What to be when I grow up

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.

Quite often you would find my in the living room. My Cabbage Patch Dolls were lined up along the couch, with a few stuffed animals in between. I would pull the piano bench the the middle of the floor in front of the couch. This was my desk. I would teach my students to count, color, and sing. Those years of piano lessons did come in handy at times.


When I was a senior in high school, I began to look at colleges. I wanted to live on campus, but still close enough to come home on weekends should I choose. I found a school 2 hours away. I was still able to come home, but I was far enough away to have some freedom. That freedom eventually got the best of me. My grades begin to slip and after 2 years I realized that I was a little too far from home. I moved back home and transferred to a college in the city, 15 minutes away.

My grades continued to improve and I was moving into my education classes. I loved my classes and my professors. I made some new friends and discovered some old ones went to that same school as well. In my last year at this school, I started second guessing my major of Elementary Education. Psychology classes were some of my required classes, and I excelled in those. I began to contemplate changing to Child Psychology as my major. Or at the very least, adding it as a minor.

What held me back from making the switch was timing. I was already in my last year. If I switched, it would be taking a step backwards. Grants and loans also came into play. I wasn't sure if I could get anymore assistance if I went to school longer than I already had at this point.

While the wheels were turning in my head, someone else finally made my decision for me. My boyfriend, now husband, and I found out we were expecting. There was no way I could go to school and care for a newborn. I won't deny that I tried. I started my student teaching, but it just wasn't working out. I took a few months off and when I returned to school, I took a few classes to accrue the credits I needed to graduate.


This was 9 years ago. I have had various jobs with kids, and today I am a stay-at-home mom. I am happy where I am, but sometimes I still wonder, what if.

Occasionally I will hear a commercial for a school or see an ad. Sometimes I think about going back for some sort of psychology degree. But then I see a sign that proves I am where I need to be.



Social worker degreeIf you saw this picture next to an ad explaining you can get your social worker degree in as little as a year, would you choose this school?



Obviously this child is upset. Having a degree in social work would mean you could hopefully help this child to smile, not cry.


The Exorcist
This picture? The itch to go back to school has been scratched, thank you very much! If I want to see a psycho child, I'll rent the Exorcist, k?





9 comments:

Kmama said...

I didn't realize you were so close to completing your degree. I guess it's a good thing, since you no longer want to be a teacher, huh?

Oka said...

I had entertained a degree doing something with children. I never completed that degree. It wasn't too long ago I was contemplating my future (thinking about going back to college when youngest is in all day school). I haven't narrowed down what degree I want, but I am positive it won't be centered around children. In fact, I am pretty sure I didn't finish my degree because of divine intervention.

Shell said...

Oh, those pics are hilarious!!!

Cyndy Bush said...

I just saw both of those on my Facebook ads last night and was telling hubby about them; what are those people thinking?! I also saw an ad for preschool teachers with a picture of some hoochie-mama-looking chicks. Weird!
I could never be a teacher, I don't have that gift! God Bless those who do!

Anonymous said...

I thought I'd like to be a teacher... Then I worked at a day care.. Ha! Yea, it was like the Exorcist... Everyday.

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Unknown said...
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KLZ said...

That second photo is daunting, for sure.

Poppy said...

Even with my psychology degree, a necklace of garlic, and a wooden cross, I'm a stuck at home mom with a couple of kids who can spin their heads around on command.