On my wife's birthday in early January, I was let go from my job. It came completely without warning. I was given little explanation as to why. And to top it all off, they actively told some staff there not to give me references because it would "undermine" the company if I somehow landed a job with a competing firm. Luckily for me, two people I trusted gave me references, which did a lot for my self esteem.
Then my youngest got her first real cold.
Then my truck took a shit.
And to top it all off, my wife had just made the decision to leave her (comfortable) career of nearly eight years and try something new. It was a calculated risk -- one made under the assumption that I had a healthy, full-time career if something didn't work out.
Anxiety was through the roof. I couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. Lost eight pounds in less than a week.
But I didn't wait around for something to happen. The night I was let go, I made phone calls and sent emails until 1 a.m. By Friday I had my first interview. The next week, two more.
However, in between all the job-search hubbub, something happened. What was the point? Did I really want to work for a company that's only goal was to make money? I'm in the thinking business, where people are paid to come up with ideas that sound good on paper and maybe result in a few phone calls or added zeros to a bank account. But in the end, it's fluff. And the inefficiencies are astounding. What our entire group would cost for one small project, a single individual could easily accomplish in a matter of hours for a fraction of the price.
Then, it hit me. I was sitting at my laptop, staring at some job search website, when an idea formed. A flicker of a spark that had lingered for over a decade, but suddenly found tinder and burst into flame. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted my job to mean something. Kind of like it had when I worked concrete through college. At the end of the day, I wanted to SEE something that made the world a better place -- even for just one person. But, was it too late?
Could I still be a teacher?
Ten years removed from college and plenty of "Corporate America" experience under my belt, and yet I couldn't shake this feeling that I needed to do more with my life.
So I took a break from job searching, and looked to see what I'd need to do in order to teach in North Dakota. My first call was to Fargo Public Schools, as I wanted to see what kind of careers were out there for someone in my situation. Surprisingly, I found out, the teaching pools are aging across the board. In the next few years there are going to be a bunch of retirements. And for whatever reason, not many bodies to take over. And English, believe it or not, is in high demand.
This gave me a bit of hope.
Then I called a good friend who teaches in West Fargo. He said they recently hired a guy who had worked 20 years in a lab and just got his teaching degree. He was 50! I'm 32.
I started to gain confidence.
A call to UND, my alma matter, was in order. They did indeed have a teaching degree program, however it would need to be on campus. I couldn't do that. Too much travel for a guy with deep roots in Fargo, two kids, and plenty of bills.
"Well I hate to turn people to other colleges," the guy on the phone said. "But Mayville State just started a MAT program that sounds perfect for you."
MAT? What was that?
"It's 100 percent remote, and you don't need a teaching degree," he explained. "You should look into it."
And I did. What I found seemed too good to be true. The Masters in Art of Teaching program at MSU had almost literally just started (it was approved in August 2016). It was an answer to North Dakota's huge need for qualified teachers. Basically, anyone with a bachelor's degree could work toward a Master's degree in teaching through a 100-percent remote program that focused on things like leadership, understanding and classroom dynamics.
I couldn't believe it. A quick phone call with the dean and I found out I was an ideal candidate. Because I'd taken so many English courses in my communications curriculum at UND, I wouldn't need any undergraduate classes to bring me up to standards. I was behind on enrollment, but they fast-tracked me so I could get caught up.
Today, I'm into Week 3 of the MAT program. It's only 32 credits, which includes a semester of student teaching...easily attainable in a bit over a year. But with everything on my plate, I'm going to stretch it out a bit. Six credits a semester and then student teach before, hopefully, landing my forever job.
In the meantime, I also just accepted a position with a local company that will pay the bills and get our family through the next two years with a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
It's going to be a tough road, especially with little kids that need attention and a wife who already does more than she should. But her support is unwavering, and as long as I keep trucking, I know I can get through with my master's degree.
That's just funny to say in my head...Master's Degree. For a guy who swore he'd never, ever go back to college, I suddenly find myself engrossed in the lessons and assignments. Learning is interesting again, a concept I haven't known since grade school. For the first time in a long time, I WANT to know something that will make me a better person. That will, hopefully, help me be the best teacher I can be, and spur upcoming generations to want to read and write.
So...am I nuts? I certainly feel a bit loopy after everything that's happened. But I can't shake this feeling that I'm meant to do this. I just needed time to realize it on my own.
Then my youngest got her first real cold.
Then my truck took a shit.
And to top it all off, my wife had just made the decision to leave her (comfortable) career of nearly eight years and try something new. It was a calculated risk -- one made under the assumption that I had a healthy, full-time career if something didn't work out.
Anxiety was through the roof. I couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. Lost eight pounds in less than a week.
But I didn't wait around for something to happen. The night I was let go, I made phone calls and sent emails until 1 a.m. By Friday I had my first interview. The next week, two more.
However, in between all the job-search hubbub, something happened. What was the point? Did I really want to work for a company that's only goal was to make money? I'm in the thinking business, where people are paid to come up with ideas that sound good on paper and maybe result in a few phone calls or added zeros to a bank account. But in the end, it's fluff. And the inefficiencies are astounding. What our entire group would cost for one small project, a single individual could easily accomplish in a matter of hours for a fraction of the price.
Then, it hit me. I was sitting at my laptop, staring at some job search website, when an idea formed. A flicker of a spark that had lingered for over a decade, but suddenly found tinder and burst into flame. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted my job to mean something. Kind of like it had when I worked concrete through college. At the end of the day, I wanted to SEE something that made the world a better place -- even for just one person. But, was it too late?
Could I still be a teacher?
Ten years removed from college and plenty of "Corporate America" experience under my belt, and yet I couldn't shake this feeling that I needed to do more with my life.
So I took a break from job searching, and looked to see what I'd need to do in order to teach in North Dakota. My first call was to Fargo Public Schools, as I wanted to see what kind of careers were out there for someone in my situation. Surprisingly, I found out, the teaching pools are aging across the board. In the next few years there are going to be a bunch of retirements. And for whatever reason, not many bodies to take over. And English, believe it or not, is in high demand.
This gave me a bit of hope.
Then I called a good friend who teaches in West Fargo. He said they recently hired a guy who had worked 20 years in a lab and just got his teaching degree. He was 50! I'm 32.
I started to gain confidence.
A call to UND, my alma matter, was in order. They did indeed have a teaching degree program, however it would need to be on campus. I couldn't do that. Too much travel for a guy with deep roots in Fargo, two kids, and plenty of bills.
"Well I hate to turn people to other colleges," the guy on the phone said. "But Mayville State just started a MAT program that sounds perfect for you."
MAT? What was that?
"It's 100 percent remote, and you don't need a teaching degree," he explained. "You should look into it."
And I did. What I found seemed too good to be true. The Masters in Art of Teaching program at MSU had almost literally just started (it was approved in August 2016). It was an answer to North Dakota's huge need for qualified teachers. Basically, anyone with a bachelor's degree could work toward a Master's degree in teaching through a 100-percent remote program that focused on things like leadership, understanding and classroom dynamics.
I couldn't believe it. A quick phone call with the dean and I found out I was an ideal candidate. Because I'd taken so many English courses in my communications curriculum at UND, I wouldn't need any undergraduate classes to bring me up to standards. I was behind on enrollment, but they fast-tracked me so I could get caught up.
Today, I'm into Week 3 of the MAT program. It's only 32 credits, which includes a semester of student teaching...easily attainable in a bit over a year. But with everything on my plate, I'm going to stretch it out a bit. Six credits a semester and then student teach before, hopefully, landing my forever job.
In the meantime, I also just accepted a position with a local company that will pay the bills and get our family through the next two years with a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
It's going to be a tough road, especially with little kids that need attention and a wife who already does more than she should. But her support is unwavering, and as long as I keep trucking, I know I can get through with my master's degree.
That's just funny to say in my head...Master's Degree. For a guy who swore he'd never, ever go back to college, I suddenly find myself engrossed in the lessons and assignments. Learning is interesting again, a concept I haven't known since grade school. For the first time in a long time, I WANT to know something that will make me a better person. That will, hopefully, help me be the best teacher I can be, and spur upcoming generations to want to read and write.
So...am I nuts? I certainly feel a bit loopy after everything that's happened. But I can't shake this feeling that I'm meant to do this. I just needed time to realize it on my own.
