What Do I want to DO with my life!?

[Rozzie]

Quote:
As a music teacher, you should not expect full summers off. You will have band camps and possibly other music camps to teach. You may still have part of the summers off, though.

Also, you may have private lessons to continue in the summer. It depends on your school district and how those are done where you live.

Another consideration about music education as a career: remember that your days/nights/weekends are not your own. Marching band & other practices can begin as early as SIX in the morning. Those can be five days a week. Plus, you will have home football games (during the season, of course) where you may be at the school til 10 pm (after being there, possibly, for 6 A.M. rehearsals).

I'm not saying this to scare you away from this as a career. You just need to know that in some districts, music teachers have a horrific schedule.

In smaller districts, you may be expected to have a secondary teaching area. It is a good idea to pick up a second teaching certificate along the way, to boost your chances of getting a job.

 

[PepsNick]

I look into my crystal ball and see... WHAT??? NOOOO! Another hatchaholic, chicken breeder AND part time chicken hoarder. Welcome to the family!

 

[Wild Trapper]

I'm kinda old, well really old, so I've a bit of experience with work and hobbies. I always liked my work, but it never became a hobby. My hobbies took my mind off the stress of my work.

My advise, little that it's worth, is when it comes to work, find something you like and do it well, when the end of the day comes and you want to unwind, find a hobby or hobbies that are the real love of your life and put yourself into that. Some people can make their hobby their passion and there work, most of us can't, at least for me it never was.

I'm really not old, only 64, but disabled/retired, so now my hobby is my full time job for what it's worth.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I think, that as a sophomore, you still have time to decide. I think that during the summer you should look seriously at getting a job at a vet clinic. It will give some experience in that setting to let you know if it is really for you. I worked with a vet who was doing medical research. She loved animal medicine but could not stand dealing with the people. I think you must be people oriented to be going into education, but it is different. Make some lists of pros and cons. Vet school is very competitive, but so are music teacher positions....

Things to keep in mind:

When school districts cut programs, the arts are generally first. You may end up doing the job that 2 or 3 people did before.
Elementary school won't have much out of school commitment, middle school will have more, and highschool, particularly for band, will have a lot.
Teachers generally work for established businesses, and have a posted salary scale and benefits.

Vet med can be varied. You may start in an established practice, but you could end up with your own business.
Vets don't take many business classes in college, this may make for very bad work places.
You have lots of options with vet med, everything from the avian specialist you mention to research. If you focus on avian medicine, you had better like cage birds and parrots because they will be most of your practice. Unless you end up doing research for a large poultry producer.
As an avian special you will probably need to live in a large urban area. Farmers don't usually have bird docs, and the ones spending lots of money on bird are going to be found in cities.

 

[sixlittlechicks09]

Quote:
It's the truth.

And yeah, I was a "band kid" in high school, and I know the INSANE hours our music teachers put in. Doesn't seem fair does it? A "academic" teacher can show up at 8:30 and Leave when school's done and their job is secure. A music teacher has to do afterschool rehearsals, lesson during the year and the summer, setting up and tearing down for concerts, football games, band camp, festivals, and THEY'RE the teachers in danger of being cut! Bah.


Maybe I'll be able to find a rich husband at school and none of this will matter...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:

I realize you were joking... however not having to rely on ANYONE for ANY REASON is (in my opinion) one of the keys to being happy. Because I worked hard in school and at work I was able to divorce my husband, pay my own bills (and his since I was stuck with alimony) and become a much happier person. Look to yourself to fulfill your life goals, everything else will fall into place.

 

[BantamoftheOpera]

Hi from a fellow sophomore music education major. It must be very stressful continuing in the major without knowing if it's what you really want. MUE takes all of my energy and I'm pretty sure it's taking even more of yours if you're not sure it's what you want. Just remember that when you are teaching at what ever age level you choose, they need to be your #1 priority and it would be a disservice to your students if you were always thinking "what if".

 

[sixlittlechicks09]

Quote:
That's what I'm struggling with now. There are SO many awful, indifferent music teachers out there. I love music, and I was lucky in HS to have some GREAT teachers that loved their work. But I saw tons of students with way more talent than I that failed because their teachers failed them. That's what pushed me to be a mued in the first place.

And for the rich husband comment, yeah I was completely joking!

Although it is sad, there are SO many girls at my school that are their for one reason and one reason only! And that is to shack up with some trustfund hubby that will take care of them. I just laugh and think, what will their life be in 10 or 15 years, when mr. sixpack does nothing but sit home on his fat lazy butt and drink beers all day! Or even worse, when he hits fourty and decides he wants to trade his wife in on a newer model! No thanks!

On the plus side, talking on here, and with my mom over the past few days, I think I've found an option that I could enjoy. I'm thinking about switching majors to double major in environmental science and biology. With those two degrees I could either go on to get a masters in Animal Medicine and work as a livestock vet OR go work for the PA Fish and Game, to study the effects of the Natural Gas Drilling on the Animal Population (something our neighbor told us the PAGC is looking for and that degree would qualify me for), and whilst doing that get a 2 year vet tech degree that the Game commission would help pay for, and come out as a large animal or avian vet, wherefore I could work rehabilitating wild injured animals or if I don't have to sign some sort of contract saying I'll work for them, go out on my own as a livestock vet...
WHEW.
Who knows!
Maybe I'll just be a chicken farmer. It's easier.

 

[Rozzie]

Quote:
It's the truth.

And yeah, I was a "band kid" in high school, and I know the INSANE hours our music teachers put in. Doesn't seem fair does it? A "academic" teacher can show up at 8:30 and Leave when school's done and their job is secure. A music teacher has to do afterschool rehearsals, lesson during the year and the summer, setting up and tearing down for concerts, football games, band camp, festivals, and THEY'RE the teachers in danger of being cut! Bah.


Maybe I'll be able to find a rich husband at school and none of this will matter...

The above comment about academic teachers is malarkey. Maybe your school district started at 8:30, but most don't. School in many places starts by 7:30 AM and teachers often have to be there before 7 for various duties. They also tend to take a lot of work home with them & often do lesson plans and prep at home and during their summers, too. There is also "professional development" required. Many teachers find it necessary to fill this requirement by taking additional college classes, at their own expense, during their summers, especially during their early years of teaching.

Many also have requirements that fall after the normal school day.

Music teachers DO have it among the worst, though, as far as their schedule goes.

Teaching, regardless of subject, is not a job with hours that stop when you go home. Teachers often work seven days a week during the school year, with papers to mark in the evenings because they don't have the time at work to do so.

 

[sixlittlechicks09]

The above comment about academic teachers is malarkey. Maybe your school district started at 8:30, but most don't. School in many places starts by 7:30 AM and teachers often have to be there before 7 for various duties. They also tend to take a lot of work home with them & often do lesson plans and prep at home and during their summers, too. There is also "professional development" required. Many teachers find it necessary to fill this requirement by taking additional college classes, at their own expense, during their summers, especially during their early years of teaching.

Many also have requirements that fall after the normal school day.

Music teachers DO have it among the worst, though, as far as their schedule goes.

Teaching, regardless of subject, is not a job with hours that stop when you go home. Teachers often work seven days a week during the school year, with papers to mark in the evenings because they don't have the time at work to do so.

Oh I completely agree with you! I have no doubt good academic teachers put the same amount of time as good music teachers. I was just using worst case scenario to make a point. No matter what you teach, you have very little time. =|​