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After seeking out all the help I can get in person from family, friends, and colleagues, I'll try my luck at the work forums to see if there's any help I haven't found just yet.
I am currently a PE/Health teacher in my late 20s teaching elementary school. While in my freshman year at college attending a large midwestern school, I seriously injured my back while playing sports which caused me to have 2 surgeries the following summer. At the time, I wouldn't know the long term repercussions of my injury and it's effect on my career choice, but being only 20 years old those thoughts were not at the top of my head. I ended up finishing my bachelor's in the field of kinesiology to advance with a graduate/professional degree in the health care fields. After being denied getting into PA school, I went with my backup of physical therapy school. 1 year in, and I realized that it wasn't the profession I had a passion for as well as several other personal reasons (I.E. Would I physically be able to manipulate and give therapy to people?). I then decided to finish graduate school getting my Master's at least in Teaching where I used my background to go into health and PE.
Aside from the decisions I made going with the degrees I completed (regrets and poor choices in retrospect), I was able to gain employment as a teacher 2 years after I finished my degree while working side and part time jobs in the meantime. However, during the years in graduate school my back continued to get worse. During my last year of grad school I had a spinal fusion (L4-S1) to correct my back issues from prior. Thinking that surgery would fix me for good, I continued on with my career. The past year brought more of the same when I continued to have pain in my back and after seeing a 2nd specialist and several opinions, I had a re-spinal fusion to correct what was done wrong as well as lingering issues. I spent 5 months recovering at home on disability and recovering while doing therapy which allowed me to finish out the school year. Despite healing completely (in medical terms) I continue to have pain when I stand for 20-25 minutes or longer. Being a PE teacher, I'm on my feet all day and teaching from a chair is near impossible since I move all day, which isn't great for my back either (even though I'm also very fit and in shape). I come to a crossroads in my life where I can't seem to find direction or answers. I cannot go back to teaching because the physical pain is too unbearable, coupled with the stresses of being a teacher in todays' world... I just cannot continue on.
TL;DR - With my back condition now totally affecting my career, I'm looking for some advice or opinions on possible career fields I could go into. Mind you, I've been applying to sit down field jobs for well over 3 months, but along with everyone else in this world, I am struggling to find anything. I have considerable student debt, am single, still live at home currently, but I want to move forward with my life and take a positive outlook on whatever I can do to contribute to society and be somewhat happy. Any thoughts?
What about educational administration? You have experience in teaching. You could get certified and be a principal. Then go on to become a Superintendent.
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