My wife and I have often talked about how social workers parallel teachers in what they do for kids and families. Social workers often get more into the home dynamic and that’s why I think any teacher who feels she/he is not getting enough out of the classroom “difference” (or perceived lack of making one thereof), should look into social work. Depending on what sort of job you do with it, it can rival the salary of teaching. Furthermore, you are not held to the confines of a classroom and you can quite often work with just one person at a time. My wife actually has decided to sidestep her career path as a teacher and now she is pursuing a degree in social work.
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker also sees patients of all ages. The process of becoming a social worker is not as difficult as some professions. Again, it depends on the type of profession you wind up seeking that determines what you do each day. Whether it is helping a child deal with being placed in a foster home or assisting a man going through midlife crisis to find his second wind, an LCSW can do all these things within her/his practice. I think teachers get into the profession wanting to help people, primarily. In time, a teacher may realize they can’t help in the ways they had hoped. They may wish they would have known about social work schools. In a sense, social workers and teachers are out to change their world. This is one reason I have a heart for both professions.
For me, teaching has become a fit. At the same time I have seen many teachers through the years realize that the red tape and very nature of the classroom “office” prevents them from making their idea of change. For this reason I have written this article. I want teachers still in college or first considering it as a career to know this amazing career that may be a parallel option.
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