It seems the trend lately is that when business professionals are struggling at work with the economy's downward spiral, they look to the education field to pick them back up not only economically, but also for personal satisfaction. For one man, he started out reading to children in classrooms part-time and he couldn't get enough. His background in computers allowed him to eventually start and lead his own technology classes. Apparently there is a "New Teacher Project" to help train people like him to switch careers successfully. It is estimated that over one third of new teachers are career switchers.
Personally, I think this a great opportunity for currently-struggling professionals who want to explore other options for which their knowledge and experiences are applicable; however, are all these people fit for a classroom? Are there downfalls in allowing the frustrated businessman or woman to run a classroom of kids? I think it is great for high schools, when teens are more mature and thinking about college and about their future because they can get some great real-world advice and guidance this way, but I am skeptical that these career switchers are fit to teach younger children--I think you have to be a special kind of person to run a class of elementary school-ers.
teaching surge
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I agree and am also skeptical about career switching, frustrated businessmen teaching young children. They may not have the right qualities and experience to provide the best teaching environment for young children who do not know better. Yet, it makes me feel better knowing that there is still some kind of screening process. In fact, it must be a pretty rigorous one since so many people are turning to teaching now due to the economy, meaning there is more competition to become a teacher. Only the best of these business professionals can actually take the next step to become a teacher and work with children. For instance, there are more people today applying to Teach for America, making it much harder to get accepted. Thus, I still have faith that the right people are teaching young children.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point that these business people turned teachers will probably be good at what they do because of the increase in teaching applicants. With the struggling economy and dwindling job market, competition seems extremely high in just about every line of work. This is a definite negative from a job-less college senior's standpoint. But on the upside, the teaching surge article makes me optimistic that our country will be run and operated by only the best of the best.
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