@thumper1 - I totally agree. He is really young and plenty of time. He actually brought it up the other day which is what prompted me to think about ideas. Mostly just to say - you don’t have to choose now, but things you might also consider are … I come from a math science background and I’m happy working behind a desk. He would not be so I was curious what careers might be of interest. My goal for him right now is to work hard in school and keep his GPA up, take the ACT next summer, pursue his areas of interest (including opportunities that might expose him to things he might want to do down the road -this year he got involved with special Olympics and loved it), play his sports, and earn a little spending money (responsibility).
My oldest is starting college this fall. He has just this summer picked an area of interest. Plans to take a few classes and see if it sticks. If not, we carefully chose a college that has other options he might like too (as opposed to some that offered him athletic scholarships but limited majors). I like to think we help them make informed decisions without pushing too hard or too fast. I am just like to understand things and therefore do a lot of reading/asking questions.
Can I ask where you live? I teach in NYC and it’s my second year. My salary is 70k, which to be honest, is way more than most of my friends are making two years out of college, and it goes up the scale every year. A lot of people have assumptions based on the stigma of “a teacher’s salary” but it’s actually very livable in many places. It’s also on my radar that one day I might want to get certified as an administrator.
I agree with the suggestions of school/child psychologist, occupational therapy, physical therapy. Maybe also non-profits (ex. Boys and Girls Club, youth leadership programs), museums (many have departments that do outreach to schools/children), educational technology… I also think the suggestion of hospitality and tourism is awesome! If I was living a different life, being a Disney World cast member would make me happier than anything I could imagine.
The therapist (Sp, OT, PT) are great suggestions. Also Rec Therapist. The non profit world has lots of education opportunities though the pay is probably similar. In the health field, check out child life therapist.
My S was valedictorian. He wanted to teach and wanted to teach those most at risk for school failure in urban settings. He was/is quite smart but I would have to say that even more than “book smart” he is quite skilled in managing behavior and creating a level of success for all levels of children. He will start his 4th year of teaching this fall - middle school (7-9th) math in a public single sex classes urban setting. He may not be a teacher forever but the satisfaction and skills he is learning are priceless. He talks about going into school admin one day but feels he needs a good solid 5 years in the classroom first.
If you S is still in high school, I would steer him towards summer camp volunteering or work. Gives a good flavor for being with kids, behavior management, planning, etc.
Thanks @abasket - they sound very similar! He does some summer camp volunteering now for sports, church, etc but I think that might be a great job for him next summer!
Outside Sales is a possibility if he doesn’t want a desk job in the future. You are teaching clients about your products and can target a specific field or industry. He will have plenty of competitive adventures.
PLEASE don’t give up your son’s dreams for him! I’m so glad I clicked on this thread, because D will start her sophomore year in college as a special ed major. Teaching is all she ever wanted to do, and now that she’s in school she has become even more convinced of her calling. As she’s discovered from her research, you’ll find that special ed teachers are in demand in nearly every single state. Not only is it NOT hard to find a job, there are vacancies going unfilled due to the shortage of sped teachers. So since your DS already has such an interest, he may not have any trouble finding a job. It’s also possible to teach in states other than where you go to school-many of D’s middle/HS teachers started out elsewhere. There is reciprocity between many states, and also national certification. In addition, there is also emergency certification for under-filled categories such as sped. That would allow your S to teach in another state while working on certification, if it came to that.
Some states pay better than others, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. If you make more in state X than in Y, but the cost of living is twice as high-you are not really making more money. D is from Seattle, where the cost of living is very high, but plans to teach where she is in school-Tennessee, where it’s much lower, but where she’ get paid almost as much as she’d make here. Because of that, her starting pay will go much farther.
But your son has time to research and explore. He’s already doing things that will help him decide if he wants to teach. D worked as a volunteer every summer from the time she was 12, and even created her own summer program one year. She used that experience to get an internship last year working with at-risk teens, so before even starting college she had experience with teaching/mentoring kids from K-12. Her certification will also be for all grades, so she will be very employable when she graduates, but she’ll also have her experience to draw from as she decides what level to teach.
Fwiw, my niece also teaches. She teaches HS French and Spanish and math at the community college level. She has enough to travel and pursue hobbies, and happily they sometimes coincide as she runs youth trips to France and Spain some summers. She also coaches. It CAN be done.
@sseamom - thanks for your feedback! I actually want to see him teach. I think he would be fantastic at it. It’s not often you see a talent and a career line up so well. We happen to live in a state with low cost of living but also very low teacher pay and it is a big news item right now. It’s unfortunate because we are losing wonderful teachers like crazy to other states. He has had teachers he looks up to tell him it might not be the best field to support a family on. I may need to visit with him some about considering the possibility of living somewhere else so he can pursue what he wants to do. OR - there is always the hope that our state will get their act together in the next few years. I sure hope so - not just for him but for all the teachers who do such a wonderful job.
Keep in mind: a lot could change in the 6 years between now and his college graduation. The fact that it’s “big news right now” could lead to changes in the interim.