teacher tests, you’d probably pass math 5-8, 8-12 and physics no problem, every district is itching for math and physics teachers, I hope I’m not too biased, I’m happy to keep responding
Did you end up becoming a teacher or stick with engineering?
I am now an engineer at a new company. It is a great job and it's been a journey to get here... I had done an adjunct professor role in the while I was employed at the company above, I did so for a one class for a semester. I had to go on short term disability as an engineer because of my mental health getting so bad. My pay ended up taking a hit then, and I ended up losing my job within 6 months due to running out of disability. So the thing I was most worried about had happened basically and I needed to find another job. The school I was working for did not have the position open anymore, they ended up not having a need for it (I'm pretty sure I had applied shortly after commenting above and then they killed it anyway). After losing my job, I needed another and I found another reliability engineering job at a smaller company. Still paid more than the community collage but much less than before. Between my husband and I we got by just fine financially. I taught again on the side the same class that I had the previous year. I felt much better at the engineering job and I felt like I had improved my mental health during my short term to help with that. However I was the only reliability engineer for the plant and there were many issues where I felt unheard and not quite respected as an engineer. I was working harder at the small company for less money, I felt I deserved more and missed my old company. Only a year into my new job and I started looking elsewhere. I am not the one to job hop but instead of me being the problem with feeling unsatisfied, I was having a problem with where I was at. I needed to leave before it made me depressed again. Now I'm making more than I have ever and I feel the best I have felt. I was actually struggling with bills once my husband and i sperated (shortly after I was done teaching the 2nd time) but i have no worries anymore. Notice in both my posts a huge factor was my own mental health needing to be the focus so everything around me could be more manageable. I have also grown and learned as an engineer and I don't feel like I have imposter syndrome for once in my career. There's a lot of personal growth and taking care of ourselves that may be the solution before anything else. How is the tricky thing, sometimes it may be a job change though, I am feeling so much better than my previous job I was already feeling a bit better about. I think finding the right medication was a huge difference for me because of my bipolar. Then trying to reduce the stressors in life so that the stress of work is manageable. I still loved teaching, but I still struggled a little with keeping on top of things because of home and life stress. I am back to loving engineering again though so I am very grateful.
@@251g I commented a reply to you below
How did you become a teacher with an engineering degree
Ethan Pinto I got the engineering degree first, then after two years of strongly disliking my software development job, I chose to pursue teaching jobs, which I figured I would want to do for a whole but was never quite sure
Think Share wait so did you go back to school or did you just find a job with your engineering degree
Ethan Pinto I found a job as a teacher as most require a bachelors and to pass some tests (in MA they are called MTELs) so I took some tests and got a preliminary license, got a job to get my foot in the door, then as I started being a teacher I took night classes for a masters degree, in MA you are supposed to get a masters within 5 years of starting to teach. Many of my colleagues don’t have Masters yet and just did the first part of what I did
In india, it is better to be teacher I think
I imagine, I know it definitely is in China, teachers get paid the equivalent of doctors
@@zachthinkshare in india its not that much though, but you almost gain same respect
@@benoyoommen6484 that’s cool, I’d love to have more respect for my job
I bet he stopped being a teacher
How is teaching going on for you now?
I’m at my 5th school, 6th role, definitely glad I made this change when I did, I’m interested in making the jump to entrepreneur in the next year, we have a new born, and I want to be home for more and make income as an accountability and relationship coach
@@zachthinkshare are you a relationship coach? good I have always wanted to ask a relationship coach to describe women in 2 to 3 words.
@@AfroMedic love, emotion, intuition
@@zachthinkshare you must have come from a very stable environment, if I am not wrong.
@@AfroMedic I’d say so ya, I acknowledge my privilege