Current Events > What should I do career wise the next 6 months?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Background

I am a teacher. That is what I went to University for, it is my passion, I love it. I am a substitute teacher right now as full time positions in my city are kinda hard to come by. All this changed in March.

I had a part time job since June of 2019. I work as a youth care worker. I worked weekends and when we had time off from teaching (2 weeks of holidays for Christmas, a week in February, etc). It was about the same pay per day, though about 2 extra hours for my youth care job as opposed to teaching). I say had because everything changed in March.

March 2020 - Present

When Covid hit schools shut down. As a sub I am considered a gig worker. I get paid when I go in, I don't get any pay if I don't go in. Losing my primary source of income was potentially devastating. However, my part time job as a youth care worker became a full time position for as long as I wanted it. From late March until now I have worked 40 hours a week, getting paid pretty well for it.

So what is the big fuckin deal?

School has returned as of yesterday. As such I am back on the sub list, already taken a day for next week. We are cohorted so I only have 8 schools I can teach at. In one sense this is a great way to establish relationships and get closer to a full time position. In another sense if these schools don't have high teacher absenteeism I could be looking at less days.

On the other side I have my full time position at my youth care worker job. At the end of the month I am set to start getting some medical and dental coverage... if I stay full time. I do 3 overnights as part of the deal which aren't always easy on me. But it is assured income.

On the one side my passion is teaching. I absolutely love teaching and it is what I want to do. Given the circumstances right now everything is very uncertain.

On the other is a job I also like, though not love. Assured good income (about 3 grand a month) and benefits coming soon.

My initial plan was to go back to some form of part time with my youth care worker job. I don't want to be seen as someone who cut and run when subbing got necessary but also really uncertain. Sometimes labels stick with you forever. That being said my wife (also a sub) broached the subject with me today saying it might be irresponsible to give up the sure money for subbing when it is so very tenuous. She wants me to take the assured money to pay down some debts and start getting ahead of everything if not to afford the gig worker economy of subbing.

I am so torn. I miss teaching so much, not to say it would be impossible with my FT position to do a bit here and there. Even in Covid times I am excited to go back. However it feels VERY risky and irresponsible to bet good money now on subbing.

I would love some outside intrigue on the situation.


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my wife is in a very similar situation and my advice to her is always "the good thing is: there is no bad decision"

You're gonna be happy and make it through either way

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Coloradough posted...

my wife is in a very similar situation and my advice to her is always "the good thing is: there is no bad decision"

You're gonna be happy and make it through either way

... that actually really made me happy to hear just now. I'm so wrapped up in it all that I forgot I'm fairly blessed to be in a position where I can choose.

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Go back to high school and sell bubblegum. That was the shit.

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Get a job as a pimp TC

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PokemonExpert44 posted...

Get a job as a pimp TC

But I have it on some authority that pimping ain't easy?

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Jeff AKA Snoopy posted...

But I have it on some authority that pimping ain't easy?

Exactly rite

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