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Update on my first year teaching after leaving the law...

  • As some of you may remember, after working as a big-firm attorney for more than six years, I quit my job last year to pursue a teaching career. Before starting, I took several months off to prepare, look for a job, and enjoy life. My wife and I took several great trips (finally made it to Paris and visitied Japan, where some of my wife's relatives live) and really had a chance to decompress. In the spring of 2010, I landed a job teaching advanced physics at a good high school, and I began working this past fall.

    My first year is wrapping up, and I am extremely satisfied with my decision. While I work nearly as hard as I did as an attorney (though with more down time - speaking of which, I am looking forward to the summer) and get paid far less, I really love what I do. As an attorney, I was usually bored, frequently overstressed, and generally dissatisfied and unfulfilled. Now there is rarely a dull moment. I enjoy interacting with my students, and most of my day is spent sharing my passion for physics. I leave work every day exhausted, but it is a good kind of tired. I also feel greatly appreciated by my principal, colleagues, students, and their parents. There is nothing like getting a thank you card or email from a student or parent expressing geniune thanks and appreciation for what you do. It is also nice hearing from other teachers that their students tell them that they really like me and my class.

    If I am allowed one opportunity to share an accomplishment that I am quite proud of, I have grown the enrollment for one of my courses - calculus-based AP Physics (basically, the equivalent of first and second semester college physics for engineers and physics majors), which is arguably the most rigorous course offered at the school - to an unprecented level. The year before I began teaching, enrollment was quite low (less than 10 students), and it was only up slightly in this, my first year. When I was hired, my principal remarked that she hoped I might be able to grow the course, but neither she nor I could have anticipated what happened. After one year of teaching the course, the enrollment has mushroomed to over 50 students, which I understand far exceeds the largest enrollment in school history for the class!

    In short, I do not regret my decision at all. I do miss the big paychecks I used to earn as an attorney, but I am much happier in my present position.

    This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by SoonerBeau on 5/31/2011 at 9:21 PM

    SoonerBeau

  • That's fantastic to hear. You clearly made the right decision, and I wish that we had more teachers who had real world experience before they became professional educators.

    Stuck in Mexas

  • SoonerBeau said...

    As some of you may remember, after working as a big-firm attorney for more than six years, I quit my job last year to pursue a teaching career. Before starting, I took several months off to prepare, look for a job, and enjoy life. My wife and I took several great trips (finally made it to Paris and visitied Japan, where some of my wife's relatives live) and really had a chance to decompress. In the spring of 2010, I landed a job teaching advanced physics at a good high school, and I began working this past fall.

    My first year is wrapping up, and I am extremely satisfied with my decision. While I work nearly as hard as I did as an attorney (though with more down time - speaking of which, I am looking forward to the summer) and get paid far less, I really love what I do. As an attorney, I was usually bored, frequently overstressed, and generally dissatisfied and unfulfilled. Now there is rarely a dull moment. I enjoy interacting with my students, and most of my day is spent sharing my passion for physics. I leave work every day exhausted, but it is a good kind of tired. I also feel greatly appreciated by my principal, colleagues, students, and their parents. There is nothing like getting a thank you card or email from a student or parent expressing geniune thanks and appreciation for what you do. It is also nice hearing from other teachers that their students tell them that they really like me and my class.

    If I am allowed one opportunity to share an accomplishment that I am quite proud of, I have grown the enrollment for one of my courses - calculus-based AP Physics (basically, the equivalent of first and second semester college physics for engineers and physics majors), which is arguably the most rigorous course offered at the school - to an unprecented level. The year before I began teaching, enrollment was quite low (less than 10 students), and it was only up slightly in this, my first year. When I was hired, my principal remarked that she hoped I might be able to grow the course, but neither she nor I could have anticipated what happened. After one year of teaching the course, the enrollment has mushroomed to over 50 students, which I understand far exceeds the largest enrollment in school history for the class!

    In short, I do not regret my decision at all. I do miss the big paychecks I used to earn as an attorney, but I am much happier in my present position.

    There is a lot to be said for happiness.

    SoonerInTN

  • Thanks for posting an update, definitely sounds like you made a great decision.

    ss182

  • Good choice: Teachers are a premium in our society. Have two in the family and I admire them for their
    daily grind. I have chosen my word properly.

    This post was edited by OURuss on 5/31/2011 at 11:24 PM

    OURuss

  • very inspiring....thanks

    congratulations

    albsooner

  • Thanks for the update, glad to hear it is working out well.

    I had some great teachers in high school that really pushed me to be the best i could, no matter what I was doing. A dedicated, caring teacher can make such a tremendous difference in a child's life.

    signature image

    Live On University!

    ImaSoonergal

  • You are a good man...we could use a lot more like you...

    pphilfran

  • Thanks for the kind words.

    Today I had to inform my first parent that their kid would not be passing for the year. I try to keep parents in the loop when things are not going well, but this was the first (though probably not the last) time I had to provide such a message when the results for the year were final and nothing more could be done. Amazingly, the parent responded by thanking me for taking such an interest in her son (he likewise thanked me earlier in the day when we spoke after he learned of his final grade). I am very thankful to have such great students and parents. I must admit that before I began teaching I was a little concerned about dealing with unreasonable parents (and I'm sure there are some of them out there), but on the whole, I have found the parents of my students to be very reasonable, understanding, and appreciative. That has really made dealing with the most difficult part of the job much easier.

    SoonerBeau

  • Beau - It's no wonder kids want to enroll in your class. The thread you started a year ago or so easily caught our attention and you have a gift in your ability to make the subject fun and understandable.

    Congratulations to you, and good luck.

    "It won't even be close." - clsi1

    NickDanger

  • I will be retiring from Military service in the next 5-6 years. I am really considering the Troops to Teachers program. I'll retire with over 70% of my base pay, so the teachers salary won't be bad.

    OU MAJOR

  • NickDanger said...

    Beau - It's no wonder kids want to enroll in your class. The thread you started a year ago or so easily caught our attention and you have a gift in your ability to make the subject fun and understandable.

    Congratulations to you, and good luck.

    Thanks, Nick. I am glad to see that someone remembers the special relativity thread! This year I had a little extra time at the end of the AP Physics C course (after the AP exam was taken but before school wrapped up for the year), so I was able to spend a few days on special relativity, and it was a blast. I don't know if I will have the time to cover it next year, which is too bad because it is such a fun, fascinating, and mind-blowing topic.

    SoonerBeau

  • Beau -If you can possibly squeeze in the relativity I think the kids would eat it up. They would find it fascinating. Thanks for all you do.

    laj

  • Happiness goes a long ways, congrats on finding peace in your life.

    ImBaack

  • NickDanger said...

    Beau - It's no wonder kids want to enroll in your class. The thread you started a year ago or so easily caught our attention and you have a gift in your ability to make the subject fun and understandable.

    Congratulations to you, and good luck.

    I agree with this entire post.

    Congrats Beau for the job you do and the passion with which you do it. I wish my kids had teachers like you...any chance you are moving to Liberty, Missouri, in the near future? We are a suburb of KC and I think you would like it a lot. cheers

    Please keep us updated on your progress as each year goes by.

    JudinMobile

  • Thanks, JudinMobile. As great as I am sure Liberty, Mo. is, my wife and I are quite happy in the Dallas area (and it doesn't hurt that we are only a 2.5 hour drive from Norman and my beloved OU football).

    SoonerBeau

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