Today, I turned thirty. I've been working full-time for about $20,000 per year for one full year, and I've been finding a way to spend most of what I make.
How's this possible? Here's a link that gives the starting pay for every state, and the lowest starting salary is 27K in Montana:
http://www.nea.org/home/2012-2013-average-starting-teacher-salary.html . And that'd be for teaching a full day -- you say you're teaching a regular class schedule PLUS a night class. Perhaps you're not in the public sector? Private schools pay much less than public schools.
The TPT idea is good, but I can't really think of a completely original idea yet. Most of the stuff I use is free from the internet.
I could have stood up and told my cooperating teacher point-blank, "No, I don't know this. Is anyone willing to teach it to me?" Instead, though, I accepted that I "should have known how to teach" (even though no one taught me) and floundered during student teaching.
Okay, I'm going to sound horrible here, but these two things are huge red flags, and as a fellow teacher, these statements make me wonder whether you're for teaching. I say it because I've seen it personally over the years in some of my younger co-workers (3 out of 5 teachers leave within their first 5 years). I definitely learned "how to teach" in college, and I left student teaching
still inexperienced but solidly ready for my own classroom. People who "floundered" in student teaching often aren't cut out for this job.
Similarly, if you're taking all your ideas from the internet and don't know how to write your own lesson plans /your own curriculum, you missed some big concepts in college classes. I've known a couple teachers who couldn't plan their own classes -- yes, they piece together this and that from the internet and beg lessons from other teachers ('til they catch on and start saying no), and those are people who are poorly suited for the job -- they don't stay long.
If my assessment is wrong, I apologize; however, if you recognize yourself in these statements, get out now and put your efforts into something else.
If you're determined to stay in teaching, I have a couple suggestions for honing your craft:
- Ask permission to observe your fellow teachers' classes. Take note of how they teach and manage their classes. Use what you learn to perfect your own teaching style.
- Take time to evaluate your lessons each day. What worked well for you and why? Only by evaluating what worked well can you improve yourself.
People are often stuck because they are under the illusion that if they think of an idea they can become unstuck. The ideas are there, in this thread and any previous one you may have put out there. The ideas aren't the problem. The action is. Act on the idea. Don't think about the hurdles. Act and if you encounter a hurdle act to move past it.
Totally agree -- but waiting for an idea isn't the only thing that holds people back. It can be, Things'll be better after I'm married. Things'll be better after I move. Things'll be better once I'm out of this apartment and in my own house. Things'll be better once the kids are out of diapers. Things'll be better once the kids are all in school.
You can't wait for a perfect moment. Make something happen now. And I think that's a new and different job.
It can be tough breaking out of your comfort zone. Before you were scared of teaching overseas, now you didn't mention that. Did you get over that?
Something to consider about teaching overseas: If you leave the US teaching system, you lose years working towards your pension, and if you leave/return later, it's quite possible that the pension system may have ended ... and you'll come back in as a "new hire" ineligible for a pension.
I'm not saying this should be your #1 consideration, but the pension is one of the biggest positives of teaching.