After a few weeks' break over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, I was going to come on here and write a post about why now is a good time to think about a career change. Then I found an article on ABC News that covered the topic very well.
Read or listen to my summary, then you can get back to being summery.
So, here's a summary:
The article initially profiles an ex-teacher from Western Australia who became a fashion designer when she realised she wasn't inspired by teaching and felt constrained by the bureaucracy of it. The author also writes about why now is a good time of year to think about your options for changing jobs or careers. You might find you have more mental space to re-evaluate and plan in January compared to December. In the next few weeks, there will likely be more jobs being posted. And, I would add that changing jobs during the break could lead to feeling less guilty because you don't have a class of young people relying on you yet.
Full article: From teaching in Western Sydney to becoming a fashion designer: Why the new year often spurs career change | Isabella Ross | ABC News
At the same time as discovering the previous article, I also came across this headline: Wauchope High teacher Denise Walker, 83, still loves her job after six decades. Denise Walker says that she still teaches because she loves it and it's in her blood. I admire how she recognises that 'kids can be challenging, especially these days… they aren't as respectful... There are some little scallywags who give you a bit of grief', but she reminds us they are still kids and will 'come up really good by their senior years.'
When I was teaching middle years, it was easy to forget the maturing my students would go through once they were out of my class. Now that I work in higher education, I get to see those more mature, respectful, engaged adults more often than not.
Full article: Wauchope High teacher Denise Walker, 83, still loves her job after six decades | Emma Siossian and Meredith Kirton | ABC News
For me, these two articles nicely highlight the rollercoaster ride that is teaching. A lot of energy is needed. Dedication and self-belief to keep supporting students helps you climb the rises. Then you get to the high of seeing students thrive and excel. There's a comedown and reset between terms, then we do it all again – or we get off and try a different ride.
If you want to talk about your own rollercoaster ride, career options or new directions, book a one-on-one session here.
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