Need to consider my options

[sairoof]

Hi, this semester is almost finished and I would like to consider my options.
Here is some context about myself, I'm 24 physics major, got my degree in late 2022 from university of bahrain, and I'm still in Bahrain. At that time all I was thinking about was going to grad school and I did not know why I wanted that it just felt right.

In 2023 I got a job as a public school teacher, while I wasn't happy with it, i did not dislike it because I was at a high school. The next semester (sep 2023) I got a call that I need to move to a middle school and it was by far the hardest year in my life, it is an all male school and you get how hard it is dealing with many boys that are in their most rebellious phase. Now I'm still in a middle school but in addition to that I have to study for the education diploma which takes a lot of time and energy to just pass the course.

And now here is where I currently am.

I feel like this job is not for me, nor do I want to change my mind and my reasons are

• it is too demanding, too many people telling what to and not to do, and sometimes in a shaming, threatening, or manipulating way
• I get blamed for others behaviors and safety
• they won't stop comparing me to other teachers and make me feel even worse
• my mental and physical health (back pain at 24 years old) have declined substantially since I started
• I don't feel fulfilled or at least compensated properly for my work
• My self esteem is so low
• pressure from family to stay at this job

And regarding the last point,
Pressure, my family is pressuring me to stay at this job because it's a "stable job in the government" and I get 2 months of vacation, and also to collect money because they won't stop telling me to get married.

Another thing that pressures me is a debt that I'll hopefully be able to get out of it by the end of this academic year (June 2025)
I want to see what options do I have? Obviously one option is to stay where I am until I get used to it. And maybe going to grad school but I do not have enough money to go or that impressive resume to even get accepted in one.

changing careers is one great step, but considering where I live, I don't see anything changing anytime soon.

what else can I do? I know there is still much to my life but I can't help but feel down and tired all the time.

 

[Dale]

What is your willingness to relocate and what languages are you fluent in?

 

[sairoof]

What is your willingness to relocate and what languages are you fluent in?

I am pretty good at English and my native language is Arabic.
And yes I am willing to relocate if the benefits outweigh the negatives (loneliness, not seeing my family and community)

 

[Dale]

I am pretty good at English and my native language is Arabic.
And yes I am willing to relocate if the benefits outweigh the negatives (loneliness, not seeing my family and community)

Then you have a lot of opportunities. Start looking into tech companies worldwide. Also, with your teaching experience you could look into teaching oriented universities and colleges worldwide. I guarantee that there is somewhere in the world that is in desperate need of community college physics teachers. You could be a great candidate for such a role. Those tend to be stable government roles in most jurisdictions.

 

[sairoof]

Then you have a lot of opportunities. Start looking into tech companies worldwide. Also, with your teaching experience you could look into teaching oriented universities and colleges worldwide. I guarantee that there is somewhere in the world that is in desperate need of community college physics teachers. You could be a great candidate for such a role. Those tend to be stable government roles in most jurisdictions.

That would be great, another question

Then you have a lot of opportunities. Start looking into tech companies worldwide. Also, with your teaching experience you could look into teaching oriented universities and colleges worldwide. I guarantee that there is somewhere in the world that is in desperate need of community college physics teachers. You could be a great candidate for such a role. Those tend to be stable government roles in most jurisdictions.

Getting into tech or teaching more mature students would be great. But where do I find such opportunities? And why would anyone hire someone from outside and have to deal with visa and othe logistics.
Sites like linkedin or indeed only show me teaching positions or jobs that require higher skills or different kind of skills than what I currently have

 

[CrysPhys]

I am pretty good at English and my native language is Arabic.
And yes I am willing to relocate if the benefits outweigh the negatives (loneliness, not seeing my family and community)

You could consider moving to an English-speaking country and teaching Arabic (which is in demand among certain businesses and government organizations).

 

[Dale]

But where do I find such opportunities? And why would anyone hire someone from outside and have to deal with visa and othe logistics.

That will take a bit of searching, but there is always some place that has a local shortage of qualified people. The reason they will hire is precisely because of that shortage. Such shortages often happen when a local government is trying to expand its services and elevate its local economy

 

[Choppy]

It sounds to me like you need a specific plan.

No judgement for not liking the teaching gig. I think dealing with young people takes a certain kind of person and it's best when those who have an aptitude for it are those doing it.

That said, if you're in debt, and sticking this teaching gig out for another half year will get you out of it... I'd advise to stay for at least that long.

For what it's worth, if your education exams are stressing you out, graduate school might not be the direction for you. Graduate school is a series of exams including a comprehensive exam, candidacy exam, thesis defence, and not to mention regular committee meetings where your progress is consistently under a microscope.

With graduate school it's also important to consider the final end game. What do you want to do with that when you're done? If you stay in academia, that means more teaching (albeit to adult-ish students). In most cases you probably won't stay in academia though, so you'll delay entry into the workforce for another ~ 6 years and then be in a similar position (but with an advanced education). Grad school tends to make more sense when you have a desire at the end of undergrad to work on something specific... a fascination with a certain subfield or problem.

It sounds though like you're really just interested in exploring options though. Sometimes finding a career can mean additional training. If graduate school is a consideration, what about other professional training options? Have you thought about engineering? Programming? Design and fabrication? Or maybe you have a business idea and could stay in your current job while you save up money to make a go of that... you'd have time to focus on it over the summer. Just some ideas.

 

[WWGD]

It sounds to me like you need a specific plan.

No judgement for not liking the teaching gig. I think dealing with young people takes a certain kind of person and it's best when those who have an aptitude for it are those doing it.

That said, if you're in debt, and sticking this teaching gig out for another half year will get you out of it... I'd advise to stay for at least that long.

For what it's worth, if your education exams are stressing you out, graduate school might not be the direction for you. Graduate school is a series of exams including a comprehensive exam, candidacy exam, thesis defence, and not to mention regular committee meetings where your progress is consistently under a microscope.

With graduate school it's also important to consider the final end game. What do you want to do with that when you're done? If you stay in academia, that means more teaching (albeit to adult-ish students). In most cases you probably won't stay in academia though, so you'll delay entry into the workforce for another ~ 6 years and then be in a similar position (but with an advanced education). Grad school tends to make more sense when you have a desire at the end of undergrad to work on something specific... a fascination with a certain subfield or problem.

It sounds though like you're really just interested in exploring options though. Sometimes finding a career can mean additional training. If graduate school is a consideration, what about other professional training options? Have you thought about engineering? Programming? Design and fabrication? Or maybe you have a business idea and could stay in your current job while you save up money to make a go of that... you'd have time to focus on it over the summer. Just some ideas.

Or , if you head for graduate school, learn some practical skills to help you get a job outside your narrow area of expertise. Programming, Data Analysis, etc.

 

[sairoof]

It sounds to me like you need a specific plan.

No judgement for not liking the teaching gig. I think dealing with young people takes a certain kind of person and it's best when those who have an aptitude for it are those doing it.

That said, if you're in debt, and sticking this teaching gig out for another half year will get you out of it... I'd advise to stay for at least that long.

For what it's worth, if your education exams are stressing you out, graduate school might not be the direction for you. Graduate school is a series of exams including a comprehensive exam, candidacy exam, thesis defence, and not to mention regular committee meetings where your progress is consistently under a microscope.

With graduate school it's also important to consider the final end game. What do you want to do with that when you're done? If you stay in academia, that means more teaching (albeit to adult-ish students). In most cases you probably won't stay in academia though, so you'll delay entry into the workforce for another ~ 6 years and then be in a similar position (but with an advanced education). Grad school tends to make more sense when you have a desire at the end of undergrad to work on something specific... a fascination with a certain subfield or problem.

It sounds though like you're really just interested in exploring options though. Sometimes finding a career can mean additional training. If graduate school is a consideration, what about other professional training options? Have you thought about engineering? Programming? Design and fabrication? Or maybe you have a business idea and could stay in your current job while you save up money to make a go of that... you'd have time to focus on it over the summer. Just some ideas.

Thanks for the inputs
Yes I plan to at least finish this year as a teacher.
Exams and assignments are the least stressful part, but that is a real concern even considering that I would actually enjoy doing maths/physics and wouldn't be forced into it.
Part of the reason why I stopped applying for graduate is school is that I indeed did not have an end goal from getting it.
And finally, I would not be able to train for engineering/ tech until I'm done with this diploma. But I will see next year and would likely be able to train in the summer or the year after it.
Just one more concern is that teaching skills are almost never wanted in other careers so I will have to address that sometiems.

 

[sairoof]

Or , if you head for graduate school, learn some practical skills to help you get a job outside your narrow area of expertise. Programming, Data Analysis, etc.

Data science sounds nice! And I already know some programming but I am not entirely sure how would I show it in my resume/CV.

 

[WWGD]

Data science sounds nice! And I already know some programming but I am not entirely sure how would I show it in my resume/CV.

Maybe you can obtain a certification.

 

[marcusl]

…
That said, if you're in debt, and sticking this teaching gig out for another half year will get you out of it... I'd advise to stay for at least that long.

I wouldn’t stay longer, though. Your degree and skill level are worth less the longer you spend as a middle school teacher.

 

[Choppy]

Just one more concern is that teaching skills are almost never wanted in other careers so I will have to address that sometiems.

Have you considered corporate training positions?
I work in medical physics where a lot of the commercial players will have dedicated educators who teach clients how to use their products (linear accelerator, CT simulators, MRIs, and the peripheral devices like scanners, support software, etc.). In this field most of these positions require either a PhD or an MSc, or some kind of clinical background in the radiation therapy field, but I'm sure these positions aren't unique to my field. Large corporations will, for example hire educators or consultants to help improve communication/management/technical skills among employees.

 

[CrysPhys]

Just one more concern is that teaching skills are almost never wanted in other careers so I will have to address that sometiems.

At least in the US, you can make a good living as a private tutor. The key is to take inventory of what you have to offer and then find a niche where what you have to offer is in high demand and low supply (re-iterating a point made in Reply #7).

As one example, I once met a student in the US who was fascinated with Japan. She was not Japanese American, but got her undergrad degree in Japanese language and cultural studies. When she graduated, she couldn't find a job: for suitable positions in the US she was not competitive with Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants. So she moved to Japan, where she got a lucrative career tutoring high-level executives in English [ETA: language] and US culture.

 

[jtbell]

Another example of corporate training/teaching positions: one of my friends in college got a bachelor's in physics, then a master's in (I think) aeronautical engineering, and ended up doing training at a major aero company. I don't know whether her students were employees or customers.

 

[CrysPhys]

OP: With respect to teaching in a corporate environment, think beyond positions that are specifically designated as "corporate training". As one example, I once worked as a quality improvement engineer. One of my responsibilities was rolling out new quality processes to engineering organizations. The ability to teach was a plus. As another example, I once worked as a technical support engineer to telcom sales and marketing teams. Some of our potential customers were technically savvy, many were not. One of my responsibilities was explaining our new offerings to potential customers who were not technically savvy. Again, the ability to teach, particularly the ability to tailor the teaching to audiences with different backgrounds, was a plus.

So, again, don't consider your teaching background to be a liability; seek out opportunities where it is a plus.