I work full time as a teacher. I start at 7:30am and leave at 2pm. I would have grading to do at home except my caseload is small right now. I do still have prep sometimes, and I am required to take two five-week online classes a year for three years. They are time-consuming. I am in year two, just starting. Because I am in alternative ed and an Special Education SDC teacher, I teach every subject. No Child Left Behind requires that I be "highly qualified" in all four core subjects (English, Math, Social Science, and Science). I have degrees in English, so that's covered. I did the math classes last year. Science this year, and Social Science next year. It will be very valuable to be NCLB compliant in all four subject areas.
My job is easy in some ways. I work one on one with students, so there are no discipline problems. That means the job is a LOT less stressful than a conventional classroom teaching job. However, these students have some serious issues and hardships. So it is not uncomplex. Plus it can be worrisome. I worry a lot, actually.
In many ways, it is an easy gig. But it's still a huge amount of responsibility and (sometimes) stress.
It also pays well for teaching because it is a high paying district and I have a pile of degrees. But I live somewhere that is super expensive, so I don't benefit from the relatively high pay (for a teacher). That makes me grumbly.
It is also located in the Bay Area, which I am ready to leave. I love Central California (the coast) and Sonoma. I would love to move to one of those areas. What is stopping me from moving is the excellent job and the ties to friends and loved ones.
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