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Hi all!
Would like your experience and advice. So here it is, I'm a 50 year old single mom; an elementary school teacher for 16 years; can't afford my own home, or catch up with debt. I've got to get out of this hopeless abyss! I'm ready for a major overhaul.
I have post graduate credits but have never finished my masters in education because my special needs kid took up much of my time and I never wanted to get a masters in a career for which I have lost my passion. I like the security of health insurance that comes with my job (especially for my son) but I'm done with teaching. I used to love it but its transformed into something that feels more like a shoe salesperson.
Here's my plan: I want to quit elementary school teaching this year, get a part time job, go back to school to get a doctorate in an area that has nothing to do with my undergrad degree (History and Lit. Studies) by next Fall. I absolutely love literature and history and want to be a college professor within 5 to 7 years. Need to figure out how to get insurance for son, get rid of my car loan, and find scholarships to avoid any more debt and raise my son.
Is it too unrealistic to think I can manage this by the end of this school year? I can not bear another year of teaching. It is unbearably stressful.
Look into Medicaid/SSI (SSDI) because most SN kids will qualify for 1 or both of those. Look into Respite, Medicaid just launched a program and many communities have Respite. Its only a few hours but its a break. Also look into In home care mattering on the SN.
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There are all kinds of scholarships and grants, you just have to look. Maybe even consider switching to a community college to save more money. Part time will be cheaper as well. Many colleges offer health insurance but you would need to check on the requirements to qualify.
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If you cant afford your home, where do you live now? Can you move in with friends/relatives/cheaper apartment to save money?
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Single mom, do you get child support?
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Dont go in more debt if you owe debt. See if you can get on payment plans. Check your credit report to see what you owe and to who and if its accurate.
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Car loan, sell the car if you can and get a cheap used car.
Hi all!
Would like your experience and advice. So here it is, I'm a 50 year old single mom; an elementary school teacher for 16 years; can't afford my own home, or catch up with debt. I've got to get out of this hopeless abyss! I'm ready for a major overhaul.
I have post graduate credits but have never finished my masters in education because my special needs kid took up much of my time and I never wanted to get a masters in a career for which I have lost my passion. I like the security of health insurance that comes with my job (especially for my son) but I'm done with teaching. I used to love it but its transformed into something that feels more like a shoe salesperson.
Here's my plan: I want to quit elementary school teaching this year, get a part time job, go back to school to get a doctorate in an area that has nothing to do with my undergrad degree (History and Lit. Studies) by next Fall. I absolutely love literature and history and want to be a college professor within 5 to 7 years. Need to figure out how to get insurance for son, get rid of my car loan, and find scholarships to avoid any more debt and raise my son.
Is it too unrealistic to think I can manage this by the end of this school year? I can not bear another year of teaching. It is unbearably stressful.
OK. Let's go step by step here.
1) Your end goal. Getting a job as a tenure track professor is difficult and is not anywhere near guaranteed with a pHd. Especially in a popular subject like History. People who have pHds in History from Yale are tenure track professors at very mediocre colleges. As a 55-57 year old candidate, you will be at the bottom of the list for most tenure track positions. Which leads to...
2) Getting into a school and getting full funding will be difficult at your age and position. There is a possibility that you luck out and get full funding from a more mediocre school, which will place your chances of getting a tenure track position really low. Not trying to be negative. I have a lot of experience with graduate school and this is how academia works. It is very elitist. It would actually help if you went for a pHd in education.
3) The best case scenario is probably that you get into a halfway decent pHd program with funding and after a year of post-doc (6 years total) get an Assistant Professor position at a mediocre school halfway across the country, getting paid as much or less as you make now. What about your child?
All in all, it's pretty impractical. I mean, I wouldn't discourage anybody from chasing their dreams at any age, but if I were you I would do this. I would go back and get a Masters in said subject, and then you could teach adjunct or at community college. You could get that Masters part time while continuing to work and still take care of your child. Being a college professor is more about writing and research than teaching anyway.
Yes, I think this is extremely unrealistic. There has been a huge shift away from tenure track positions. Many of my friends are getting paid 3k per class as associate professors. One friend who has been teaching for years plans to retire early because he can't take the attitudes of new students (I am paying a lot of money for this, so you need to give me a good grade!) or administrators who fill classes with more and more students each semester.
What about corporate training? That may pay better and wouldn't require any more education. I would really brainstorm about what you could do with the skills and education you have now.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Your chances of being hired at a college with no experience at that level, and at age 57 seem slim to none. My wife considered a similar change at age 53, and found that the additional income even if successful fell far short of making up the cost of school and loss of income while attending, even if waiting until 70 to retire.
I agree that it is very unrealistic to think that you could pay down debt AND get insurance while cutting your work hours & pay AND taking on more debt to go back to college. It honestly makes no sense.
Truthfully, you should dig deep down and find the motivation to continue teaching. IF you even think about finishing your master's, you should do it in education if that would move you up a pay grade or two in your system.
You also should get a part-time job and funnel those earnings straight into paying down your debt. Maintaining and increasing your income, not decreasing it and adding debt, should be your priorities.
Timing can be everything, and this does not sound like the time to follow this dream. I know it has been hard to place your son's needs first, but if you can do it for a little longer, then you will be in a better position to implement your plan.
or maybe you could go into school administration to break the rut of teaching. Not sure if you are intot hat kind of work, but maybe look at alternative paths within education.
Thank you all for your responses. I'm glad to hear from those of you that have personal experience in the professor track. That it seems unrealistic is hard to swallow. How about Literature Studies....I have a B.A. in Spanish Lit. too. I absolutely do not want to be an administrator and another reason I never finished my masters in education is because i just do not want to continue in the field.
I would rather go into another field like corporate training than go back into the classroom next year. I've lost my motivation and it has created so many health problems for me. I just can't do it anymore.
I just applied for 4 scholarships that pay for life expenses and tuition and because I'm latina and a single mom, there are a lot more resources. Would any of you have any experience with this?
Working at a community college seems doable for me or just doing research at university. I just want a better life for me and my son. Is it terribly unrealistic to teach at community college level to be able to improve my income at my age?
1) Your end goal. Getting a job as a tenure track professor is difficult and is not anywhere near guaranteed with a pHd. Especially in a popular subject like History. People who have pHds in History from Yale are tenure track professors at very mediocre colleges. As a 55-57 year old candidate, you will be at the bottom of the list for most tenure track positions. Which leads to...
2) Getting into a school and getting full funding will be difficult at your age and position. There is a possibility that you luck out and get full funding from a more mediocre school, which will place your chances of getting a tenure track position really low. Not trying to be negative. I have a lot of experience with graduate school and this is how academia works. It is very elitist. It would actually help if you went for a pHd in education.
3) The best case scenario is probably that you get into a halfway decent pHd program with funding and after a year of post-doc (6 years total) get an Assistant Professor position at a mediocre school halfway across the country, getting paid as much or less as you make now. What about your child?
All in all, it's pretty impractical. I mean, I wouldn't discourage anybody from chasing their dreams at any age, but if I were you I would do this. I would go back and get a Masters in said subject, and then you could teach adjunct or at community college. You could get that Masters part time while continuing to work and still take care of your child. Being a college professor is more about writing and research than teaching anyway.
Thank you for your very detailed and informed feedback. Overwhelming and realistic! I'm ok with mediocre though. I'm especially interested in history but literature and teaching of writing is my real strength. Would it be hopeless to think that I may hope to work toward a community college professor locally?
You're right, moving across the country is not a possibility for me.
Thank you for your very detailed and informed feedback. Overwhelming and realistic! I'm ok with mediocre though. I'm especially interested in history but literature and teaching of writing is my real strength. Would it be hopeless to think that I may hope to work toward a community college professor locally?
You're right, moving across the country is not a possibility for me.
If you want to just teach community college, and even at some smaller colleges, all you need is a Masters.
That is a very realistic goal and considering your life situation, the one I suggested above.
Totally different animal then getting a doctorate and aiming for tenure track.
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