May will mark the first month I will be a stay-at-home mom and part-time college student. I already hold a B.S. in Psychology (Crisis Counseling) and a M.A. in Human Services Counseling (Crisis Response and Trauma), and currently work as a Child Protective Services Investigator. Mid-month I will finish out my notice and in addition to being able to stay at home with my youngest until she starts school, I will be pursuing my Master of Art in Teaching: Elementary Education. Upon completion of this degree I'll be licensed to teach K-6, and I'll also be qualified as an adjunct professor for college.
I'm so excited to begin this new season of life, but I can't pretend it's not scary to "give up" everything I spent years working towards in order to pursue a brand new career path. I'm lucky that we have the financial means for me to be able to take this step, and I'm grateful I have the support of my loving husband in chasing this new dream. I know this move is going to be great for me as an individual, and for my family as a whole.
My professional goal has always been to make a positive impact in the lives of others. I thought I could do that via counseling, then via social work, or through this or that - but I was a bit idealistic in what I would actually be able to accomplish in those roles. Teaching will give me that opportunity, and I think my psychology background and work experience will be invaluable assets in the profession. I know there will be rough patches, as there are in any careers (even the perfect, dream job has some negatives) but for me, the pros far outweigh the cons. The perk of having holidays, Winter/Spring breaks, and Summers off to enjoy extra time with the kids is pretty appealing!
Until I'm rooted in my new career, I will have plenty of extra time to devote to my family. The time away from them was the most difficult part of working full-time, especially all the school functions, sports activities, etc. I had to miss because of work. I'll be pursuing my degree at a slow, part-time rate, and I'm hoping this will even allow me enough time to dedicate to self-care and pursuing my own personal goals and hobbies (like blogging!).
No comments:
Post a Comment