How hard could it be?

I am 50, employed @ an oil ref. earning 80k annually as a maintenance worker. Tired of it, the hard work, the heat, the cold and the danger. I have an opportunity to take a teachers job @ a technical school for about 1/2 pay. Would have to make some serious changes, but I think it is time to start slowing down. Anybody done something similar with regrets or satisfaction?

Re: How hard could it be?

Was easy for me Spoonman. Went from captain of a 145 footer traveling the world to a bilge rat at home. Couldn't be happier. Good luck on your decision.

Re: How hard could it be?

I am sure JB will chime in.... JB did that for a number of years.

Teaching is unique, challenging and can be very rewarding. There will be an entire new set of rules but I would not be clouded by the money. A whole different type of stress but any job has some stress.

Weigh out where you feel you can survive for the next set of years leading to retirement.

Re: How hard could it be?

Autotech, is just that, a teacher at a technical school.
He say's he does love his summers off.

Re: How hard could it be?

I took a serious income hit (appx 20%) going from an Aerospace Project Engineer to an instructor/lab director at a Federal Academy, but I was prepared for the difference. Lower stress, job security, and job satisfaction more than make up for the income drop. With all my renewed energy, I do some commercial fishing in my free time. If you can maintain your quality of life, happiness now is virtually priceless!!!
Good luck

Re: How hard could it be?

I'm sure I am a lot younger than you at 29 but I made a similar move. I was working construction, framing houses, roofing, installing windows. The reason I began working construction was the pay. I took a tech job for less $ and I am very happy. On the hot summer days and cold winter nights I am very grateful for the job I know have. I feel for the folks that have to work hard labor jobs in the elements. To me it was worth it as everyone around me that was older was popping Oxycodin due to there body's deteriorating. I saw that and realized it would catch up to me.

Good Luck! We need some good teachers in the US...sometims it can be a thankless job but it is probably really self-rewarding.

On the flip-side I have a friend who worked for John Deere and took a position at a tech college teaching. He went back to being a grunt because he liked the pay.

Re: How hard could it be?

I did something similar but different at the same time. Went from running my own business to working for someone else. I earn about 4x more and and am about 4x less likely to have a heart attack.

-Hostage

Re: How hard could it be?

I gave up wearing a suit and flying a desk (between economic downturns) at 60-70K in 1985 to teaching in a Votech College for about half that.

Of course, I had been teaching/managing/tech writing since leaving the USN in 1961 so it wasn't a big change in skill usage but it was a lot lower pressure and a lot more fun. The drop in salary was partly made up by consulting/guest speaking/writing on a free lance basis.. . particularly after I collected a few more degrees.

The most fun I ever had was guest Seminar Leader at UW for 15 years teaching tech experts how to teach. It should have been illegal to accept money for having so much fun.

Re: How hard could it be?

My father was a school teacher his entire life and we were lowest middle class for Okla. My older sister is a school teacher ---happy ? but that is what she does. My wife says I am the most patient and tolerant person she has ever met. I think I would really enjoy teaching, would love the time off, and the extra time (I'm on call 7-24 @ the refinery) with the wife and kids. But trying to send two kids to college and pay the bills on 40k a year would really be a trick. I don't know but I will figure it out. Thanks for the input

Re: How hard could it be?

Often thought about it but never actually got around to doing it !!!! Maybe in a few years when the debt burden has completely gone.
I would really like the vacation time you get !!!

Re: How hard could it be?

Didn't get into teaching but I made the choice to slow things down 2 yrs ago at 46.

Was working crazy hours managing a small manufacturing plant. Pay was great, spent alot of time traveling, but was commuting 1 1/2 hrs one way and the stress was getting to be too much. Woke up one morning and came to the realization that I didn't want it anymore.

Got a job at a local mfr 4 minutes from home at almost 1/2 the money and no managerial responsibilities. I now have 40+ hours more free time each month and the stress level is non existent. No regrets whatsoever.

Re: How hard could it be?

Hey Spoon
I got to tell you when I was growing up, My Dad taught industrial Electricty, Mon taught 2nd grade for 40 years. Grandmother and sisters all were teachers. I said I would never be a teacher because I thought we were starving to death slowly. Well you know how you have to eat some crow every now and then..... After pulling wrenches and working in parts dept all over the south east I got a chance to try teaching. First two years are the hardest. Just learning how to teach is the most time consuming part at the start. Started out at High School Vo-Tech complex and move to CC level 6 years later. That was 22 years ago. Still don't have any money but we seem to get by but I'm looking forward to retirement in about 3 years or so. maybe... I'm on a 9 month contract which give me summers off to do what I want and now make about 53K. But the greatest reward is having students come back years later to say thanks for the experience. Right now just about every shop in the Delta has at least one of my former students and many of them are self -employed which gives me a leg up on student placement.
Sorry for the length of this post to me it has been very rewarding for for this grease monkey. And oh-yea 3 years ago we went to a 4 day work week. Makes all weekends 3days now.

Re: How hard could it be?

Autotech said:

Hey Spoon
I got to tell you when I was growing up, My Dad taught industrial Electricty, Mon taught 2nd grade for 40 years. Grandmother and sisters all were teachers. I said I would never be a teacher because I thought we were starving to death slowly. Well you know how you have to eat some crow every now and then..... After pulling wrenches and working in parts dept all over the south east I got a chance to try teaching. First two years are the hardest. Just learning how to teach is the most time consuming part at the start. Started out at High School Vo-Tech complex and move to CC level 6 years later. That was 22 years ago. Still don't have any money but we seem to get by but I'm looking forward to retirement in about 3 years or so. maybe... I'm on a 9 month contract which give me summers off to do what I want and now make about 53K. But the greatest reward is having students come back years later to say thanks for the experience. Right now just about every shop in the Delta has at least one of my former students and many of them are self -employed which gives me a leg up on student placement.
Sorry for the length of this post to me it has been very rewarding for for this grease monkey. And oh-yea 3 years ago we went to a 4 day work week. Makes all weekends 3days now.

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For some, $$$$ makes the world go round, for others their is peace,
contentment and satisfaction. Follow your heart, life is short.

Re: How hard could it be?

Well I'm going to pursue the teaching job. It is 2 years out (i have to wait for another man to retire). But the wife and I decided it will be good to finish up my working years not commuting 45 miles one way each day and being stressed all the time.