Should you turn to Teaching if you hate your Job?
A man I know was an extremely wealthy business man who played the stocks and worked with pensions and investments. He was living high, if you like, and had everything he wanted . . . almost. But every time he went to work, he found that he was a little less happy about going. He realized several negative characteristics about the professional person he was, and wanted to change.
This man, Bob, made many confessions to me. He said he was cheating people out of their retirements, robbing people of their savings, and making money at the expense of his fellow human beings. He was also tired of traveling for hours every day by train, car, and taxi to his workplace in the big city. He was rarely home to enjoy himself and all his luxuries.
Bob quit his job, not without must harassment from colleagues, to become a teacher. He went to teacher’s college and took on a job at a high school close to home. Only then did he find happiness, he says that he is actually helping people now, and benefitting society. Because he is so happy with his job, he can really make an impact on his students and has their full respect. Bob is a favorite teacher at his school because he is so positive and interested in his work. Sure he is not making nearly as much money as before, but he has found happiness- and in my opinion money cannot compare to happiness.
Teaching is a nice job compared to many others. It has good hours, good facilities, professional colleagues to work with, excellent benefits and more. There is always a job to be found if you are willing to move around a bit. There are so many available jobs that few teachers can stay unemployed for long. One of the key things to remember, however, is that you have to have a way with children to successfully teach them. If not, it will be a nightmare.
Teaching is a way to “salvage your soul”, but you have to be the right kind of person for the job. If the motive for leaving your old job is laziness, don’t go into teaching. Conversely, if you are ready to become an active and prominent person in your community, and you find that your old job is not allowing you to do this, I encourage you to look into teaching.

Consider a Teacher Exchange
More than one teacher has been able to combine the best of both worlds by participating in a teacher exchange program. These programs involved traveling to another country, swapping houses with another teacher, and being paid the same salary as usual to teach in another school for a set period of time. Such teacher exchanges are very common nowadays.
It is an excellent way to travel and to spend an extended period of time in the region of your choice. You will have weekends to travel around the area. Most teachers plan ahead so that they are in the country during the summer holidays, in order to do some more extended travelling before settling into their temporary home.
Teachers will meet many new people. They will learn new ways of teaching and new techniques for dealing with students. They will learn new cultures and new curricula. The teacher they trade places with will teach their usual class back at home. This can be a great benefit for the students, especially in today’s globalized world. The teacher will bring new ideas, new ways of learning, and new enthusiasm to the school.
Exchange teachers have to plan ahead to make sure their trip goes well. There are hundreds of web sites dedicated to helping us do just that. One of my favourites is www.ats.com.au/~hoddo/ This website allows you to look up hundreds of teachers without charge. It allows you to post messages to other teachers telling them about your job. You can subscribe to an e-mail list and read messages from all different kinds of teachers until you find the perfect match for yourself.
Many other websites charge for their services. If you are interested in links, the above one has a link page with many other places to check out. Every teacher is encouraged to investigate this opportunity. The school boards must both be contacted and the principal must give the go ahead before it can take place, but this is rarely a problem. Many teachers bring their entire families along and put them into the school system in the new country. The kids can usually stay in the same grade level and not be kept back a grade when they return.
A teacher exchange is an exciting opportunity that allows you to keep your job and salary while going on the adventure of a lifetime. I know many teachers who have tried it, loved it, and done it more than once. They all seem to have stronger professionals. A teacher exchange is just one other