Author Topic: To Teach or Not To Teach  (Read 3312 times)

Magister

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To Teach or Not To Teach
« on: November 16, 2014, 05:30:54 PM »
Hi there, I have been following MMM for about 1.5 years but never posted here. My wife and I have about $40,000 of student loan debt, which we are paying off aggressively. We both make just over $40,000 a year. We will pay off our debt in two years.

I have a 40 minute commute to work and I carpool most days. My wife bikes to work. I work about 60-70 hours a week as a high school Latin teacher. 

Our governor has cut taxes so drastically that it is likely that I will face a 20% pay cut next year with no reduction in my amount of work. I love my job but it is very stressful and I don't really have a social life during the school year.

If I were to leave my job, I could likely find some work as a welder in my town and bike to work but I would likely make $12-$14 an hour. I would not be able to get another job in education without moving. The long commute, long hours and high stress make me lean toward leaving my job if I get a pay cut. Nothing is for sure but I always like to plan ahead.

Any ideas on my situation? I love my job and I am unsure if I would be happy working as a welder. Any advice from someone who has moved from a thinking job to a manual job?

ex animo (from the heart)

Lee Dixon 

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Re: To Teach or Not To Teach
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2014, 05:49:29 PM »
Lee, it doesn't sound like you want to move, but FYI your job would travel well. Also, are you qualified in any other subjects? If you and your wife would consider teaching abroad at an international school, salaries and benefits can reach 6 figures in some countries like Singapore. For the mustachian, it's easy to save half your salary or more in Asia and the Middle East, even when supporting a family as a sole income earner.

Round-trip annual flights, paid accommodation, and good health insurance are par for the course for qualified international school teachers. One site to get your feet wet is: http://internationalschoolsreview.com/

Magister

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Re: To Teach or Not To Teach
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2014, 05:53:24 PM »
Yeah, we really don't want to move right now. My wife has a good job working on the state reading exams. She also was a Latin teacher, so if we moved it would be very hard for both of us to get full time jobs. We are renting a cheap house that is within walking distance of her work.

If I was single I would love to teach overseas. I actually looked into it and then got offered the job that I currently have.

LadyStache in Baja

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Re: To Teach or Not To Teach
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2014, 06:09:15 PM »
Definitely time to move on!  I think MMM said something about not being attached to your identity as a job-person.  I'm in the exact same situation, where my teaching wages are not enough to counteract the time away from my kids and the daily stress.  I'm about to quit and earn more per hour tutoring Spanish privately.  Since you already have a back-up skill, I'd say go for it.  You will find a way to make it work, and at least you will save on the commute!

I think it's easy for teachers to identify as "heroes" in the community because the parents and kids appreciate us, and we feel like we're doing something noble.  So that can be hard to give up.  But I think there's something better out there for you!  (And that'll teach them they can't get away with cutting wages!)

Nudelkopf

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Re: To Teach or Not To Teach
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2014, 10:44:21 PM »
I work about 60-70 hours a week as a high school Latin teacher. 
Work less? You're doing up to 14 hour days x 5 days a week... School only goes for 5 hours. What are you wasting the other 9 hours on? Work less, and then maybe pick up a part time job, after school finishes at 3pm (or whenever your school finishes).

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!