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I've been in and out of this board for many years and I've now reached a point in my life where I'm looking at an honorable retirement from 18 years of homeschooling in just a couple of months. My older son recently proposed that my family throw me a retirement party and I definitely thought I deserved one! :)

 

So, what have you done/are you going to do when you get to this point?

 

I am 58 and my husband is an attorney who doesn't plan to retire himself until the youngest is at least through college. We are fairly comfortable financially but extra income would definitely be helpful, especially for Brown U. which has been very tight-fisted with its financial aid. A year or so ago, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, I thought about the one thing that has given me the most enjoyment in the last few years ... my volunteer job as an ESL teacher of adults. I decided that to make myself more employable I would enroll at one of our state universities that offered an online Masters program in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

 

Fast forward to this semester ... having worked my butt off to get a 4.0 GPA with the four classes I took online, I found out that our local university is working to establish an accredited TESOL this fall. I went on leave from the online university and enrolled in one "classroom" graduate school class at the University of Kentucky. I asked my professor, director of the new program, for job leads. He suggested I email the director of the Center for ESL at UK. In exactly 35 minutes (on a Saturday afternoon), I received a very enthusiastic reply from her saying it was highly likely that they would need a part-time teacher in March, that she was forwarding my email to the other two decision-makers in the program, and that they wanted me to come in for an interview ASAP. Concurrently, I also applied for a position rating TOEFL writing and speaking submissions with Educational Testing Service. I sent my CV in on Monday and received an email Wednesday morning that they wanted to hire me!

 

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience that we homeschool teachers apparently ARE hireable, and that there IS life after we retire from our profession. I am really thrilled that things seem to be working out so well for me. My hope is to combine the two part-time positions (assuming I get hired by UK as well) so that I can balance some work at home with teaching outside the home, but staying flexible enough so that I can still travel and be with my family as needed. I'm not expecting to earn big bucks, but it's certainly better than sitting at home doing nothing. And if I don't need to actually get a Masters in TESOL to get a job, then I'm not going to finish my degree work unless someone else is paying for it!

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I am at that point, basically, as well. My youngest will be a Junior next year, and will be doing the dual credit program at our local CC. DS18 is doing that this year, and our oldest is also going to the CC. Not sure what the oldest will be doing next year, but the younger two will be taking classes at the CC, so can commute together (hopefully!).

 

I knew this day was coming at some point, and I had been wracking my brain to come up with something I could do part-time while the kids are still home, yet bring in extra income that is much needed at this time! My sister and I recently met up and went to our parents home to help out with things. My mom qualifies for a certain amount of hours of caregivers coming in and helping her with things and being there for her. SHe's gotten bad workers that have not done their work well and cheated on the hours they've claimed, and don't show up, etc. My sister and I were frustrated with that! While we were traveling, she said years ago she had worked with a certain company that did quality care giving, and maybe she and I could check into that company (she was also looking for a job) and do that in our own areas, to help prevent this kind of thing from happening to other people needing quality caregiving services! Well, that was perfect for me! Not sure why I hadn't thought of it before! So I went and applied and got the job right away. I ended up with a lovely lady, and I absolutely love what I'm doing! I am part time, as I wished, and have been able to fit the hours in and still be home with my family much of the time they are home!

 

My dd is taking 3 AP Level classes at a homeschool co-op. They have kept her VERY busy, but she loves it! She recently decided she wants to be an RN, so next year, when she starts the dual credit, she'll take the classes needed to get the pre-nursing AA offered there. We're also doing some homeschooling classes this year (as you can see in my siggy).

 

So she's excited, since she just came to that conclusion last week, and I'm excited that I found what I want to do!

 

I have loved homeschooling! It will be quite a change not to be homeschooling after so long, but the "pain" will be eased by having a job that I really enjoy!

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This topic has really been on my mind lately! With my oldest in college, I am starting to feel like the years are going by so quickly and before I know it, my youngerst (freshman) will be graduating and going off, and I will be obsolete. I am already feeling obsolete some of the time, as my two youngest are becoming more and more independent, and seem to like it that way. I still do some things with my youngest, but most of the time he just wants to work on his own.

 

I have a few years yet before I need something else to do besides home school, but I have definitely been thinking about it. I look forward to what others have to say about their "after homeschooling" plans. I need ideas...

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I took on the village post office three mornings a week almost two years ago. I am currently applying for jobs at the local university (admin). The post office pays minimum wage and I would really like to build a career/income over the next fifteen plus years (I'm almost 49). I have been attending classes part time to upgrade my Microsoft Office skills, which I will need to move on.

 

We also plan to subdivide the house and rent the back half out as a holiday cottage when the boys go off to university. That might net us 250 pounds a week (average) year round. We also have a house in London which we rent out, so that brings in something.

 

Laura

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This has been on my mind, too.

 

I know what I would do if the sky were the limit -- do graduate study in early or medieval Christianity, or medieval French or northern European cultural stuff. I'm having an absolutely fantastic time sitting in on a university religious studies class right now. No one who knows me in real life would be a bit surprised :D

 

But it would be great to be able to bring in some money. Brush up on my skills and return to website design? (A steep hill to climb, and I'm not sure I really want to.) Work as a barista at our beloved neighborhood bakery? (Where's the money in that?) Hire myself out as a tutor for homeschoolers for Latin, French, or ancient Greek? (Again, money? and my curriculum planning and execution skills should be improved by then, right?)

 

Something where my heart's desire and the world's needs meet (a definition for vocation)....

 

There's no one thing that is clear to me, but I'm mulling it over. My youngest is in sixth grade, so I have some time yet, whew.

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This sounds wonderful! I am proud of you for making your desires a reality. My younger son graduates from high school this June, and will be off to university in Texas (older son is in college already, also in TX, but a different Univ). I am thinking about what I want to do when I grow up as well. Education is a passion of mine, obviously, and I am teaching a couple of classes to a few homeschooled children (all kids of friends) this year to see if I really enjoy teaching other people's children. I do! I think I will see if I can get on the sub list at our local Christian schools to put my toe in the water. I hope to help run some classes for homeschooled kids again, but that will be as a ministry rather than for pay. Hope we can all find dreams to follow!

Blessings,

April

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I have plans. I am learning to watercolour. I started by improving my drawing and have now moved on to learning to paint. The plan is to get the tedious, discouraging part out of the way now, while I am still homeschooling, so that I don't have to deal with that on top of the pangs of having my children grow up and sail away. I am also probably going to be involved with taking care of my parents and inlaws, since I am the oldest.

Nan

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:party: Congratulations, Hilary! You give me hope. Thank you!

 

I have worked as a programmer for 25 years. Because I have worked part-time and homeschooled for the last 10+ years, my skills are waaaaay out-of-date. Plus, due to circumstances beyond my control, I can see the handwriting on the wall foreshadowing doom for my current position. And, now that ds is dual enrolled and driving himself, I have the freedom to start to explore all the possibilities: teaching math at CC, getting a master's degree in Statistics, transitioning to SAS (a specialty statistical language) programming.

 

At the grand old age of 51, with 2 sisters (one 5 years younger and one 4 years older) looking for work for over 2 years now, I am more than a little nervous about a job hunt. I have heard that age discrimination is alive and well. I provide the health insurance for our family as well, which makes a move even scarier.

 

So, to hear you describe your path helps to give me courage. :grouphug:

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Because of dh's accident in December and some medical bills that the insurance isn't completely covering, I took on 12 hrs. per week teaching science labs for high schoolers at a local private school as well as doing some guidance/college/career counseling at the same school. I'm loving it! So, even when our portion of the medical bills are paid, I will probably keep the position if it is offered to me for the 2012/2013 school year. I am also working 3 out of every 4 Saturdays at a quilt store.

 

I am still able to keep up with our homeschooling and now that dh is pretty well close to normal, he's teaching most of the math which helps.

 

We will be debt free in 20 months. That's going to be a huge relief at retirement time. Additionally, if I were to keep the above school position for a few years, we could bank the pay. This would help make up for losses we took in the stock market that are going to take quite a while to be recovered. When we had to cash out dd's 529, it was worth less than what we'd invested and we'd been investing since she was 5 years old! GRRRRR......The 401K is in no great shape now nor is my IRA, but it starting to recover just a little bit...so we'll see what happens.

 

Dh, is highly likely to pick up something, woodworking, tutoring, part-time computer work, etc. when he reaches retirement age. Being off for December and most of January convinced him (well, me too!) that he is not well suited to living without at least some job structure. He HATED it!

 

That said, I can't say for absolutely certain what we will do and I do know I will not work the quilt store job more than one year. I need my weekends now that I've got the two-three hrs. per day at school plus homeschooling and getting my kids ready for college. It is really hard not having Saturday to get caught up or even to just spend time together.

 

I could go back to music therapy. However, as dh approaches retirement, I do not think I will want to be working in that field as it is soooo time intensive and a bit high stress...my expertise is physically and mentally disabled children. I didn't have an aide and so some of my children I even had lifting with (casts, back braces, so this was not easy lifting)...not something I want to be doing in my mid-50's! I would only consider resuming that career if we were really hurting financially.

 

Faith

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My son hopes to finish high school in another two years, at which point I will have been homeschooling for 16 years, longer than I stayed in my professional "career."

 

I've played around with a lot of different ideas for what to do next. I'd love to go back to school and get my master's degree, but I can't think of any legitimate (money-earning) reason to do that. There's no job I can get terribly excited about doing, although in my fantasy world I'd like to open a bookstore that caters to homeschoolers.

 

So, I'll probably just go back to retail, since that's the least offensive job I've ever done. I won't need to make a lot of money. I just need to keep busy and feel like I'm contributing something.

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Best wishes to you on your new adventure!! :001_smile:

 

Me..... at my 18+ yr pt, I'm still changing diapers. Homeschooling retirement won't hit until retirement age. I can't even imagine how many grandkids will be in the picture by then since we already have 1. I may even end up helping homeschool some of them one day.

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Hilary, congratulations!!!! I can't imagine how exciting that must be. Not just one job, but the possibility of another! Thanks so much for sharing your good news.

 

I have no idea what I'll do when I retire. I'll be 59. It seems weird to think about starting anew at that age, but your story suggests that it's a great time for a new beginning.

 

I used to be a lawyer, but I can't imagine returning as my skills/knowledge is so dated (pretty much pre-Internet). I've also written books, but there's no $$ in that. Teaching is in the back of my mind, but that's 10 years away and I can't imagine what the schools will be like then.

 

My dh is thinking we'll be sitting on a beach.

 

Laura

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Congratulations, Hilary! It looks like you are making a nice transition to post-homeschooling life. I am thinking about my possibilities.

 

Officially, I "retired" from homeschooling this year (after 20 years of part- or full-time homeschooling) because my son started school in a charter school program that is affiliated with a community college. He is currently taking two high school courses & two courses in the college. I expect that after this semester he'll be full-time in the CC. Unofficially, I am still on duty, because my son has some learning needs that require me to stay involved with his homework. He also doesn't drive yet, so I am on as taxi driver for 500 miles/week. All told, this requires 20+ hrs/week of my time, so I'm not yet free to take a part-time job.

 

As for what I might do when the time comes, hopefully in about a year, that's a big open question. I could return to my field of physical therapy, but I haven't worked in over 20 years. I have, however, maintained my license in a neighboring state, so it is still a possibility. I would most likely want to work in pediatrics, possibly with children who have developmental delays.

 

The other possibility I'm thinking about is tutoring children with learning disabilities. Two of my children are quite bright but have struggled with language-based learning challenges. I've spent so much of the last 14 years since my daughter's challenges were first identified learning how to teach to their needs. The curve of learning how to teach other children is probably less steep than the curve of getting up to speed in my previous profession. This option would allow for more flexible scheduling.

 

So, I'm at the place where I'm beginning to explore options but haven't settled on anything yet.

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I have 4 1/2 years of homeschooling left. Our reality will most likely have me working part-time, and I'm hoping to be making a little money from writing by then.

 

I have decided as a graduation gift for ME I want to convert the classroom into a writing nook, getaway with a daybed and piano.

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I have 5 more years after this school year.

I will probably increase my work hours and pick up an extra course to teach.

I also really want to take classes in a subject that has absolutely nothing to do with my field of expertise - I am looking forward to learning something new and to the challenge of being a student again.

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I moved from techie to education when my oldest was a baby, and have no regrets. I've taught at local community colleges for over a decade now, and hope to continue that although it will never be full-time. They have pretty much discontinued a major in my field although the full-time faculty periodically try to offer more, but the core class that everyone has to take will always be there. DH has good benefits that go into retirement, but I'm eligible for benefits with the state now, so we plan for me to continue there.

 

I also have other teaching gigs in the homeschooling world, and those are going well and could be expanded to support us at some level if DH retires early.

 

So probably just more of the same as mine begin to graduate.

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Regentrude - I did that this year. I am taking Spanish at the cc while I wait for my son. At first it felt so very strange to be back in a classroom as a student, sitting behind the desk. I felt as if the desks should have shrunk because I have grown so much since college, but they hadn't; quite the contrary - I am small so they are still a bit too big, making me feel as though I were a first grader again, a most unpleasant feeling. Now that I am used to it, I am enjoying the class. I could have learned Spanish at home, on my own, but it is nice having someone else doing all the work of figuring out the teaching part and just concentrating on learning for a change. I have found that it is very much easier to learn something without having to drag or chase (depending on interest level) another person or two through the material as well as struggle through myself. (Much of the material I am teaching at home is new to me.) And it is nice to have the company of a class and somebody with whom to practise. What sort of class are you thinking of taking?

Nan

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I will be at the same point in May. There's stuff to be done....yard work and house stuff (we had a fire, we're re-building) need to be re-organized. I would like to start something creative. That is all I know. I have only been hsing for 2 years so, I'm not a true "retiree" from the field. Before that I took care of the house and "did" the kids. I like the idea of language classes....with actual students and desks and all that.

I have learned so much from these last 2 years of homeschooling, I suppose I will start by asking myself what I liked best. Probably time to buy another copy of "What Color Is Your Parachute?"

Anyways - the dream would be to set off with a small suitcase, a passport, and a credit card and just get out and take a look around the world. But, we've not won the lottery so that is out.

This is a great thread tho'. This is the place where I learned the homeschool ropes. Maybe this is the place where I'll learn what comes next.

Art History worksheets await....then more financial aid and taxes.

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Congrats Hilary (I remember you from the old boards). All the best to you. Thanks for the update.

 

 

I've been in and out of this board for many years and I've now reached a point in my life where I'm looking at an honorable retirement from 18 years of homeschooling in just a couple of months. My older son recently proposed that my family throw me a retirement party and I definitely thought I deserved one! :)

 

So, what have you done/are you going to do when you get to this point?

 

I am 58 and my husband is an attorney who doesn't plan to retire himself until the youngest is at least through college. We are fairly comfortable financially but extra income would definitely be helpful, especially for Brown U. which has been very tight-fisted with its financial aid. A year or so ago, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, I thought about the one thing that has given me the most enjoyment in the last few years ... my volunteer job as an ESL teacher of adults. I decided that to make myself more employable I would enroll at one of our state universities that offered an online Masters program in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

 

Fast forward to this semester ... having worked my butt off to get a 4.0 GPA with the four classes I took online, I found out that our local university is working to establish an accredited TESOL this fall. I went on leave from the online university and enrolled in one "classroom" graduate school class at the University of Kentucky. I asked my professor, director of the new program, for job leads. He suggested I email the director of the Center for ESL at UK. In exactly 35 minutes (on a Saturday afternoon), I received a very enthusiastic reply from her saying it was highly likely that they would need a part-time teacher in March, that she was forwarding my email to the other two decision-makers in the program, and that they wanted me to come in for an interview ASAP. Concurrently, I also applied for a position rating TOEFL writing and speaking submissions with Educational Testing Service. I sent my CV in on Monday and received an email Wednesday morning that they wanted to hire me!

 

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience that we homeschool teachers apparently ARE hireable, and that there IS life after we retire from our profession. I am really thrilled that things seem to be working out so well for me. My hope is to combine the two part-time positions (assuming I get hired by UK as well) so that I can balance some work at home with teaching outside the home, but staying flexible enough so that I can still travel and be with my family as needed. I'm not expecting to earn big bucks, but it's certainly better than sitting at home doing nothing. And if I don't need to actually get a Masters in TESOL to get a job, then I'm not going to finish my degree work unless someone else is paying for it!

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Way to go, Hilary!

 

If we continue to homeschool, I would have 9 more years before ds is finished. We are concerned about money for college, and dd will go in 3 years.

 

I have a math degree and minor in business. I only worked in finance before having the kids, but I've taught in part-time situations as well as teaching them since. I co-directed a school that was part-time school, part-time homeschool as well as being their guidance counselor.

 

If we need the money, I would try to find a Christian school to teach in so that ds could go to school with me. If I'm able to homeschool all the way through, I still think teaching will be the route I want to go later. Dh is in education, too. Summers off together would be nice.

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Regentrude - I did that this year. I am taking Spanish at the cc while I wait for my son. At first it felt so very strange to be back in a classroom as a student, sitting behind the desk. I felt as if the desks should have shrunk because I have grown so much since college, but they hadn't; quite the contrary - I am small so they are still a bit too big, making me feel as though I were a first grader again, a most unpleasant feeling. Now that I am used to it, I am enjoying the class. I could have learned Spanish at home, on my own, but it is nice having someone else doing all the work of figuring out the teaching part and just concentrating on learning for a change. I have found that it is very much easier to learn something without having to drag or chase (depending on interest level) another person or two through the material as well as struggle through myself. (Much of the material I am teaching at home is new to me.) And it is nice to have the company of a class and somebody with whom to practise. What sort of class are you thinking of taking?

Nan

 

I love this idea!

DS will take classes at the CC within the next year or so. When I was looking through the classes I thought how interesting some of them looked. I have a graduate degree, but feel it is outdated. Plus, I studied dry land agriculture and now live in the Midwest, so I am out of my territory! The thought of going back to graduate school doesn't appeal to me, but I could see a few classes for personal enrichment.

 

The kids have even been discussing the possibility of attending the public school full time next year. I many suddenly find I have a lot of time on my hands!

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I'm in no way moving on from homeschooling, but I am certainly in a transition of sorts.

 

Many of you know that dh passed away unexpectedly in June. Thankfully, we have a margin that allows me to stay home for now. Pre-June, my future seemed so planned out. I could tell you what I planned to be doing in 3, 5, 10 years. Now? It's a blank slate of sorts.

 

I do plan and hope to homeschool my youngest through graduation. That's 12 more years. :001_smile: Dh's former company offered me a very part-time position -- only 5 hours per week which I can do completely from home. It provides a good supplement for us right now.

 

In the next few years? I may sit for the bar exam again. I may grow this at-home business. For now, we are transitioning into a new normal. Just when I thought I was learning how to parent teens, I'm a single parenting student all over again! We are digging deep to re-establish passions. Learning all kinds of new things. And I'm figuring out the balance between being the spine for 6 at-home kids while pouring out grace. :001_smile:

 

Good to see all of you.

Lisa

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Lisa & others -- So good to hear from all of the veterans! I love reading about peoples' journeys after hs. Hilary -- thanks for starting the discussion. For me, "after hs" is about 2 years away, and I have no idea what I want to do. I guess I need to start thinking about that. I'm having such a hard time teasing apart the options -- do something that I would probably really enjoy for smaller pay or try to get back into my old field where I'd have the potential to earn more. I just feel so conflicted. The whole situation is complicated by the fact that dh was laid off at the end of last year, and I'm beginning to feel that my hand will be "forced" in this matter before I'm ready to deal with the situation. Who knows? I'm trying to just rest in the Lord and be open to whatever the plan might be. Prayers and hugs to all!

 

Brenda

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... The whole situation is complicated by the fact that dh was laid off at the end of last year, and I'm beginning to feel that my hand will be "forced" in this matter before I'm ready to deal with the situation. Who knows? I'm trying to just rest in the Lord and be open to whatever the plan might be. Prayers and hugs to all!

 

Brenda

 

Prayers and hugs back at you, Brenda. Sorry to hear about your husband's situation.

 

I have been in the fortunate situation of not having to work for pay which allows me to do volunteer work in my community. This is the path on which I'd like to continue but one never knows what is around the corner.

 

One benefit of no longer homeschooling is more time for knitting and sewing!

 

A concern I have about locking myself into any kind of fixed schedule is that of extended family. My father continues to live alone but I fear that the clock is ticking. This is perhaps fairly typical: we launch our kids and then need to focus on our parents.

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Regentrude - I did that this year.... What sort of class are you thinking of taking?

 

I don't know yet. A new foreign language, maybe. Or English literature or writing (English is not my native language). Or history.

It has to be something which I am not "supposed" to be good at. With math and science, I do have an advantage because I have a PhD in physics. I want to start completely at the same level as anybody else and excel under these circumstances. Does that make sense? I want the feeling of being good at something where I am not expected to be good.

(Can you tell I'm ambitious?)

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LOL My "What Colour is Your Parachute" was called "The Artist's Way". My mother gave it to me. It helped me to sift through all my many ideas and wishes and form a practical plan and begin carrying it out.

Nan

I love this book!

At one point in my life, it was a tremendous help to me.

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Well, what about Asian Art History, or Jazz Improvisation, or Chinese Calligraphy then? LOL

I am completely unambitious, grades-wise, but I would like to be able to speak Spanish. The end result is something much more in the vicinity of a 4.0 than a 2.0. My youngest can't imagine why I am bothering. He says if I want to speak Spanish, I should go live somewhere where they speak Spanish. Hmmm... now what exactly is wrong with this argument... : )

Nan

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A concern I have about locking myself into any kind of fixed schedule is that of extended family. My father continues to live alone but I fear that the clock is ticking. This is perhaps fairly typical: we launch our kids and then need to focus on our parents.

 

:iagree: This is also a concern of mine, as both my in-laws and my mom are currently living alone, but they are pushing 80 yo, and I can see that they won't be able to be independent forever. I'm the only sibling right now with older kids who "might" have the time available to help out these guys if they need it in a hurry.

 

Brenda

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That is one of the reasons I chose painting instead of something else. It will give me the flexibility I need for my next task. Such mixed feelings... One of the things that I wish is that I were trained in practical nursing. I had to learn how to teach by teaching my children, subjecting them to all my mistakes. It is very selfish, but I really don't want to learn my nursing skills on my parents. I have deep misgivings about this phase of my existance. I know from experience that it is a time of closeness, and that part will be nice, but it is also probably going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. It is so important that I do it well and I am so scared I won't be strong enough. Sigh.

Nan

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Well, what about Asian Art History, or Jazz Improvisation, or Chinese Calligraphy then?

 

Well, its should of course be something I have an actual interest in.

Languages and history, yes.

Asian art history and calligraphy- not a smidgen of interest here.

I could see music theory or music history though.

 

I should add: I only consider a presence class in an actual classroom, because for me, the fun is interacting with people and having a live teacher.

I would not pay for an online class: if I want to learn something at home, I can learn it from a book. And I don't need a paper that says "degree".

So, I am limited by the options that are locally available.

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I just Amazoned 2 copies of "What Color Is Your Parachute", one for me and one for dd who is a jr. in college. I hope both of us find something to do. I would like to try art and design myself. I think it would be fun to take studio courses, working with others around me, etc. But, also I need something that will make some money. I 've also thought of green vocations, maybe I'll end up a farmer???? That could be creative and scientific.

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Thank you for the kind words ... I just wanted to update this after my interview yesterday. The Center for ESL at UK had a plethora of jobs and I think they had already made up their mind before I walked in the door that unless I hadn't bathed in a year or couldn't speak a coherent sentence, they were going to hire me. We agreed that I would start with two hour-long classes five days a week for the upcoming eight-week session and then go from there. My plan is to try for three or four classes per week in the fall; once my youngest has moved out. I hope this isn't TMI, but I was flabbergasted ... they are paying $41 per hour! Compared to my older son's job at Kroger and my daughter's job at the UK archaeology department, this is way beyond what I expected.

 

If anyone thinks they might be interested in teaching ESL, I strongly encourage you to think about it. It is a booming field, and one that a homeschool parent would find a natural fit. I am so glad now that I found my little volunteer job three years ago to test the waters; not only did I discover how much I liked it, but it also gave me the necessary experience ... they really didn't care whether it was paid or unpaid, just that I'd taught. And I'm glad I invested the money in taking my online classes in TESOL ... I'm not sure whether I'll complete my degree, but again it gave me credibility and I certainly learned a lot of useful information for improving my teaching. Not only that, but it was SO much fun to be a student again!! When one of my kids complained about an upcoming test or paper, I could answer them right back with my own complaint :)

 

Best wishes to all of you ... I know that life is not predictable and sometimes brings us to a point where we wouldn't chose to be. I suppose underlying fears about my own husband were another motivator for wanting to find a job. I think even if he did pass away or get laid off, we would be okay financially, but I would definitely need something to keep me busy and feeling productive.

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If you want to try art, you might want to look at The Artist's Way. I found that it helped me to turn "art" into some concrete goals and the steps to achieve those goals. Otherwise, I think I would have mucked about with this and that and then wondered why I wasn't getting to "art". Not that I have grand ambitions, and not that art doesn't always involve a certain amount of rabbit trails and that dead-ends aren't always useful in the end, but...

Nan

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Lisa, I know that's a tough road--I also was widowed five years ago now, but have been very blessed to be able to remain at home with my boys so far. All three of my older sons went to a private Christian high school for grade 12. One has graduated from college, another is in first year of university, the third is graduating grade 12, and I'm left with my fourth, currently grade 7. I too wrack my brain trying to figure out what to do/ how to continue to support myself within the next few years. I have two masters degrees in writing and literature, but alas, the PhD is ABD/ never complete, so I can't find a full-time teaching position anywhere nearby. Part-time positions are equally hard to come by (what *was* I thinking, doing degrees in English??) For some years, I have taught in assorted homeschool co-ops, but there's no $$ in that.And the thought of going back to school for another degree with no guarantee of a job...? Ack. I keep waiting on God to give me direction with this as I honestly can't think of what I would love to do besides something related to teaching/ writing/editing--though I suppose I could always turn my house into a cat hotel ; ) . Thanks for sharing.

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Thank you for the kind words ... I just wanted to update this after my interview yesterday. The Center for ESL at UK had a plethora of jobs and I think they had already made up their mind before I walked in the door that unless I hadn't bathed in a year or couldn't speak a coherent sentence, they were going to hire me. We agreed that I would start with two hour-long classes five days a week for the upcoming eight-week session and then go from there. My plan is to try for three or four classes per week in the fall; once my youngest has moved out. I hope this isn't TMI, but I was flabbergasted ... they are paying $41 per hour! Compared to my older son's job at Kroger and my daughter's job at the UK archaeology department, this is way beyond what I expected.

 

If anyone thinks they might be interested in teaching ESL, I strongly encourage you to think about it. It is a booming field, and one that a homeschool parent would find a natural fit. I am so glad now that I found my little volunteer job three years ago to test the waters; not only did I discover how much I liked it, but it also gave me the necessary experience ... they really didn't care whether it was paid or unpaid, just that I'd taught. And I'm glad I invested the money in taking my online classes in TESOL ... I'm not sure whether I'll complete my degree, but again it gave me credibility and I certainly learned a lot of useful information for improving my teaching. Not only that, but it was SO much fun to be a student again!! When one of my kids complained about an upcoming test or paper, I could answer them right back with my own complaint :)

 

Best wishes to all of you ... I know that life is not predictable and sometimes brings us to a point where we wouldn't chose to be. I suppose underlying fears about my own husband were another motivator for wanting to find a job. I think even if he did pass away or get laid off, we would be okay financially, but I would definitely need something to keep me busy and feeling productive.

This is GREAT! So happy for you!

 

Did you have a Teaching Degree already? Is it in this field?

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